If you’re taking your vacation in Thailand and arriving during the upcoming holiday season, here’s what you need to know to make your arrival quick and stress-free. I just re-entered Thailand from a trip overseas and wanted to report firsthand on my experience.
First and foremost, please remember to complete your Thailand Digital Arrival Card, or TDAC. Everyone other than Thai citizens must complete this online, and there is no charge. You can complete it up to 72 hours before your departure. Once you submit the online form, Thai Immigration will send you a QR code that you present at immigration when entering the country. My QR code hit my inbox within a minute of submitting the form.
This is really the only thing you need to do as a holiday traveler here, and there are no paper forms or other documents to fill out during your sometimes bumpy arrival into Bangkok.
Three quick tips about the TDAC:
First, use the official immigration website. The address is tdac.immigration.go.th. I’ve included a link in the description below, and here’s what the landing page should look like.
You do not need a paid service to complete this. There are a number of sites that look official, but the companies hosting them often charge a fee. Again, there is no government fee for submitting a TDAC, and frankly, it’s a waste of money to hire a service. If you’d like a step-by-step guide to get this done, here’s a link to a prior video we posted.
Second, when you sit down to complete the online form, have your passport, flight information, and hotel booking handy. That’s all the documentation you’ll need to complete the process in about four to five minutes. You can also include family members in your TDAC submission, so have their passports ready if you’re including your spouse or child.
Finally, put a reminder on your calendar to submit your TDAC about 48 hours before your scheduled departure time. If you forget to do this before landing in Bangkok, there are kiosks at Suvarnabhumi Airport. But be warned: when I arrived a couple of weeks ago, the line for the kiosks was about seven or eight people deep.
If each person takes five to seven minutes to complete the form, you can do the math. You’re essentially adding 30 to 45 minutes to the time it takes to get through immigration after a long flight. Spending extra time in the immigration line is the last thing you want to do.
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Now, a couple more travel updates:
You may have seen that the Thai government is considering changes to how long visa-exempt travelers can stay. Please know that nothing has changed this year. When you arrive from one of 97 eligible countries, you’ll be stamped in for a stay of up to 60 days. And if you’re lucky enough to take a longer holiday, you can extend your stay for another 30 days at any immigration office for just 1,900 Thai baht.
Finally, you may also have heard that the Thai government is considering introducing a 300-baht visitor fee again. Nothing has changed, and this fee is not being charged at this time.
So the only things you need to think about are completing the Thailand Digital Arrival Card before you board your flight and how much you’re going to enjoy the delicious food and the Kingdom.
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