TDAC Guide 2026: How Indian Travellers Can Fill the Thailand Digital Arrival Card

If You Are Travelling to Thailand in 2026, You Need to Know About TDAC

Thailand is one of the most searched and most visited international destinations for Indians — and in 2026, it is easier to travel there than ever, with visa-free entry of up to 60 days for Indian passport holders. But there is one pre-arrival step that every traveller must complete, regardless of nationality or visa type: the Thailand Digital Arrival Card, officially known as TDAC.

This is not your visa. It is not a paid service. It is a free, online immigration form that replaced the old paper TM6 card starting May 1, 2025 — and it is mandatory for every foreign national entering Thailand by air, land, or sea.

If you are booking Thailand tour packages from India, or planning an independent trip to Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Krabi, or Chiang Mai, this guide walks you through everything you need to know.

What Is the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC)?

The Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) is an official online form introduced by Thailand's Immigration Bureau. It is the digital replacement for the paper TM6 arrival card that travellers used to fill out on the plane or at the immigration counter.

The TDAC collects your personal details, travel information, accommodation address, and a brief health declaration. Once submitted, the system generates a QR code, which is sent to your registered email. You present this QR code to the immigration officer when you arrive in Thailand.

Think of it as your digital entry declaration — proof that you have registered your arrival details with Thai authorities before stepping off the plane.

Key Point: The TDAC is completely free. The official portal is tdac.immigration.go.th. Any third-party website charging a fee to fill it on your behalf is unauthorised. Do not pay anyone to complete this form.

Who Needs to Fill the TDAC?

Every foreign national entering Thailand must complete the TDAC — without exception. This includes:

•        Indian tourists travelling to Thailand on visa-free entry (up to 60 days)

•        Travellers arriving on a Thailand tourist visa, business visa, or any other visa type

•        Children and infants — every individual needs their own TDAC entry

•        Returning expats and long-term residents re-entering Thailand

•        Travellers entering by land border crossings or by sea, not just by air

The only exemption is for transit passengers who pass through a Thai airport without going through immigration. If you land in Bangkok but do not exit the international transit area, you do not need the TDAC.

If you are an Indian traveller on a standard Thailand tour package, you will go through immigration, and you will need the TDAC completed before you arrive.

When Should You Fill the TDAC?

The TDAC submission window opens 72 hours (3 days) before your arrival date. The official system will not allow you to submit before this window.

Recommended Timing: Complete your TDAC 24 to 48 hours before your flight departs — not at the last minute. This gives you time to fix any errors before you reach the boarding gate.

If your flight is on Friday, the earliest you can submit is Tuesday. Submitting on Thursday (the day before) is ideal.

You must complete a fresh TDAC every time you enter Thailand. There is no carry-over from a previous trip.

What You Need Before You Start

Keep the following ready before you open the TDAC portal. The form takes under five minutes if you have these on hand:

•        Your Indian passport — valid for at least 6 months from the date of arrival

•        Your flight details — flight number and date of arrival

•        Your Thailand accommodation address — hotel name, street address, district, province, and postal code

•        Your email address — the QR code confirmation will be sent here

•        Your travel history for the past 14 days — countries visited before arriving in Thailand

All details must be entered in English, exactly as they appear in your passport. Do not use nicknames or shortened versions of your name.

How to Fill the Thailand Digital Arrival Card — Step by Step

Follow these steps on the official portal at tdac.immigration.go.th:

Step 1 — Open the Official TDAC Portal

Go to tdac.immigration.go.th on your phone, tablet, or computer. You do not need to create an account or log in. Click the 'Arrival Card' button to begin.

Step 2 — Enter Your Personal Information

Enter your full name exactly as it appears in your passport. Fill in your passport number, nationality, date of birth, and country of issue. The system supports MRZ scanning — you can scan or upload a photo of the machine-readable zone (the two lines of text at the bottom of your passport's photo page) to auto-fill your details. Always review the auto-filled data before proceeding; do not assume the scan is 100% accurate.

Step 3 — Enter Your Travel and Accommodation Details

Enter your flight number, the airport or port you will be arriving at, and your exact date of arrival. Then enter your accommodation details in Thailand — your hotel name, full address, district, province, and postal code. If you have booked a Thailand tour package through a travel agency, this information will be on your booking confirmation.

Tip: For dropdown fields, type the first 3 characters, and the system will filter options automatically. This is especially useful for district and province fields.

Step 4 — Complete the Health Declaration

Declare the countries you have visited in the 14 days before arriving in Thailand. If any country in your recent travel history, your boarding country, or your flight route is flagged under Thailand's public health monitoring list, the system will ask you for additional health information. Answer all questions truthfully. False declarations violate Thai law and can result in entry denial.

