Hi all,

In January I will be entering Thailand on a 60-day tourist visa. I have done this before in 2012 and can recall an air hostess handing me a slip to fill in before entering BKK. I later handed this slip, along with my passport, to officials upon entering the Kingdom. I remember the lady who stamped me in looking at me strangely when she saw my visa with the slip next to it.

So what is this slip or document? Is it an application for a visa on arrival? And therefore, does it need to be filled in if you are arriving with a tourist visa? Has anyone else encountered this?

Would just like to know whether or not I should fill it in when entering the Kingdom next month.

Many thanks,

Jason

The slip is an arrival/departure card and anyone entering the country is required to fill one out. They will keep the arrival portion and staple the departure card in your passport which you will have to fill out when you leave. The form is a TM6 form.

It does no matter whether you have a visa or not you still have to fill out the TM6 arrival card.

If you have a visa you write the visa number in the space provided.

Thanks for the prompt response Wayned, much appreciated!

Thanks for the prompt response Wayned, much appreciated!

She probably looked strange because you had a visa but forgot to fill in the visa number on the card

Edited December 7, 201411 yr by FritsSikkink

Thanks for the prompt response Wayned, much appreciated!

She probably looked strange because you had a visa but forgot to fill in the visa number on the card

Exactly, it is important to fill in the number of your 60 days visa in the space provided on the arrival card otherwise the immigration officer may not see it and stamp you in with a "visa on arrival", i.e. for a 30 days stay only. Enjoy your trip!

The slip is an arrival/departure card and anyone entering the country is required to fill one out. They will keep the arrival portion and staple the departure card in your passport which you will have to fill out when you leave. The form is a TM6 form.

OR, more likely, they will NOT staple it (didn't staple my son's in July, didn't staple mine in October) and you will lose it at some point in showing your passport to hotels, etc. Then the nightmare begins. Staple it yourself if they do not.

It does no matter whether you have a visa or not you still have to fill out the TM6 arrival card.

If you have a visa you write the visa number in the space provided.

If you have a visa you write the visa number in the space provided.

This part is important, because if you do not enter your visa number, you may not get stamped in for the correct period of time.

The slip is an arrival/departure card and anyone entering the country is required to fill one out. They will keep the arrival portion and staple the departure card in your passport which you will have to fill out when you leave. The form is a TM6 form.

OR, more likely, they will NOT staple it (didn't staple my son's in July, didn't staple mine in October) and you will lose it at some point in showing your passport to hotels, etc. Then the nightmare begins. Staple it yourself if they do not.

No nightmare. I have lost mine on occasion. Just get another and fill in the departure side. On departure just say you lost the original. A nod, a smile, a stamp and you are out. At least that has been my experience.

Thanks for the prompt response Wayned, much appreciated!

She probably looked strange because you had a visa but forgot to fill in the visa number on the card

Exactly, it is important to fill in the number of your 60 days visa in the space provided on the arrival card otherwise the immigration officer may not see it and stamp you in with a "visa on arrival", i.e. for a 30 days stay only. Enjoy your trip!

"visa on arrival",

No, not exactly, a visa on arrival is not what you would get if the officer didn't see your visa. You would get a visa exempt entry. Visa on arrival is only available to citizens of a small number of countries, it is a visa of sorts and you must get it before reaching the immigrations queue to receive your "admitted to" stamp.

It does no matter whether you have a visa or not you still have to fill out the TM6 arrival card.

If you have a visa you write the visa number in the space provided.

is the Visa number located where it say A3351140 in the example pic below ?

and if yes do you include the letters ?

Edited December 8, 201411 yr by MumuSia

You would put the entire number including the letters.

You would put the entire number including the letters.

thanks very much for the quick reply, will be leaving for the airport soon so big help

Immigration generally prefer an actual address these days also.

Royal Thai Embassy - Washington, D.C.

Visa on Arrival - countries affected and immigration checkpoints that are allowed to issue a VOA

http://www.thaiembdc.org/dcdp/?q=Visa_on_Arrival

**********************************************************

Visa Exemption - Countries affected and information

http://www.thaiembdc.org/dcdp/?q=Tourist_Visa_Exempt

Royal Thai Embassy - Washington, D.C.

Visa on Arrival - countries affected and immigration checkpoints that are allowed to issue a VOA

http://www.thaiembdc.org/dcdp/?q=Visa_on_Arrival

**********************************************************

Visa Exemption - Countries affected and information

http://www.thaiembdc.org/dcdp/?q=Tourist_Visa_Exempt

Kind of important to know the difference because you will see the overhead signs for Visa On Arrival' at the airport and perhaps be inclined to think that's where you need to go if arriving without a visa in hand. As JD points out, there are VOA countries and Visa Exempt countries.

Do the same thing you did the first time you came to Thailand.

What if your visa has long since expired (and actually is in an expired passport). What number do you write on the TM6? Do you put your re-entry permit number? The number written in the upper left of the extension stamp?

For some reason, this form always throws me for a loop. Maybe because I know I'm going to have to hold onto that little card for the next several years and it will be copied, removed and restapled into my passport numerous times. A lot rests on that one little staple. (can you tell I don't leave and re-enter Thailand very often?)

