{"id":39048,"date":"2026-05-26T18:21:19","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T11:21:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/montmari-asia.com\/bez-kategorii\/39048\/"},"modified":"2026-05-26T18:21:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T11:21:19","slug":"tdac-thailand-digital-arrival-card-step-by-step-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/montmari-asia.com\/en\/blog\/39048\/","title":{"rendered":"TDAC: Thailand Digital Arrival Card \u2014 a step-by-step guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since 1 May 2025, Thailand has introduced an online form \u2014 the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC), which must be completed on arrival (previously the form was the paper TM6). All foreigners, including Russian citizens, are required to fill it in before any entry into the country: by plane, by ferry, or by land from Laos or Malaysia.<\/p>\n

I live and work in Pattaya, and I regularly help clients deal with this form. For most people it takes 5\u201310 minutes, but there are recurring situations the official manual leaves unclear: for example, what to put in the address field if you’re travelling without a booking, or whether a TDAC is needed when transiting through Bangkok. Below is a calm, no-fluff guide drawn from real experience.<\/p>\n

What the TDAC is<\/h2>\n

This is an electronic questionnaire on the website of the Thai Immigration Bureau. In it you report your passport details, itinerary, accommodation address and a health declaration in advance. When you arrive, the officer at passport control sees your profile on screen and processes you faster. Essentially it’s the same paper TM6 that used to be filled in by hand on the plane, just moved online.<\/p>\n

The TDAC is not a visa. It doesn’t depend on your visa status. Russian citizens currently have visa-free entry for up to 60 days, but the TDAC still has to be submitted \u2014 just as it does for those travelling on a Non-Immigrant, Education or any other visa.<\/p>\n

Each entry means a new form. If during a trip you cross the border several times (for example, you go to Cambodia for a couple of days and come back), the TDAC has to be filled in again.<\/p>\n

There is just one single<\/strong><\/span> website:<\/p>\n

tdac.immigration.go.th<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

The form is free<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

If in search results you come across services that “process your TDAC for 990 rubles, urgently” \u2014 those are middlemen, and you don’t need to use them. Also note that there are sites that “pose” as official ones, but in reality they’re just intermediaries who, while you fill in the form, offer to arrange Fast Track (priority entry) at the airport.<\/p>\n

In fact such sites do honestly state that they are intermediaries. It’s written in small print and easy to miss, and some of our clients don’t notice it. Then questions come up like: “Do we really have to arrange Fast Track for the TDAC \u2014 won’t they let me in without it?”. Here are examples of such sites and their warnings:<\/p>\n

\"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

Who needs a TDAC and who doesn’t<\/h2>\n

Needed for:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  • all non-Thais arriving by plane \u2014 to Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang), U-Tapao, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Samui, Krabi and anywhere else;<\/li>\n
  • those entering by land from Laos, Cambodia or Malaysia;<\/li>\n
  • those entering by sea \u2014 by ferry from Malaysia or on a cruise ship;<\/li>\n
  • everyone, regardless of age: a separate form is filed for each child and infant (this can be done in a single group submission, see below).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Not needed for:<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n
    • transit passengers who don’t leave the transit zone and don’t collect baggage in Thailand;<\/li>\n
    • crew members.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      In other words, if you have a layover in Bangkok on Moscow \u2192 Bangkok \u2192 Samui and in Bangkok you simply change planes without leaving the sterile zone, without collecting baggage or a new check-in \u2014 you don’t need a TDAC. But if the tickets are separate and in Bangkok you collect your luggage, go through passport control and check in again for a domestic flight \u2014 the TDAC is mandatory.<\/p>\n

      When to submit: the 72-hour rule<\/h2>\n

      The submission window is within 3 days before the arrival date, including the date itself. In practice that’s up to 72 hours.<\/p>\n

      The system won’t accept the form earlier. If you try to open it a week ahead, you’ll see an error message.<\/p>\n

      It’s most convenient to fill it in 1\u20132 days before departure. By then it’s usually clear that the flight hasn’t been cancelled and the hotel hasn’t changed, and there’s a buffer of time to redo it if something goes wrong. I wouldn’t do it in a taxi on the way to the airport: when you’re stressed it’s easy to mistype the passport number.<\/p>\n

      Arriving in Bangkok on Saturday morning? Fill it in on Wednesday evening or Thursday.<\/p>\n

