In this guide
Every non-Thai traveller who will enter Thailand must complete the TDAC before reaching immigration. Submit it free at tdac.immigration.go.th within three days before arrival, including the arrival date. The card records arrival information; it is not a visa and does not determine whether a traveller qualifies to enter.
The process is short when the passport, arrival transport, first accommodation and recent travel history are ready. Most problems come from using an unofficial paid site, filing too early or entering a name that does not match the passport.
What is the TDAC?
The Thailand Digital Arrival Card replaced the paper arrival form for foreign travellers. Government guidance made it compulsory from 1 May 2025 for non-Thai nationals arriving by air, land or sea.
It works alongside the traveller’s actual immigration status. A visa holder needs the TDAC. A person using visa exemption needs it. Someone eligible for visa on arrival also needs it. Completing the card does not extend permission to stay, repair an invalid passport or guarantee admission.
Thai nationals do not file it. The official FAQ also exempts crew and travellers who remain in airside transit without passing immigration. The moment an itinerary requires formal entry into Thailand, the ordinary TDAC rule applies.
Use only the official free portal
The correct address is:
https://tdac.immigration.go.th
The government submission is free. Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports has warned about websites that imitate the form and request payment. The Royal Thai Embassy in Canberra repeats that the Immigration Bureau address is the only official website.
A polished page or paid search placement is not proof of government status. Check for the exact .immigration.go.th domain before entering passport information. There is no priority approval to purchase from the official form, because this is an arrival declaration rather than a visa application.
If passport or payment details have already been entered on a suspect website, keep screenshots, contact the card provider when money was taken and follow the reporting channels in the Ministry’s warning. Then complete the real form separately.
When should it be submitted?
The Immigration Bureau says the form should be submitted within three days before arrival, including the arrival date. Its FAQ also phrases the limit as up to 72 hours before entry.
The date is the arrival date in Thailand, not the departure date from the traveller’s home country. An overnight flight can make that distinction important. A sensible time is after online check-in or final transport confirmation, when the arrival flight or vehicle and first accommodation are unlikely to change.
The TDAC is valid for the expected arrival and one entry. A new card is needed each time a traveller re-enters Thailand. It is not a reusable profile for several border crossings.
What information is needed?
Gather everything before opening the form because the official FAQ says progress cannot be saved for later. The current guide requests:
- passport and personal information;
- flight number or other arrival-vehicle details;
- arrival date and mode of transport;
- travel purpose;
- accommodation information in Thailand;
- health-declaration information when prompted;
- an email address for the TDAC document.
Enter details in English. Copy the passport spelling and order rather than using a nickname. The system can read a passport’s machine-readable zone, but its own guide tells travellers to recheck anything retrieved by the scan.
For a Pattaya stay, use the actual first accommodation details and select the location offered by the official form. Do not invent a hotel because it seems close enough. A booking confirmation is the easiest reference for spelling, address and province.
Step-by-step submission
- Open the official Immigration Bureau portal and choose the arrival-card option.
- Enter the passport and personal data, or scan the machine-readable zone and verify every field.
- Add trip and Thai accommodation information.
- Complete the health section shown for the traveller’s recent route and circumstances.
- Preview the full record and correct errors.
- Add the email address, accept the terms and submit.
- Download the TDAC document and keep the QR code accessible.
The official FAQ estimates about three to five minutes per person when the information is prepared. It also says printing is not compulsory. A saved phone copy is sufficient, while paper is a useful backup for someone travelling without reliable device access.
Families and groups
Every person needs a record, including babies and children. An adult may submit on behalf of another traveller. The group function accepts up to 10 entries in one submission and can reuse shared travel or accommodation information.
Shared fields save time but increase the risk of copying an error. Check each passport number, date of birth, nationality and name against that traveller’s document before submitting. Keep the final QR document available for every member rather than assuming one group screenshot covers the details immigration may request.
Larger parties can use more than one group submission. Tour leaders and authorised travel agents may complete records, but each traveller remains dependent on the accuracy of the supplied information.
