How to spot a fake Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) site
The official TDAC is free at tdac.immigration.go.th. How to tell it apart from lookalike sites that charge a fee, and what the real form asks for.
The Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) is free. The only official place to fill it in is the Immigration Bureau's site at tdac.immigration.go.th, and the portal's own page title says "No Fees Required." If a site asks you for card details to submit your TDAC, you're on a different site.
What the TDAC is
The TDAC is an online form that replaced Thailand's paper arrival card. The Royal Thai Embassy in London notes it is not a visa, and according to the TDAC FAQ it works with every visa type, including visa-exempt entry and visa on arrival. All non-Thai nationals submit one before entering Thailand, whether they arrive by air, land or sea. Children and infants need their own.
A few people don't need one: travellers in transit who don't pass through immigration, people entering with a Border Pass, and crew. Foreign permanent residents and long-term visa holders still submit.
How to check you're on the real site
Type the address yourself: tdac.immigration.go.th. That's the address the Immigration Bureau's FAQ gives, and it's the one Thai embassies and consulates link to. Look at the whole domain in your browser bar, not just the word "TDAC" somewhere in it. A site can put "tdac" or "thailand" in its name and still have nothing to do with the Thai government.
Then run three quick checks:
- It asks for payment. The official form has no fee. A site that charges is selling a service.
- It sends you reminders. The TDAC system doesn't send reminders or alerts before your trip. An email or text "from TDAC" telling you to submit or pay didn't come from the official system.
- It asks for things the form doesn't need. The official form asks for your passport details, flight number and arrival date, your address in Thailand, the purpose of your trip, a health declaration, and an email address to receive the card.
Some travel companies offer to submit the TDAC for you, and the Immigration Bureau's FAQ allows that if you authorize them. The FAQ notes that many travel companies offer this as a service. You don't need one: the form is free, and the Royal Thai Embassy in London warns not to pay if you're asked to. You can do the same thing yourself, and the FAQ says it takes about 3 to 5 minutes per person if you have your details ready.
When to submit
Submit within the three days before you arrive, counting your arrival day. The Royal Thai Consulate-General in Hong Kong gives this example: if you arrive on 5 May, you can submit from 2 May. Each TDAC is good for one entry, so you need a new one every time you enter Thailand.
If you make a mistake, use "Update Arrival Card" on the official site. You can't change your full name, passport number, nationality or date of birth that way, so for those submit a new form. The most recent submission is the one that counts.
After you submit
You get a QR code by email. You don't have to print it; showing it on your phone is fine. If you don't have a phone or internet when you land, there are kiosks and Wi-Fi on arrival. The FAQ lists kiosks at Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Hat Yai airports.
The FAQ also says TDAC data is used only for Thai border control and isn't shared with other countries. That's one more reason to give your passport details only to the official site.
Quick answers
What is the official TDAC website? tdac.immigration.go.th, run by Thailand's Immigration Bureau.
Does the TDAC cost anything? No. The official form is free. If a site asks you to pay, it isn't the official one.
When can I submit my TDAC? Within the three days before you arrive, including your arrival day. Arriving on 5 May means you can submit from 2 May.
Will the TDAC system remind me to submit? No. The official system doesn't send reminders or alerts, so treat any "TDAC reminder" asking for payment with suspicion.
Do I need a new TDAC for every trip? Yes. Each TDAC covers one entry on the arrival date you entered.
Do I need a TDAC if I arrive by land or sea? Yes. All foreigners entering Thailand by air, land or sea submit one, except crew, Border Pass holders and transit passengers who don't pass through immigration.
Sources: TDAC FAQ, Immigration Bureau, TDAC user guide, Royal Thai Consulate-General, Hong Kong. Checked 23 October 2026.