      But if you’re reading this article sitting on the plane like and subscribe to our channel<\/del> \u2014 don’t worry. We ourselves often fill them in right before departure.<\/p>\n

      What you’ll need<\/h2>\n
        \n
      • your passport \u2014 you’ll need the number, the date of issue, the expiry date and your nationality;<\/li>\n
      • your e-ticket \u2014 the flight number and the arrival date in Thailand<\/strong>, not the departure date from Russia;<\/li>\n
      • the address of your first place of stay in Thailand \u2014 the hotel name and, ideally, the full address (street, Soi, district, province, postcode);<\/li>\n
      • a working e-mail \u2014 the PDF with the QR code will be sent there;<\/li>\n
      • a mobile phone number in international format;<\/li>\n
      • a list of the countries you visited in the 14 days before arrival.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        The address in Thailand is a critical field. It’s the one that most often causes problems \u2014 especially for those staying in Pattaya. If you’re heading to central Pattaya, the province will be Chonburi (with 80% probability if you’re a tourist), district Bang Lamung. For Na Jomtien Beach and further south, closer to U-Tapao \u2014 the district is Sattahip. For Phuket \u2014 the province is Phuket. For Samui \u2014 Surat Thani. Once you select the province and district, the system fills in the postcode automatically.<\/p>\n

        Step by step: how to fill in the form<\/h2>\n

        Step 1. Go to the official website<\/h3>\n

        Open tdac.immigration.go.th<\/strong>. On the home page, choose the interface language \u2014 Russian is supported, so the prompts will be readable. But all fields are filled in in the Latin alphabet<\/strong>, exactly as in your passport. Immigration works with the Latin alphabet, and trying to type Cyrillic will either be rejected by the form or come back to bite you at the border.<\/p>\n

        If it opens in English, switch to Russian.<\/p>\n

        \"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

        Next, click the “Arrival Card” button (Submit Arrival Card \/ Arrival Card).<\/p>\n

        Step 2. Personal details
        \n\"\"<\/h3>\n

        The most tedious and most important part. The majority of mistakes happen right here.<\/p>\n

          \n
        • Family Name \/ Given Name<\/strong> \u2014 surname and first name strictly as in your passport, in Latin. No patronymic \u2014 the form doesn’t have one, and don’t try to slip it into Middle Name.<\/li>\n
        • Passport Number<\/strong> \u2014 the passport number. The most common mistake is confusing the digit 0 (zero) and the letter O. Russian passports don’t use letters \u2014 only digits. Double-check.<\/li>\n
        • Date of Birth, Date of Issue, Date of Expiry<\/strong> \u2014 date of birth, passport issue and expiry. Remember that the passport must be valid for at least another 6 months from the arrival date. Also, the date is entered starting with the YEAR<\/strong>, then the MONTH<\/strong> and then the DAY.<\/strong> Be especially careful not to mix up day and month. People often get confused here and either the form won’t go through or the data is incorrect.<\/li>\n
        • Nationality \/ Citizenship<\/strong> \u2014 citizenship. For Russian citizens, choose RUS: RUSSIAN FEDERATION<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
        • Country \/ Territory of Residence<\/strong> \u2014 your country of permanent residence. If you live in Russia \u2014 Russia. If you actually live in another country (Georgia, Serbia, Turkey, the UAE), state that one. This doesn’t contradict your Russian citizenship \u2014 citizenship and place of residence are different fields here.<\/li>\n
        • City \/ State of Residence<\/strong> \u2014 your city of residence, in Latin.<\/li>\n
        • Phone Number<\/strong> \u2014 in international format with a plus, for example +7 916 1234567.<\/li>\n
        • Occupation<\/strong> \u2014 your occupation. For retirees \u2014 RETIRED, for schoolchildren and students \u2014 STUDENT, for homemakers \u2014 HOUSEWIFE. For everyone else, pick the closest option from the drop-down list. If your exact option isn’t there, take the nearest one by meaning \u2014 it’s not a problem.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          If your screen has a Retrieve with Passport<\/strong> button, you can photograph the machine-readable zone of your passport (the two bottom lines on the photo page) or upload it as an image from your device. The fields will fill in by themselves. Convenient, but double-check anyway \u2014 the system sometimes gets the diacritics wrong.<\/p>\n

