New Online Entry Requirement for UK Travelers to Thailand

[snoop1130]

Picture courtesy of St Albert Gazette

 

UK travelers heading to Thailand next month must be ready for a new digital requirement. Starting May 1, all foreign visitors must register online via the Thailand Digital Entry Card (TDAC) before entering the country. This replaces the paper TM6 arrival slip discontinued in April last year.

 

Travelers need to complete the online form up to three days before arriving, providing passport details, flight information, and hotel address. The site is live and mandatory - no card, no entry.

 

According to an Immigration Bureau spokesperson, this move is part of Thailand's effort to become a "Smart Tourism Destination" by speeding up border checks and improving data collection. To ease the transition, multilingual guides and videos are available, though some Brits find the process cumbersome.

 

This change coincides with the indefinite delay of the 300 baht tourist tax and the visa-free Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system originally planned for December 2024.

 

 

 

Thailand's tourism sector is currently under pressure. The Bank of Thailand reported a 14% drop in visitor numbers and a nearly 10% decrease in tourist spending in February. The situation worsened after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake on March 28, which hit Bangkok, causing a tower collapse that left 81 workers missing. Rescue efforts continue with international aid.

 

The recent quake led to a surge in holiday cancellations, especially among Chinese tourists, prompting officials to reevaluate their tourism strategies for 2025.

 

So, if you're planning a trip to Thailand, be prepared for some potential hurdles along with your holiday, reported The Thaiger.

 

-- 2025-04-04

 

 

[Pouatchee]

is there a link to get this new digital thingamajig? they talk about it but nothing about a link. is this just for brits? 

Quote

New Online Entry Requirement for UK Travelers to Thailand

 

what kinda kangaroo title is this... seems the rest of us don't need it...

[redwood1]

48 minutes ago, Pouatchee said:

is there a link to get this new digital thingamajig? they talk about it but nothing about a link. is this just for brits? 

 

what kinda kangaroo title is this... seems the rest of us don't need it...

 

They need to keep a eye on the lager lout Brits.....The rest of us are can be trusted.....And dont need to do it...

[ukrules]

They do something similar in Cambodia, at first I believe it required approval but that was quietly dropped - now it seems to be something that's submitted and a QR code pops up.

They changed it in some way, presumably to make it more useable - it was chaos at the airport in Phnom Penh and it's a tiny airport.

I guess denying boarding at the gate for people who don't have the QR code and making them wait 3 days is an absolute disaster in the making - so just for a laugh here's my prediction.

 

It will last for 1 or 2 days maximum before they alter it in a drastic way and remove the 3 day thing - because those planes will be taking off half empty..

 

At least with the Cambodia e-entry thing you could do it on a 'tablet' in the airport on arrival.

Thailand - always making things as inflexible as possible = maximum problems expected - this won't disappoint unless someone with half a brain intervenes.

[Sir Dude]

Lol, so they are singling out the UK, not the scamming Africans or the corrupt Chinese.

[johng]

1 minute ago, Sir Dude said:

Lol, so they are singling out the UK,

 

No it's for everyone.

[redwood1]

4 minutes ago, johng said:

 

No it's for everyone.

 

Does the title of this article say the UK and the Germans and the French etc and everyone else?

 

Nope.

 

It says the UK.

[johng]

6 minutes ago, redwood1 said:

It says the UK.

Thailand Digital Entry Card   is for everyone.

 

[redwood1]

5 minutes ago, johng said:

Thailand Digital Entry Card (TDAC)  is for everyone.

 

 

The only country I see in this article is the UK .... 

[johng]

You might want to have a look here.

 

 

[Upnotover]

9 minutes ago, redwood1 said:

 

The only country I see in this article is the UK .... 

You have posted more than enough in the other thread on this topic to know better.

[Crossy]

For those hunting for a link: -

 

https://tdac.immigration.go.th/arrival-card/#/home

 

And yes, it's for everyone despite what the topic headline says.

 

Please, shooteth not the messenger!

[connda]

23 minutes ago, Keeps said:

Stop being a prat. It's for everyone.

But super-especially for Brits! 

[ikke1959]

So only for UK travellers??? if not why such idiotic headline??? 

[SABloke]

Will there be a paper option on arrival for people that aren't aware of this requirement? When one travels to a visa exempt country, one generally doesn't do as much searching online as when one is going to a place that has visa requirements etc. For example, the first time I flew to Thailand I had not heard of the TM6 until the air hostess gave it to me - had I been required to print out and bring my own (equavalent of doing the digital one now) I would've been screwed.