Transit and connecting flights
An airside transit passenger who never passes Thai immigration does not need the TDAC. That exception is narrow. Separate tickets, bag collection or an onward domestic flight may require entering Thailand even when the airport stay feels like a connection.
Ask the airline whether baggage is checked through and whether passport control is required. Do not decide from the length of the layover alone. When entry is required, submit the TDAC using the arrival flight into Thailand and the accommodation or onward information requested by the form.
Correcting a mistake
The portal has an Update Arrival Card function. The official FAQ says some identity fields cannot be updated through that path, while the current guide lists the update workflow. Rather than relying on a remembered list of editable fields, search the record and see what the live system permits.
If the necessary field cannot be changed, submit a new correct form before entry. The FAQ says the system uses the most recent valid submission. Download the new document and delete or clearly label older copies so the wrong QR code is not shown.
A changed hotel or flight should also be corrected before entry. The goal is an accurate arrival record, not merely possession of any QR image.
No smartphone or failed website
The official FAQ says internet access and kiosks are available on arrival. It specifically lists kiosk installations at Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Hat Yai airports. U-Tapao is not on that published list, so a Pattaya-bound traveller using U-Tapao should not rely on finding a kiosk there.
Filing before travel is still the better plan. If the site returns an error, save a screenshot and retry from a stable connection. If no QR code arrives by email, the FAQ directs travellers to contact the immigration officer at the entry checkpoint.
Pair it with the actual entry rules
The TDAC does not answer how long a traveller may stay or whether a visa is needed. Those questions depend on nationality, passport, travel purpose and current Thai entry policy. Check the Thailand visa and entry guide against the relevant official service.
After the arrival paperwork is ready, the Bangkok airport to Pattaya guide covers the separate transport decision. Keep the QR document, passport and transfer details accessible rather than buried in checked luggage.
Final checklist
Use the exact government domain, file within the permitted three-day window, check every passport field, save the newest QR document and remember that the TDAC is not a visa. A five-minute review before submission is faster than correcting an avoidable identity or arrival error at the border.
This is general information, not legal advice. Immigration procedures and entry rules can change. Verify the current TDAC instructions on the Immigration Bureau portal before travelling.
Useful to know
- The TDAC is not a visa and does not replace the applicable entry permission.
- Each traveller, including an infant or child, needs an individual record.
- Airside transit without passing immigration does not require a TDAC.
- The form cannot be saved halfway, so gather all details before starting.
- A phone display is sufficient; printing the QR document is optional.
- If an identity field cannot be updated, submit a new correct form before entry.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Thailand Digital Arrival Card free?
Yes. The official Immigration Bureau submission at tdac.immigration.go.th is free. Thailand's Ministry of Tourism and Sports warns that sites requesting payment are not official government portals. Type or bookmark the government address rather than trusting a sponsored search result, and do not provide passport or card details to a lookalike site.
When can I submit the TDAC?
Submit it within three days before arrival, including the arrival date. The official FAQ also describes this as up to 72 hours before entry. Complete it after the arrival transport and first Thai address are settled, but leave enough time to correct an error and save the QR document before travelling.
Do children need a TDAC?
Yes. Every non-Thai traveller, including an infant or child, needs an individual TDAC record. An adult may complete it on the child's behalf, and the official system permits up to 10 travellers in one group submission. Check each passport record separately because one family confirmation does not excuse a missing child.
Do transit passengers need a TDAC?
Not when they remain airside and do not pass through Thai immigration. A TDAC is required if the itinerary involves clearing passport control, entering Thailand, collecting bags landside or connecting in a way that requires formal entry. Confirm the transfer procedure with the airline when separate tickets or a domestic onward flight are involved.
What if I make a mistake on the TDAC?
Use the official Update Arrival Card function before entry when the field is editable. If the system will not permit that change, submit a fresh form with the correct information; the official FAQ says the most recent valid submission is used. Re-download the QR document and discard older screenshots to avoid presenting the wrong record.