          Step 3. Trip information<\/h3>\n

          \"\"<\/p>\n

            \n
          • Mode of Travel<\/strong> \u2014 Air, Land or Sea. For arriving by plane \u2014 Air.<\/li>\n
          • Date of Arrival<\/strong> \u2014 the date of arrival in Thailand in local time<\/strong>. If you depart Moscow in the evening and the flight arrives in Bangkok the next morning, the arrival date is tomorrow’s date, not today’s.<\/li>\n
          • Country \/ Territory where you Boarded<\/strong> \u2014 the country where your journey to Thailand started<\/strong>. If you fly Moscow \u2192 Istanbul \u2192 Bangkok and Istanbul is only a layover, put RUS. But if you actually live in Istanbul and start from there \u2014 TUR.<\/li>\n
          • Flight No. \/ Vehicle No.<\/strong> \u2014 the flight number. Most clients from Russia arrive in Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi BKK or Don Mueang DMK); there it’s the number of your direct flight or the last leg of the connection. If you fly to U-Tapao via Bangkok, enter the number of the last flight to U-Tapao.<\/li>\n
          • Travel Purpose<\/strong> \u2014 the purpose of the trip. For a holiday in Pattaya \u2014 Holiday. Tourism also works; in practice there’s no difference.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            Step 4. Accommodation address in Thailand<\/h3>\n

            \"\"<\/p>\n

            State the first place<\/strong> where you’ll spend the night after arrival. If you stay in several hotels in a row, the first one goes in the form.<\/p>\n

              \n
            • Type of Accommodation<\/strong> \u2014 Hotel for a hotel or guesthouse, Apartment for a rented apartment or villa, Friend’s House if you’re going to people you know.<\/li>\n
            • Province<\/strong> \u2014 for Pattaya, Chonburi.<\/li>\n
            • District \/ Sub-District<\/strong> \u2014 Bang Lamung for central Pattaya, Naklua and the northern part. Sattahip \u2014 for Jomtien Beach and the south. The prompt under the field will show district options after you choose the province.<\/li>\n
            • Post Code<\/strong> \u2014 usually filled in automatically after the province and district. If it isn’t, for central Pattaya it’s 20150, for Jomtien \u2014 20250, for Naklua \u2014 also 20150.<\/li>\n
            • Address<\/strong> \u2014 the exact address: hotel name, street, Soi, house number. The field is long (up to 215 characters), so write it out fully. You can simply enter the condo name. You may put Dusit Grand Condo (where our office is located).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

              If your accommodation isn’t booked yet, make a reservation for at least one night with free cancellation on Booking or Agoda. That’s enough for the TDAC. After that you can change your plans \u2014 immigration won’t re-check \u2014 but having a meaningful address at the moment of entry is mandatory.<\/p>\n

              Step 5. Health declaration and countries visited<\/h3>\n

              Countries where you stayed within two weeks before arrival<\/strong> \u2014 the countries you visited in the 14 days before arrival. If you were only at home in Russia, list it alone. If you flew to Dubai that week, add the UAE.<\/p>\n

              \"\"<\/p>\n

              Step 6.<\/strong> If there are several of you, here you need to choose “Add more travellers” so you don’t have to repeat the same fields. If you’re alone, just agree and submit the form. \"\"<\/p>\n

              Step 7. Preview and submit<\/h3>\n

              This is where you enter your email.<\/p>\n

              \"\"<\/p>\n

              Click Submit. If your internet is unstable and you get an error like Http failure response<\/em> or 429, refresh the page and submit again. It doesn’t mean the data was lost, and it doesn’t mean a duplicate form was submitted: only the last successful submission counts.<\/p>\n

              Step 8. Save the QR code<\/h3>\n

              Done. Download the form:\"\"<\/p>\n

              After submission the system does two things:<\/p>\n

                \n
              1. shows the QR code right in the browser and offers to download a PDF;<\/li>\n
              2. duplicates the same QR code in an email to your inbox.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                What to do at this point:<\/p>\n

                  \n
                • download the PDF and save it to your phone’s files offline (important \u2014 there’s no internet on the plane, and the Wi-Fi at the arrival airport doesn’t always work quickly);<\/li>\n
                • take a screenshot of the QR code into your phone’s gallery as a backup;<\/li>\n
                • check your email \u2014 if there’s no message, look in “Spam” and “Promotions”.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                  If the email never arrives, just fill in the form again \u2014 it’s not a problem. The system stores only the last submitted version, so resubmitting doesn’t cause issues.<\/p>\n

