Thailand has replaced its paper arrival card with an online form. Every non-Thai national arriving in the country now submits a Thailand Digital Arrival Card before travelling, and there is no paper version handed out on the aircraft to fall back on.
It is free, it takes a few minutes, and it is not your visa.
What Is the Thailand Digital Arrival Card?
The Thailand Digital Arrival Card, or TDAC, is the online immigration arrival form every foreign traveller submits before entering Thailand. It replaced the paper TM6 card that cabin crew used to distribute before landing.
It is not a visa and it does not replace one. It records who you are, where you are staying and how you are arriving. You still need the correct visa or visa exemption for your nationality and your purpose of travel, which is a separate process with its own documents and fees.
Who Has to Submit a TDAC?
Every non-Thai national entering Thailand, with no exemption by age. Infants and children each need their own, submitted on their behalf by a parent or guardian.
It applies to every arrival route, not only flights: by air, across a land border, and by sea. Thai nationals do not need one.
When Do You Submit the TDAC?
Within 72 hours before you arrive, counted back from your arrival date. The system will not accept a submission earlier than three days out, so there is no way to get it done weeks in advance alongside your flights and hotel.
For a UAE resident flying Dubai to Bangkok, that means completing it in the two or three days before departure. It is the one part of the trip that cannot be done early, which is exactly why people forget it.
Is There a Fee for the TDAC?
No. Thai immigration states plainly that no fees are required for the arrival card.
This matters because the TDAC is new enough that look-alike sites have appeared charging a service fee for submitting it. The form itself costs nothing, whoever completes it. Your visa fee and your arrival card are two different things, and only one of them has a price.
How Do You Complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card?
Through Thailand’s official immigration arrival card system, in a single sitting. There is nothing to upload and no document to print at the end beyond the confirmation.
What You Need in Front of You
- Passport — number, nationality, date of issue and expiry, exactly as printed
- Flight or transport details — carrier, flight number and arrival date
- Your address in Thailand — the hotel name and address for your first night
- Purpose of travel and length of stay
- Country you boarded in, which for most UAE residents is the United Arab Emirates rather than their country of nationality
One Application Can Cover Up to Ten Travellers
A family or a group does not need ten separate submissions. One application can carry up to ten travellers, so a parent can complete the arrival card for a spouse and children in the same session.
Each traveller still has their own record inside it, with their own passport details. The count of ten is per application, not per trip.
Do You Need a TDAC if You Are Only Transiting?
Not if you stay inside the transit area and never pass through immigration. A transit flight or a technical landing where nobody disembarks into the country does not require one.
You do need one the moment you clear immigration, including when you leave the airport during a long layover to see Bangkok. Clearing immigration is the test, not the length of the stop.
What Happens if the Information Is Wrong?
Thai immigration is direct about this: a traveller who submits incorrect information may be denied entry at the officer’s discretion.
In practice the errors that cause trouble are mundane — a passport number copied with one digit wrong, a flight number from an earlier booking, a hotel changed after the card was filed. The arrival card is checked against the passport and the boarding pass in front of you, so the three need to agree.
Thailand Digital Arrival Card — Common Questions
Is the TDAC the same as a visa?
No. It is an arrival declaration. Your visa or visa exemption is separate, and the arrival card does not grant entry on its own.
How much does the TDAC cost?
Nothing. No fee is charged for submitting it.
How early can I submit it?
Three days, or 72 hours, before your arrival date. Not earlier.
Do children need a TDAC?
Yes, including infants. A parent submits it for them.
Do I need one if I arrive by land from Malaysia or Laos?
Yes. It is required at land borders and seaports as well as airports.
Can I fill it in for my family?
Yes, up to ten travellers on one application.
What if I forget until I land?
There is no paper card at the counter any more, so it has to be submitted before you reach the immigration officer.
Why Apply Through Al Baron Tourism?
The arrival card is free and short. The visa behind it is neither, and it is the part that decides whether you board at all.
We apply for your Thailand visa from Dubai, check the documents against what Thai immigration actually asks for, and tell you when your 72-hour window for the arrival card opens so it is not the thing you remember at the airport. Price and requirements are on our Thailand visa from Dubai service, and the full process is set out in our Thailand visa for UAE residents guide.
Please note: arrival card requirements, timings and entry rules are set by Thai immigration and can change without notice. Entry is determined by the immigration officer at the port of arrival.