Step 5 — Review Your Information

Carefully review every field on the preview screen before submitting. Core fields — full name, passport number, nationality, and date of birth — cannot be changed after submission. If you spot an error in these fields, you must start over. Other fields can be updated later through the 'Update Arrival Card' option.

Step 6 — Enter Your Email and Submit

Enter your email address. This is where your TDAC confirmation and QR code will be sent. Tick the box to accept the Terms and Conditions, then click 'Submit.'

Step 7 — Download and Save Your TDAC QR Code

You will receive a confirmation email within minutes containing your TDAC document with a QR code. Download the PDF. Screenshot the QR code and save it to your phone's camera roll — you need this accessible offline at the immigration counter. Printing a physical backup copy is also a good idea.

Travelling as a Family or Group? How Group TDAC Submission Works

If you are travelling with family or a group of up to 10 people, you can complete all TDACs in a single session. Enter Traveller 1's details fully, then use the 'Add Other Travellers' button to add each subsequent person. All QR codes will be sent to the single email address entered for the group.

Every individual — including children and infants — requires their own TDAC entry. There is no combined or family card.

Travel Agency Tip: If you have booked Thailand tour packages from India through Dook International, your travel coordinator can walk you through the TDAC process before departure. However, each traveller must personally submit their own form — it cannot be done on your behalf.

Common TDAC Mistakes Indian Travellers Must Avoid

•        Trying to submit more than 72 hours before arrival — the system will reject your date

•        Name mismatch — entering a nickname or shortened name that differs from your passport

•        Wrong accommodation details — entering a hotel name without the full address or postal code

•        Using a third-party paid service — the official TDAC portal is completely free

•        Not downloading the QR code — do not rely on airport Wi-Fi to retrieve your confirmation email at immigration

•        Forgetting to fill a new TDAC for the return entry — if your Thailand tour includes any border crossing or re-entry, you need a fresh form each time

TDAC vs Thailand Visa — What Is the Difference?

This is one of the most common points of confusion for Indian travellers.

A Thailand visa determines whether you have the right to enter Thailand and for how long. Indian passport holders currently enjoy 60-day visa-free entry, so no visa application is required.

The TDAC is an entirely separate administrative requirement — a mandatory digital registration of your arrival details. It applies to everyone, including those entering visa-free. Having a valid visa (or visa exemption) does not exempt you from completing the TDAC.

Think of it this way: the visa is your permission to enter; the TDAC is your advance notification that you are arriving.

What Happens If You Do Not Fill the TDAC?

Airlines are instructed to check for TDAC completion before boarding. If you have not completed the TDAC, you may be denied boarding at the departure airport — meaning you could miss your flight even with a valid ticket and visa exemption.

If you somehow board without it, you will face delays at Thai immigration on arrival. Officers will direct you to kiosks to complete the form on the spot — but expect queues, potential delays, and added stress at the end of a long flight.

Completing it before departure takes under five minutes. There is no reason to leave it until you arrive.

Planning Thailand Tour Packages from India? Here Is What to Know

For Indian travellers booking Thailand tour packages — whether for Bangkok sightseeing, Phuket beach holidays, Pattaya family trips, or Chiang Mai cultural experiences — the TDAC is one of three pre-travel steps to have sorted before departure:

1.     Confirm your passport is valid for at least 6 months from your arrival date in Thailand

2.     Fill and submit the TDAC on tdac.immigration.go.th within 72 hours of your flight

3.     Carry your TDAC QR code, return ticket proof, and sufficient funds (Thai immigration may ask for 10,000 THB per person or 20,000 THB per family)

If you are booking a structured Thailand tour package, your itinerary confirmation from the travel agency will have all the accommodation details you need to complete the TDAC accurately.

Ready to Book Your Thailand Trip from India?

Thailand remains one of the most rewarding international destinations for Indian travellers — offering beaches, temples, street food, adventure, and affordability in a single destination. With 60-day visa-free entry and the TDAC process taking under five minutes, the barriers to travel have never been lower.

If you are planning a Thailand tour package from India — whether a 5-night Bangkok and Pattaya circuit, a Phuket beach escape, or a Chiang Mai cultural immersion — Dook International's Thailand travel specialists can help you with the complete journey: flights, hotels, transfers, itinerary, and pre-travel guidance, including TDAC support.

Explore Thailand tour packages from India at dookinternational.com or call us at 011-40001000 to speak with a travel expert.