Skip to content
TDAC.travel

Thailand Digital Arrival Card explained

The TDAC replaced the paper arrival card. Every foreign passport holder files it online before landing. Here is everything that matters, in the order you will need it.

A long queue of arriving passengers with luggage walking towards immigration at Suvarnabhumi Airport
The walk to immigration at Suvarnabhumi. Every passport in this queue needs a filed arrival card.

Who needs it

Every foreign passport holder, on every entry to Thailand, by air, land or sea. That includes babies and children; a parent files for them with the same hotel address. The only exception is transit: if you stay airside and your luggage is checked through, you do not clear immigration and do not need a card. If you leave the transit area, change terminals or re-check luggage, you do.

When to file

The system accepts a card only inside the 72 hours before your arrival. You cannot file a week ahead. Most travellers file three days before the flight and keep the QR code on their phone. Filing at the airport is possible over the airport Wi-Fi but slow, and airlines increasingly check for the card before boarding.

What the form asks

  • Passport details. Name exactly as in the machine-readable line, passport number, expiry date, nationality.
  • Flight number and arrival date. The card is tied to both. A rebooked flight or a new date needs a new card.
  • Address in Thailand. Hotel name, street, district and postcode of your first night. "Bangkok" alone is refused.
  • Purpose of visit and occupation. Children are "Child", not "Student". Retirees are "Retired".
  • Country of residence, phone, email. The confirmation with the QR code goes to this email address.

WHEN TO FILE AND WHAT YOU NEED

Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) timing and form fields: filing more than 72 hours before landing is refused by the portal; 72 to 24 hours before landing is the right moment, with time to check every field against the passport; filing at the departure airport is possible but rushed as airlines check before boarding; after landing you can file on the airport Wi-Fi in about five minutes before the counter. The form asks for passport details as in the machine-readable line, flight number and arrival date, the hotel name, street, district and postcode in Thailand, purpose of visit and occupation, country of residence, phone and email for the QR code, and one card per passport including babies and children.
The four moments a traveller can file the arrival card, ranked, and the five groups of fields to have ready before opening the form.

When the flight changes

The card is tied to the flight number and the arrival date. A rebooked flight or a new date means a new card; the old one no longer matches the airline manifest. A delay on the same day with the same flight number changes nothing.

What you get

A confirmation by email with a QR code. Save it to your phone so it opens offline, and print a copy. At the counter, or at the auto gates if you are eligible, the officer scans it together with your passport.

Common mistakes

  • A name that does not match the machine-readable line of the passport (middle names, transliteration, hyphens).
  • “Bangkok” as the address. The form wants the hotel name, street, district and postcode of the first night.
  • A flight number copied from a booking site instead of the operating carrier’s number on the boarding pass.
  • “Student” for a child. Children are “Child”.
  • Filing outside the 72-hour window and assuming it went through.

Facts on this page were checked on 28 September 2026.

Two ways to file the arrival card

Both produce the same card. The difference is who types it and who checks it.

Free

File it yourself, free

The Thai Immigration Bureau's portal takes the form directly. It is free and takes about 15 minutes per person. Have the passport, the flight and the hotel address ready.

Open the government portal

Paid, optional

Assisted filing, paid

An independent service checks your details against your passport, files inside the 72-hour window and emails the QR code. US$29 per traveller, refunded if the card is rejected. Not the government, not required.

Assisted filing at tdac.info

TDAC.travel is an independent information site. It is not the Thai government and not affiliated with Thai Immigration. The Digital Arrival Card is free on the government portal. The assisted service is run by the same company that publishes this site.

Related questions

  • Is the Thailand Digital Arrival Card mandatory?

    Yes. Every foreign passport holder needs one for each entry, including children and infants. Airlines and immigration check it. Transit passengers who do not clear immigration do not need it.

  • How early can I file the arrival card?

    Only inside the 72 hours before you land. The system does not accept earlier submissions. Set a reminder three days before your flight.

  • Is the arrival card free?

    Yes, on the Thai Immigration Bureau's portal. Independent services charge a fee for checking and filing on your behalf; that is optional.

  • My flight changed. Is my card still valid?

    If the flight number or the arrival date changed, no: file a new card with the new details. If the flight is only delayed on the same day and keeps its number, the card stays valid.

  • What if I forgot to file before landing?

    Connect to the airport Wi-Fi, log in with your passport number, and file on your phone before you reach the counter. It takes about five minutes. Kiosks exist but the queue is slower.