Thailand switches to a digital arrival card: paper forms scrapped from 1 May 2025

From 1 May 2025, Thailand is completing its transition to an electronic entry system. Foreign nationals arriving in the country will need to complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC), a digital arrival card that will replace the paper TM6 form. The change applies to all foreign travellers, regardless of visa status or means of crossing the border — by air, land, or sea.

The TDAC must be completed within 72 hours before arrival in Thailand. The only exceptions are transit passengers who do not pass through passport control, and holders of special Border Pass permits valid for certain land entry points.

How to complete the TDAC

The card is filled in via the official portal tdac.immigration.go.th. The electronic form involves several steps:

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• entering personal details and passport information (full name, date of birth, nationality, passport number, visa number if applicable);
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• providing trip details — arrival date, mode of transport, purpose of visit, address of stay in Thailand;
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• completing a health declaration listing countries visited in the 14 days before entry;
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• a final review and confirmation of the details;
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• receiving the digital card as a PDF at the email address provided.
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The completed card should be saved on a smartphone or printed out for presentation at immigration control.

Goals of digitisation — simplicity and security

The introduction of the TDAC is aimed at modernising Thailand's immigration system. The electronic card speeds up the entry process, centralises data processing, and improves the efficiency of health screening, while reducing paper use. This measure builds on reforms already under way, including the rollout of electronic visas and tighter controls on cross-border movement.

Discussion of a possible cut to the visa-free period

Alongside these digital initiatives, Thai authorities are considering changes to visa-free entry rules. Specifically, there is discussion of cutting the length of stay for citizens of 93 countries — from the current 60 days to 30 days. No final decision has yet been made. Supporters of the reform point to the need to regulate tourist flow, while representatives of the tourism industry fear it could reduce interest in the destination.

A global trend

Thailand is following the worldwide trend toward digital entry procedures. Similar systems are already in place in Cambodia, Malaysia, Cuba, and South Korea. The new procedure makes crossing the border simpler, faster, and more transparent: a trip to Thailand now begins even before arrival — with completing an online form.