                  You don’t need to print anything.<\/strong> At passport control you either show the QR code from your phone screen, or pass through the automatic gates \u2014 they read the passport themselves and link it to your form by the passport number.<\/p>\n

                  If your details change<\/h2>\n

                  The website has an Update Arrival Card<\/strong> section \u2014 there you can edit a form you’ve already submitted.<\/p>\n

                  You can update:<\/strong><\/p>\n

                    \n
                  • your accommodation address in Thailand;<\/li>\n
                  • the flight number and arrival date;<\/li>\n
                  • the health declaration;<\/li>\n
                  • the list of countries you visited in the two weeks before the trip.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                    You cannot update:<\/strong> your first name, surname, passport number, citizenship and date of birth. If you made a mistake in these fields, you need to submit a new form with the correct data. The last one submitted counts \u2014 the system always looks at the latest version.<\/p>\n

                    The most common scenarios:<\/p>\n

                      \n
                    • the airline changed the flight \u2014 update the number and date;<\/li>\n
                    • you changed hotels \u2014 either update the address, or don’t touch it at all if the first night is the same;<\/li>\n
                    • you mistyped the passport number \u2014 submit a new form, the old one is cancelled automatically.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                      Common situations (based on experience with arrivals in Pattaya)<\/h2>\n

                      Arriving in Bangkok and transferring to Pattaya<\/h3>\n

                      The most common scenario for our clients. The flight arrives at Suvarnabhumi (BKK) or Don Mueang (DMK), then a bus, taxi or transfer of about 2 hours to Pattaya. There’s almost no direct international flight from Russia to U-Tapao right now, so 9 out of 10 tourists in Pattaya arrive this way.<\/p>\n

                      What’s important to know about the TDAC in this case:<\/p>\n

                        \n
                      • In the Flight No.<\/strong> field, enter the number of your flight to Bangkok (the last leg if you fly with a connection). For example, EK384 for Emirates flights via Dubai, TG975 for Thai Airways from Moscow.<\/li>\n
                      • In the Country where you Boarded<\/strong> field, put the country where you started that day<\/strong>. If you flew Moscow \u2192 Dubai \u2192 Bangkok and Dubai is only a layover, put RUS.<\/li>\n
                      • In the address field, enter the hotel in Pattaya<\/strong> \u2014 the place where you spend your first night. Not the hotel in Bangkok if you don’t stay there, and not the airport.<\/li>\n
                      • The province for Pattaya is Chonburi<\/strong>, district Bang Lamung<\/strong> (for central Pattaya and Naklua) or Sattahip<\/strong> (for Jomtien Beach and the south).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                        If your plan is: arrive in Bangkok late in the evening, spend the night at a Bangkok hotel near the airport, leave for Pattaya in the morning \u2014 then the Bangkok hotel goes in the TDAC<\/strong>, because it’s your first place of overnight stay. Hotels near Suvarnabhumi are listed under the province Samut Prakan<\/strong>, those near Don Mueang \u2014 Bangkok<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

                        Passport control at Suvarnabhumi runs 24\/7, and at peak arrival times (early morning and evening) the queue can take 30\u201360 minutes. If your TDAC is already submitted, you go either to the automatic gates or to the desks marked Foreign Passports<\/em>.<\/p>\n

                        Arriving at U-Tapao (UTP)<\/h3>\n

                        U-Tapao is a small airport about 30 minutes from Pattaya. There are no regular direct flights from Russia to U-Tapao at the moment, but charters from the CIS sometimes operate, and there are short domestic flights from Bangkok (Bangkok Airways PG, Thai Vietjet VZ). Passport control for international flights exists there too, and the TDAC is mandatory.<\/p>\n

                        An important point: U-Tapao has no self-service kiosks<\/strong> for submitting the TDAC on site. They’re only at Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Hat Yai. So if you fly via U-Tapao, fill in the form in advance \u2014 on site they may simply send you off to find Wi-Fi and fill it in from your phone.<\/p>\n

                        Two or more \u2014 separately or as a group<\/h3>\n

                        A group submission (Group) is more convenient. One person enters everyone’s details, and each gets their own QR code. The limit is 10 people per application. That’s enough for a family with children, plus grandma and the mother-in-law.<\/p>\n

                        Children<\/h3>\n

                        Children are filled in as separate forms within the same group submission. The key condition is that the child must have their own valid passport<\/strong>. The old practice of recording a child in a parent’s passport doesn’t work for the TDAC, because Thai immigration only deals with individual documents.<\/p>\n

