Thailand Introduces Online TM6 as Tourism Fee Faces Delays

[biggles45]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

 

Not sure how the introduction of a digital version of an arrival form they scrapped 2 years ago and obviously didn't need, is going to enhance the tourist experience or speed things up! 

 

The TM6 data was mainly used by TAT to justify their jobs and they don't need it...... they just make the numbers fit their targets

[Justanotherone]

damn, this crap again... when will they stop the 90 day joke?  never I guess... show em who's boss

[treetops]

They tried this over 5 years ago and I've even got one generated from that system which never took off.  I wonder if this is a new system or just a re-hash of the old one?

[hotchilli]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

In a significant move poised to streamline the entry process for visitors, Thailand is set to launch an online TM6 immigration form from May 1.

Slick as goose s##t

[josephbloggs]

1 hour ago, watchcat said:

 

Email is on line?

What er you talking about? What has email got to do with this?

And do you send emails offline? No idea what you are on about at all.

[Cabradelmar]

Dumb... I'm going to suggest not requiring a TM6 (as is now) is as streamlined as it gets, or needs to be

[CFCol]

What if you are a tax resident and not a tourist?

[Cabradelmar]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Natthriya Thaweevong, permanent secretary of the ministry, highlighted that this online system could mitigate safety concerns by improving tourist oversight

Could but won't because oversight requires someone do actual work

[sqwakvfr]

3 hours ago, DFPhuket said:

It is becoming common that tourists must complete an online document in advance. Some places in the region where you do that are Singapore, Cambodia, Malaysia, Japan, Korea and Indonesia. In all of these countries it speeds up the arrival process either by not requiring an immigration officer to manually enter data or by allowing eGates where you simply scan your passport and the gates open. If Thailand can get this to work and it speeds up the entry, I'm all for it. 

Singapore the ETA come back within hours.  For S. Korea the ETA took two hours but the fee was about $9.  For Malaysia they call it an MDAC(Malaysia Digital Arrival Card).  It is not an ETA but something similar to a TM 6.  The MDAC was difficult to get and it was not a seamless process.  These three countries do not have anywhere close to 30 to 40 million arrival per year.  I am not sure how any Thai immigration online process could seamlessly handle that many inputs and respond in a timely manner. 

[tomazbodner]

1 hour ago, josephbloggs said:

Amazing how AN posters so quickly spin in to a tizz and overreact to everything and everything.

How will this be any different to Singapore, Ireland, Greece, Australia or any one of dozens of countries that require an online declaration before travel? Do they strap ankle tags on you?

Probably fill it out 48/72 hours before travel on a computer (no phone required, luddites). Print out confirmation if it makes you less "detectable".  Simple. Why all the crying in this thread about phones, data roaming, tracking, tourists leaving in droves etc. People need to get over themselves.

There's also every logical chance that once this is implemented you'll be able to use e-gates on arrival.

You need to learn what sarcasm means.

[TheAppletons]

11 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

You need to learn what sarcasm means.

 

  Charlie Brown, my main man.

[Ralf001]

20 minutes ago, CFCol said:

What if you are a tax resident and not a tourist?

make zero difference.... its an arrival document.

 

 

[watchcat]

5 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

Utter rubbish.

Thailand is a police state and they want to know where everyone is.

End of.

 

Get rid of the RTP, problem solved.

[Ralf001]

49 minutes ago, Justanotherone said:

damn, this crap again... when will they stop the 90 day joke?  never I guess... show em who's boss

 

What does the 90 day have to do with an arrival document ?

[thjames88]

6 hours ago, lordgrinz said:

 

Yeah, because it's always a good thing to connect to a public WIFI in a foreign country. Then its a really good idea to start plugging personal data over that WIFI into an online form run by a foreign country that I wouldn't trust to run a lemonade stand.

you do it before coming to thailand!   no problem no harm no foul

[proton]

They already are getting TM30's stating where you are staying, so what's the point of the TM6 now?

[Yumthai]

In order to keep pretending public servants being busy and continue milking increasing tax money, bureaucracy can be quite creative.

[Ralf001]

2 hours ago, watchcat said:

 

Something like that, but they soon realized that they lose money on the printing business.

introducing an online version does not recoup printing money.

[Ralf001]

19 minutes ago, proton said:

They already are getting TM30's stating where you are staying, so what's the point of the TM6 now?

 

Does the TM30 show you have entered/left the country ?

[sqwakvfr]

19 minutes ago, proton said:

They already are getting TM30's stating where you are staying, so what's the point of the TM6 now?

What is the Thai word for Redundacy?  TM-30 address, 90 Day report address and TM 6 address.  Only thing left is to consider a chip implanted in the passport to have real time location of all foreigners in the Land of Smiles. 

[GmailJen]

Why are we back to TM6 - thought this has been consigned to the bin !  Surely with the implementation of the ETIAS system with all travellers requiring to complete this before even leaving the place of departure ,  the authorities have all the necessary information ? More red tape ! 

[scorecard]

9 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

 

Those that do not carry a phone would be a very small number.

 

Why the need for roaming when the airport has free wifi ?

 

 

 

Do you still have to register and wait for about 24 hrs before you can access the free wifi?

[ikke1959]

Maybe Thai immigration should build a good computersystem and use a good program instead of all the extra forms  documents and everything else ... One time in the computersystem should be enough..Why when people get an re entry have to give again all passport details copies, and when return adress notifications, same with the 90 days..Nothing is connected nothing is working properly as you extend your visa all the paperwork has to be done again..so now they first got rid of the card and we go back again to the old system with the difference of an online card.... Are there any brains ???

[Negita43]

7 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

Thailand is a police state and they want to know where everyone is.

End of.

My understanding is that every country where mobiles are used can theorectically track its users since mobile phones connect to cell towers which have a location. I think even using a VPN would only mask a location for data not for voice calls - maybe someone more knowledgeable could comment.

[Negita43]

Will the tm6 apply to non O Retirement Visa extension people?

[Yumthai]

12 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

Maybe Thai immigration should build a good computersystem and use a good program instead of all the extra forms  documents and everything else ... One time in the computersystem should be enough..Why when people get an re entry have to give again all passport details copies, and when return adress notifications, same with the 90 days..Nothing is connected nothing is working properly as you extend your visa all the paperwork has to be done again..so now they first got rid of the card and we go back again to the old system with the difference of an online card.... Are there any brains ???

One reason why the unemployment rate in Thailand is impressively low.

[proton]

1 hour ago, Ralf001 said:

 

Does the TM30 show you have entered/left the country ?

 

If you were not here one could not be registered not seen anything about filling TM6 out online when you leave

[1happykamper]

13 hours ago, webfact said:

paper-based forms previously suspended by the cabinet in April 2024.

Oh another U turn Thailand! Gmafb. Who's steering this crazy ship 

 

Immigration offices here are swimming in paperwork. Useless paper than no one ever refers to after it's filed. 

[Gknrd]

Jeeezzz, what a clown show.  

[Old Nomad]

As a SW-engineer I doubt that one will have to show the digital TM6 on one's phone to the IO. I assume the IO will simply scan the passport and the immigration system will automatically use the passport number to show him the TM6 data from some server.