Thailand Digital Arrival Card

Thailand’s Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) modernizes the old paper TM6 form and is now the default pre-arrival entry declaration for most visitors. It’s compact in concept — an online arrival/departure form — but in practice it touches travel planning, airline check-in, immigration processing, public-health screening and data-privacy rules. This guide explains exactly what the TDAC does, who must submit it, what information it collects, how it’s processed, common technical and operational problems (and fixes), privacy and retention issues, and pragmatic checklists for travelers, travel agents and airlines.

What the TDAC is and why Thailand replaced the paper TM6

The TDAC is an official digital form required before arrival to supply Immigration with passenger details, itinerary, local address and limited health/travel-history information. Thailand moved to digital arrival cards to:

• speed up immigration counters by pre-loading passenger data;

• reduce errors from handwriting and lost paper cards;

• integrate arrival data with public-health and border-security screening systems; and

• provide travelers and airlines with a single trusted workflow.

Completing the TDAC is typically a short online task but it must be done within the official submission window and presented when requested at check-in or arrival.

Who must complete the TDAC and the submission window

• Most non-Thai nationals arriving by air, land or sea must complete a TDAC prior to arrival. Transit passengers who do not pass immigration (airside transit) and some border-pass schemes may be exempt — check your airline or the official TDAC portal.

• Thailand’s guidance commonly requests TDAC submissions within 72 hours (3 days) before arrival. Submissions outside that window may be flagged or rejected by airline check-in systems. Submit early enough to allow corrections but not so early that system validation times out.

What information TDAC collects (practical list)

Fields are similar to the old TM6 but in structured digital format. Typical TDAC fields include:

• full passport details (number, nationality, expiry);

• flight/vehicle number and port of entry;

• planned date/time of arrival;

• local address in Thailand (hotel name + booking ref or private address with district/province);

• contact number and email;

• purpose of visit (tourism, business, medical, transit);

• recent travel history (countries visited in last 14–30 days) and certain public-health questions;

• declaration of criminal history or immigration problems in other countries (where asked).

The TDAC may request an uploaded passport photo or allow photo capture later at arrival for biometric linkage in some ports.

The processing flow — what happens after you hit Submit

1. Immediate validation: the portal checks required fields and may validate passport number formats and flight identifiers. You receive an on-screen confirmation and a reference / QR code.

2. Pre-screening: Immigration receives the TDAC data ahead of the flight and can run automated checks (watchlist, basic health flags, visa validity). This allows risk-flagging before a traveler reaches the counter.

3. Airline integration: airlines may query TDAC status during online check-in; many carriers now require TDAC confirmation before issuing boarding passes for Thailand-bound flights.

4. At arrival: officers access the pre-filled TDAC, cross-check passport and may update biometrics or ask clarifying questions. The QR/reference code speeds retrieval if systems are disconnected.

Keep the confirmation screenshot — it’s the easiest way to resolve mismatches or airline queries.

Operational issues travelers actually face (and fixes)

• Unable to submit in time: poor connectivity or last-minute bookings happen. If the portal is down, contact your airline — they can advise; some airlines will allow boarding if you can show an attempt screenshot and complete TDAC on arrival (rare). Best fix: submit at least 24 hours before travel.

• Wrong flight or date after submission: amend the TDAC if the portal allows; otherwise submit a new TDAC and keep both confirmations. Airlines prefer a TDAC matching the actual flight.

• Incomplete local address: give the first hotel booking or a clear private address (district and province). Vague entries slow processing.

• Portal errors or timeouts: clear browser cache, use a different browser or device, or use a mobile phone over cellular data if airport Wi-Fi is weak. Save screenshots of any error messages.

• Airline refusal to check in: show the TDAC confirmation and explain corrections; escalate to gate staff or the carrier’s ground handling manager where needed.

Group and tour operator submissions

The TDAC supports group submissions for tour operators and charter flights. Agencies should:

• compile a CSV or use the group submission interface well before departure;

• ensure each passenger’s passport details match the passport presented at check-in; and

• keep a printed manifest and QR codes for on-the-spot retrieval.

Group-submission mistakes are common — validate the manifest against original passports before travel.

Exceptional cases & exemptions

• Airside transit passengers who do not pass immigration are typically exempt. However, if you plan to pass immigration during transit (short city visit), you must complete the TDAC.

• Diplomats and certain officials may be exempt or have bespoke arrangements; check with your mission.

• Border-pass schemes (daily commuters in border regions) sometimes use different electronic processes — confirm with the border authority.

Privacy, data retention and security considerations

The TDAC collects personally identifiable information. Key practical points:

• Use the official portal only. Don’t submit sensitive passport data to third-party TDAC clones — they may harvest data.

• Retention & use: Immigration uses TDAC data for entry processing and lawful public-safety/health purposes. If you have legal concerns about data retention or sharing, contact the Immigration Bureau’s privacy office for the current retention policy.

• Security: avoid submitting TDACs over public or unsecured Wi-Fi without encrypting your device; screenshot confirmations rather than emailing them to reduce data exposure.

For airlines & developers — integration best practice

• API validation: integrate TDAC status checks into your check-in flow to block boarding when a TDAC is missing; retrieve confirmation or QR to display to agents.

• Graceful fallback: permit check-in if the passenger has a TDAC submission attempt screenshot while the passenger completes a corrected TDAC, but log and escalate to ground operations.

• Group manifests: support CSV upload and cross-reference via passport number to minimize manual entry errors.

• Notifications: send passengers proactive reminders (48–24 hours) to submit TDAC and to save confirmations.

Troubleshooting & who to contact

• If the TDAC portal is down or you receive a persistent error, document the error (screenshot) and contact: (a) the official TDAC helpdesk link shown on the portal, and (b) your airline. If the problem persists at check-in, escalate to the airline’s ground manager and, as a last resort, your embassy for diplomatic assistance.

Traveler quick checklist (printable)

• Complete TDAC within 72 hours of arrival at the official portal.

• Save screenshot/PDF of confirmation & QR code offline.

• Bring passport, boarding pass, hotel booking and onward ticket.

• If in a group, confirm your name & passport match the operator’s manifest.

• If flight changes, update or re-submit TDAC and keep both confirmations.

Final practical note

The TDAC is a small step that saves time at arrival — but it must be done right. Make TDAC submission a standard item on your pre-departure checklist (passport, visa, insurance) and keep your confirmation offline for check-in. For tour operators and airlines, integrate TDAC checks into operational workflows to avoid last-minute disruptions.