                        In the Occupation field for a schoolchild or student \u2014 STUDENT; for a very small child, take the nearest suitable option (CHILD\/UNEMPLOYED).<\/p>\n

                        Several hotels along the route<\/h3>\n

                        The TDAC lists only the first place of stay<\/strong>. If the first week is in Pattaya, then a week on Samui, then two days in Bangkok \u2014 only Pattaya goes in the form. No separate TDACs are needed for domestic flights and transfers.<\/p>\n

                        Travelling without a booking<\/h3>\n

                        If for some reason you don’t have a single booking at the time of filling in, there are two working options:<\/p>\n

                          \n
                        • make a reservation for one or two nights with free cancellation on Booking or Agoda and enter it. There are hundreds of hotels in Pattaya with that option, from 800 \u0e3f a night.<\/li>\n
                        • if you’re going to people you know, enter their address, choosing Friend’s House. You’ll need their exact address: Soi, house, district.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                          You don’t need to enter an “agency address” or office in the TDAC \u2014 that’s not a place of residence.<\/p>\n

                          You permanently live outside Russia<\/h3>\n

                          In the Country\/Territory of Residence field, enter the country of actual residence<\/strong>. A Russian citizen living in Georgia puts Georgia. Citizenship (RUSSIAN) is stated separately and doesn’t change. This isn’t a contradiction \u2014 immigration understands perfectly the difference between a passport and a place of residence.<\/p>\n

                          Transit through Bangkok<\/h3>\n

                          If you have a single ticket booking, you arrive in Bangkok and fly onward on the same ticket without collecting baggage or going through passport control \u2014 you don’t need a TDAC.<\/p>\n

                          But if:<\/p>\n

                            \n
                          • the tickets are with different airlines, booked separately;<\/li>\n
                          • you need to collect and re-check your baggage;<\/li>\n
                          • between flights you leave the sterile zone (for example, to transfer from Suvarnabhumi to Don Mueang) \u2014<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                            then technically you’re entering the country. The TDAC is mandatory.<\/p>\n

                            If something goes wrong<\/h2>\n

                            The site won’t open or throws an error.<\/strong> Take a screenshot of the error. At the border you’ll tell the officer or go to Immigration Help \u2014 major airports have zones with Wi-Fi and staff assistance, and kiosks at Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Hat Yai. You can fill it in right there; it takes 5 minutes.<\/p>\n

                            The email with the QR code didn’t arrive.<\/strong> Check “Spam” and “Promotions”. The system doesn’t send any separate reminders or notifications, so waiting for an SMS is pointless. If there’s nothing after an hour, fill it in again.<\/p>\n

                            You changed your flight while already travelling.<\/strong> Open tdac.immigration.go.th on your phone, go to Update Arrival Card, and update the flight number and date. If the form won’t let you update, submit a new one. The window is the same 72 hours.<\/p>\n

                            You arrived without a TDAC.<\/strong> It’s not a disaster. Most major airports have a kiosk or a Wi-Fi zone where you can fill it in on site. The queue at the desk may be longer than for those who submitted everything in advance, but you’ll be let into the country. The main thing is to have a smartphone or decent internet access.<\/p>\n

                            Checklist before departing from Russia<\/h2>\n
                              \n
                            • The TDAC is completed within the 72-hour window before arrival.<\/li>\n
                            • First name, surname and passport number match the passport down to the character.<\/li>\n
                            • The country of departure and flight number match the e-ticket.<\/li>\n
                            • The accommodation address in Thailand is given for the first night, province Chonburi (if Pattaya).<\/li>\n
                            • The QR code is saved offline: in the phone gallery and in files (the PDF from the email).<\/li>\n
                            • The passport is valid for at least another 6 months from the arrival date.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                              With this set, passport control at Suvarnabhumi takes 5\u201315 minutes even at peak times.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                              A detailed guide to the TDAC \u2014 Thailand’s Digital Arrival Card. When to submit it, what to write in the address field, how to fill it in when arriving in Bangkok, common mistakes and how to fix them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39048","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bez-kategorii"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/montmari-asia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39048","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/montmari-asia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/montmari-asia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/montmari-asia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/montmari-asia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39048"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/montmari-asia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39048\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/montmari-asia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39048"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/montmari-asia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39048"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/montmari-asia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39048"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}