Thailand Introduces Online TM6 as Tourism Fee Faces Delays

[MikeandDow]

52 minutes ago, Negita43 said:

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

It applys to All non Thai's coming into the country

[Tomtomtom69]

10 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 ?

 

 

 

 

A phone isn't needed. One would assume this form would be filled out on a website and an email address entered. Once you've completed the form (at home, before departure) immigration would know, as it would be linked to your passport when you check-in or cross the border. If all else fails, you could print out the confirmation.

 

There, problem solved, no phone needed. 

Also, even among those who do have phones, many won't have working internet on arrival, unless they have a roaming plan from their home countries or are returning residents and thus already have a local SIM.

 

Even then (and this happens to me all the time) it doesn't mean you'd have working internet as you may have no credit left. I usually "borrow" from my network, up to 300 Baht or so, once that has been reached, I can't borrow more without topping up. I sometimes go quite a while without topping up, because I just don't use my phone much, except at home or a hotel when it's connected to wifi. 

 

Also, for me when I do have credit, I am charged 22 Baht for unlimited internet per day until my balance goes down to zero, regardless of whether I use it or not. I thus don't bother topping up on days I know I won't be needing it (such as weekends when I'm not going out, except for a walk). Same thing when I return from a trip to a neighboring country; I've usually exhausted my balance and my Thai SIM will have zero credit when I cross the border. 

 

Land borders may or may not have wifi, but again, as I've illustrated, it would only be needed if you haven't completed the form in advance. If or when this comes into effect, I'll fill out the form within 24 hours of my arrival into the country, prior to leaving home/my hotel etc. bound for Thailand. 

[Ralf001]

1 hour ago, scorecard said:

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

 

That I cannot answer, my AIS sim provides my internet throughout Thailand... airport included.

[Ralf001]

2 minutes ago, Tomtomtom69 said:

 

Also, even among those who do have phones, many won't have working internet on arrival, unless they have a roaming plan from their home countries or are returning residents and thus already have a local SIM.

 

 

https://suvarnabhumi.airportthai.co.th/service/airport-guide/detail/2024_Update_Suvarnabhumi_Airport_Free_Wi-Fi_Access

[Tomtomtom69]

3 minutes ago, MikeandDow said:

It applys to All non Thai's coming into the country

 

Again one of these discriminatory things, where foreigners need to fill out more paperwork but locals are exempt.

 

In Australia, they're planning to introduce a pretty much identical form, but it will be required by ALL including Australian citizens. Australia is not going to discriminate only against foreigners, but also it's own citizens. 

[khunjeff]

4 hours ago, josephbloggs said:

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

 

It's different because Thailand actually stopped using entry forms over two years ago, and over 50 million foreigners have entered without one - and without the kingdom collapsing. It's obvious that the system worked just fine without the forms, so why re-introduce them? Why not just emulate Vietnam or the US, and get rid of entry forms completely?

 

[Tomtomtom69]

4 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

https://suvarnabhumi.airportthai.co.th/service/airport-guide/detail/2024_Update_Suvarnabhumi_Airport_Free_Wi-Fi_Access

 

Does everyone arrive through Suvarnabhumi? No. Also, I've just told you, you would probably be filling out this form BEFORE getting on a plane or arriving at the border. Some airports may even require you do this.

 

For example, even though no one at the check-in counter checked whether my family and I filled out the Singaporean form when we flew there from Australia en-route to Thailand with a 1 day stopover in SG and you could fill it out on arrival, for others, they were refused a boarding pass until they could show evidence of having filled out the form.

 

I suspect the Thai version may well be similar.

 

I wish they'd just have stuck with the paper form. As annoying as it might be, it takes 2-3 minutes to fill out and doesn't require any pre-planning. You get one on the plane or for those arriving by land, by an immigration helper at the checkpoint.

I can already picture the chaos at land borders where hordes of Laotians, Cambodians and Malaysians cross (especially on weekends and holidays), scrambling to fill in this electronic form (even if only enforced for holders of passports) it will be pure pandemonium and increase crowds and processing times. 

[Tomtomtom69]

3 hours ago, sqwakvfr said:

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. 

They do. Malaysia receives around 75% of the visitor numbers as Thailand does; Singapore about 60%. 

 

The last time I entered Malaysia was by land and prior to the rollout of the MDAC. The fact its not a seamless process makes it even more concerning. 

[Ralf001]

4 minutes ago, Tomtomtom69 said:

Also, I've just told you, you would probably be filling out this form BEFORE getting on a plane or arriving at the border. Some airports may even require you do this.

 

 

 

good for champ.

 

[chmeatloaf]

A piece of virtual legal declaration designed to detain or deny you entry if immigration or customs find any discrepancies in your declaration. Imagine being harassed like a scene out from Border Security Australia or UK Border Force!

[TheAppletons]

33 minutes ago, Tomtomtom69 said:

They do. Malaysia receives around 75% of the visitor numbers as Thailand does; Singapore about 60%. 

 

The last time I entered Malaysia was by land and prior to the rollout of the MDAC. The fact its not a seamless process makes it even more concerning. 

 

  MDAC takes less than 10 mins online to fill out.  Confirmation is instant.