What if your visa has long since expired (and actually is in an expired passport). What number do you write on the TM6? Do you put your re-entry permit number? The number written in the upper left of the extension stamp?

For some reason, this form always throws me for a loop. Maybe because I know I'm going to have to hold onto that little card for the next several years and it will be copied, removed and restapled into my passport numerous times. A lot rests on that one little staple. (can you tell I don't leave and re-enter Thailand very often?)

In my case - the date stamp that is on the Departure Card is also on a passport page - every time I have gone out and back in..

My last departure card - the I/O sorta slammed the stamp and missed all but the corner -- and the wrong corner - so there is no date stamp on the Departure Card as to when the permission of stay ends... But it is on my passport page...

I have to go and get an Out and Back In - in a few days and I am not worried as I can easily point out the date inside my passport.

What if your visa has long since expired (and actually is in an expired passport). What number do you write on the TM6? Do you put your re-entry permit number? The number written in the upper left of the extension stamp?

For some reason, this form always throws me for a loop. Maybe because I know I'm going to have to hold onto that little card for the next several years and it will be copied, removed and restapled into my passport numerous times. A lot rests on that one little staple. (can you tell I don't leave and re-enter Thailand very often?)

You put the re-entry permit number.

Sophon

In my case - the date stamp that is on the Departure Card is also on a passport page - every time I have gone out and back in..

My last departure card - the I/O sorta slammed the stamp and missed all but the corner -- and the wrong corner - so there is no date stamp on the Departure Card as to when the permission of stay ends... But it is on my passport page...

I have to go and get an Out and Back In - in a few days and I am not worried as I can easily point out the date inside my passport.

Immigration stamps both departure card and passport with their date stamp, but they normally only fill in the "Admitted until" date on the stamp in the passport and leave it blank on the stamp on the departure card.

Sophon

What if your visa has long since expired (and actually is in an expired passport). What number do you write on the TM6? Do you put your re-entry permit number? The number written in the upper left of the extension stamp?

For some reason, this form always throws me for a loop. Maybe because I know I'm going to have to hold onto that little card for the next several years and it will be copied, removed and restapled into my passport numerous times. A lot rests on that one little staple. (can you tell I don't leave and re-enter Thailand very often?)

You put the re-entry permit number.

Departure cards get pretty ratty after a few years. Mine fell apart at the fold and is now taped together and looks like a pincushion from between stapled so many times.

The slip is an arrival/departure card and anyone entering the country is required to fill one out. They will keep the arrival portion and staple the departure card in your passport which you will have to fill out when you leave. The form is a TM6 form.

OR, more likely, they will NOT staple it (didn't staple my son's in July, didn't staple mine in October) and you will lose it at some point in showing your passport to hotels, etc. Then the nightmare begins. Staple it yourself if they do not.

They haven't been stapling for some time, must have run out

In my case - the date stamp that is on the Departure Card is also on a passport page - every time I have gone out and back in..

My last departure card - the I/O sorta slammed the stamp and missed all but the corner -- and the wrong corner - so there is no date stamp on the Departure Card as to when the permission of stay ends... But it is on my passport page...

I have to go and get an Out and Back In - in a few days and I am not worried as I can easily point out the date inside my passport.

Immigration stamps both departure card and passport with their date stamp, but they normally only fill in the "Admitted until" date on the stamp in the passport and leave it blank on the stamp on the departure card.

Sophon

Yes - I have seen that... but in my case - they only stamped a small corner on my Departure Card --- and on the other end of the card... no where near the space allotted for it... But 'mai pen rai'

I've managed to lose the departure card a couple of times and it was never an issue at all. I knew I needed one to leave & got a new one at the airport getting ready to leave each time, filled it in, and just presented it to the IO with my passport. The IO never batted an eye. Maybe there'd have been an issue if I'd been asked to present my passport for some reason during the course of my stay, and the DC found missing; I can't say. (Nowadays probably grounds for a tea money demand I'm guessing.)

Maybe there'd have been an issue if I'd been asked to present my passport for some reason during the course of my stay, and the DC found missing; I can't say. (Nowadays probably grounds for a tea money demand I'm guessing.)

If you don't break the law then you will always be in the right. Doesn't mean anything here in Thailand but if you are deported then you can hold your head up high.

Always in the right; strange concept here.

I am intrigued to know why an arrival and departure card would be removed from a passport and re-stapled, not something that has ever happened to me.

Mine have always been in the back page of my passport well away from the other pages that are used so rarely gets opened.

I keep my passports in the clear plastic pouches the banks give to hold deposit books and they are only ever taken out when needed so they don't get tatty or grotty.

It's a pointless waste of time and resources by all accounts.

I am intrigued to know why an arrival and departure card would be removed from a passport and re-stapled, not something that has ever happened to me.

For example, to make photocopies of the page to which it's attached.

I am intrigued to know why an arrival and departure card would be removed from a passport and re-stapled, not something that has ever happened to me.

For example, to make photocopies of the page to which it's attached.

Why ? there is nothing on the page it is attached to. even if there were that only needs to be done one time then it can be stapled to a back page with nothing on.

Or indeed folded out of the way.