[ukrules]

14 minutes ago, SABloke said:

Will there be a paper option on arrival for people that aren't aware of this requirement? When one travels to a visa exempt country, one generally doesn't do as much searching online as when one is going to a place that has visa requirements etc. For example, the first time I flew to Thailand I had not heard of the TM6 until the air hostess gave it to me - had I been required to print out and bring my own (equavalent of doing the digital one now) I would've been screwed.

 

I doubt it - if anyone gets denied entry due to this then the airlines who are not stupid, which is all of them will deny boarding to anyone who doesn't meet this entry requirement because they're not going to pay for the repatriation - which they would have to do - plus a fine equivalent to 1000s of USD which is why they scrutinise visas before allowing you to check in - every single denial of entry costs the airline - and it's normally more than the airfare.

 

Expect the worst possible outcome from all of this. Half empty planes, cancelled routes, etc.

 

 

[SABloke]

1 minute ago, ukrules said:

airlines who are not stupid, which is all of them will deny boarding to anyone who doesn't meet this entry requirement

 

I agree, but this will cause so many problems since I suspect many travellers (new and returning ones) will not know about this QR code until check-in. Then they will be like "Can I do it now quickly please?" "No, sorry, you were supposed to do it 3 days ago" totally FUBAR.

[redwood1]

Most things in Thailand that involve money and are a big problem like the new TM6 get delayed and or watered down....And that very well could happen here.....What are they going to do with the thousands and thousands that arrive with no TM6 ?  Tell them all to leave Thailand.........Nope........That would be a tourist public relations disaster....

And how about the border crossings?

 

[nahkit]

Will this also apply to foreigners who are already in Thailand and leave for a few weeks on a re-entry visa?

[Upnotover]

2 minutes ago, nahkit said:

Will this also apply to foreigners who are already in Thailand and leave for a few weeks on a re-entry visa?

Yes

[Upnotover]

30 minutes ago, SABloke said:

 

I agree, but this will cause so many problems since I suspect many travellers (new and returning ones) will not know about this QR code until check-in. Then they will be like "Can I do it now quickly please?" "No, sorry, you were supposed to do it 3 days ago" totally FUBAR.

It's within 3 days, not 3 days ago.  And check-in won't care in any case.

[Upnotover]

55 minutes ago, SABloke said:

Will there be a paper option on arrival for people that aren't aware of this requirement? When one travels to a visa exempt country, one generally doesn't do as much searching online as when one is going to a place that has visa requirements etc. For example, the first time I flew to Thailand I had not heard of the TM6 until the air hostess gave it to me - had I been required to print out and bring my own (equavalent of doing the digital one now) I would've been screwed.

Yes.  Reported elsewhere.  There will be assistance for the incapable on arrival.

[Jack1988]

4 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

So, if you're planning a trip to Thailand, be prepared for some potential hurdles along with your holiday

potential hurdles about what? What it means?

[Puccini]

2 hours ago, redwood1 said:

 

Does the title of this article say the UK and the Germans and the French etc and everyone else?

 

Nope.

 

It says the UK.

 

Hold your breath for separate news articles for each of the other 204 countries.

 

Joking aside, the OP is probably based on an article published on a UK news site, hence the "UK" in the topic title.

[kimamey]

2 hours ago, SABloke said:

 

I agree, but this will cause so many problems since I suspect many travellers (new and returning ones) will not know about this QR code until check-in. Then they will be like "Can I do it now quickly please?" "No, sorry, you were supposed to do it 3 days ago" totally FUBAR.

I only know about this because I read it here. Maybe airlines will notify travellers to Thailand to avoid problems. 

[Puccini]

6 hours ago, SABloke said:

 

I agree, but this will cause so many problems since I suspect many travellers (new and returning ones) will not know about this QR code until check-in. Then they will be like "Can I do it now quickly please?" "No, sorry, you were supposed to do it 3 days ago" totally FUBAR.

 

Based on the latest official information, you can complete the online TDAC form at the earliest three days before your arrival date in Thailand and at the latest immediately before presenting your passport to immigration at your arrival port. It is highly recommended to do it before your arrival, if possible.

 

Read more:

https://aseannow.com/topic/1356064-thailand-digital-arrival-card-tdac-system-is-online-but-not-announced-as-starting-yet/page/8/#findComment-19709723

 

 

[Maestro]

I suggest that rather than rehashing what has already been posted in other topics on this subject, we should continue the discussion based on the new update with full information about the TDAC scheme posted here:

https://aseannow.com/topic/1356064-thailand-digital-arrival-card-tdac-system-is-online-but-not-announced-as-starting-yet/page/8/#findComment-19709723

 

[Maestro]

Removed an abusive post.