[MikeandDow]

19 minutes ago, chmeatloaf said:

A piece of virtual legal declaration designed to detain or deny you entry if immigration or customs find any discrepancies in your declaration. Imagine being harassed like a scene out from Border Security Australia or UK Border Force!

You can bitch all you want, you have to fill it out or dont come into the country

[BKKKevin]

My guess is this will work about as well as the online 90 day reporting… 

[Ralf001]

1 minute ago, BKKKevin said:

My guess is this will work about as well as the online 90 day reporting… 

90 day online works great... for me.

[Ralf001]

36 minutes ago, chmeatloaf said:

A piece of virtual legal declaration designed to detain or deny you entry if immigration or customs find any discrepancies in your declaration. Imagine being harassed like a scene out from Border Security Australia or UK Border Force!

 

Arrival card (TM6) to Thailand is not remotely the same as the IPC card to Aus in regards to information check boxes.

 

[liddelljohn]

Why are they bringing TM6  back ?????

 

last 4 flights i have done into LOS TM6 not required ??????

[MangoKorat]

 

Who dreams up this rubbish?

 

Just give up on this obsessive idea of tracking people - waste of time.

 

Anyone entering for the purpose of some form of wrong doing will comply initially, leave the airport and disappear.

 

Most tourists don't stay in the same location all the time. What address did you used to put on the old paper TM6? There wasn't enough space to write a full address in any case. 

 

I used to have a night in Bangkok before heading up home. The only address they used to get from me was that of the first Bangkok hotel that came to mind and I almost certainly wasn't staying there.

[Ralf001]

4 minutes ago, MangoKorat said:

 

 

What address did you used to put on the old paper TM6?

 

I own a house here.... for address I used to put HOTEL TBA.

[Puccini]

10 hours ago, watchcat said:

 

I don't care what they're seeking same with banks and Immi use a random number.

 

I don't understand what you mean. Could you elaborate, please?

[MangoKorat]

10 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

I own a house here

Careful, someone's bound to come along and tell you you don't 😁.

[Ralf001]

3 minutes ago, MangoKorat said:

Careful, someone's bound to come along and tell you you don't 😁.

I do not own the land it sits on.

[MangoKorat]

Hang on a minute........aren't they supposed to be introducing an ETA soon?  So an ETA before you travel then register on an online tracking system (which will be all it is in reality) when you arrive.

 

This will really go down well with tourists.

[Puccini]

9 hours ago, SiamAndy said:

...These pathetic Thai bureaucrats just can't help themselves. Their actions will continue to drive people away in drips and drabs over time.

 

On the contrary. Tourist numbers keep increasing. Even the murderously high PM2.5 pollution levels doesn't discourage them.

[ukrules]

When I last arrived in Thailand a few weeks ago there was no TM6 as expected and I didn't run down to immigration to report myself.

 

I had been out of the country for a while.

 

I'll be leaving again soon, immigration won't be hearing from me at all until I leave at the airport.

I still have a years old TM6 in my passport. Maybe that's good enough but in truth, I don't care.

[MikeandDow]

58 minutes ago, MangoKorat said:

 

Who dreams up this rubbish?

 

Just give up on this obsessive idea of tracking people - waste of time.

 

Anyone entering for the purpose of some form of wrong doing will comply initially, leave the airport and disappear.

 

Most tourists don't stay in the same location all the time. What address did you used to put on the old paper TM6? There wasn't enough space to write a full address in any case. 

 

I used to have a night in Bangkok before heading up home. The only address they used to get from me was that of the first Bangkok hotel that came to mind and I almost certainly wasn't staying there.

And that is what the TM 30 is for change of address

[MangoKorat]

56 minutes ago, MikeandDow said:

And that is what the TM 30 is for change of address

Tourists?

[Tomtomtom69]

1 hour ago, MangoKorat said:

Hang on a minute........aren't they supposed to be introducing an ETA soon?  So an ETA before you travel then register on an online tracking system (which will be all it is in reality) when you arrive.

 

This will really go down well with tourists.

 

It's similar to the Cambodian "e-arrival" form, which has been mandatory for air arrivals since July 2024. It is not yet used for land based arrivals, where a paper form continues to be used and the e-arrival is ignored if you happen to complete it.

It also asks health related questions, which makes it feel very Covid-like. Even China has done away with health related forms as of late 2023. The only form you fill out is a basic version of the TM6, in paper form. It asks for less information than the TM6 does. 

[Tomtomtom69]

2 hours ago, TheAppletons said:

 

  MDAC takes less than 10 mins online to fill out.  Confirmation is instant.

10 minutes is a very long time to spend on filling out an online form. 

[SiamAndy]

2 hours ago, Puccini said:

 

On the contrary. Tourist numbers keep increasing. Even the murderously high PM2.5 pollution levels doesn't discourage them.

I was referring to Resident Expats, their numbers will be decreasing over time due to the nonsense the Thai Bureaucratic state subjects them to.

[MikeandDow]

51 minutes ago, MangoKorat said:

Tourists?

of course !!  when a tourists books into a hotel the hotel does a TM 30   do you not know how immigration works here!!