Thailand Introduces Digital Arrival Cards to Help Track Criminals

Published on: 14 May 2025

Thailand is rolling out the new Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC), which will replace paper cards, effective May 1, 2025. 

According to immigration officials, the implementation of the TDAC will help them to better screen transnational criminals and facilitate tourist arrivals. 

The Chief of the Immigration Division 2 at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Poi Maj Gen Choengron Rimpadee, said the new system will apply to all international arrivals by air, land, or sea. 

Visitors to Thailand are required to apply for the TDAC at least three days before their planned arrival date. Applications will open on April 28 for travelers arriving on May 1. 

The TDAC will replace the TM6 paper card, which was the document that all travelers had to fill out before passing through immigration. 

“This new system is a lot better, considering its simplicity and convenience,” said Pol Maj Gen Choengron. He added, “You can access the [digital format] of the arrival card anytime and anywhere, not only when airline or airport staff hand you one as before.”

As the TDAC system will be synchronized with the immigration bureau’s biometric database, it will help the authorities to better examine the criminal records of visitors. 

Information about the visitors’ accommodation in Thailand, as declared by them, will be automatically sent to the database. This new system will replace the manual inputting of information into the database. 

National Police Chief, Kittharath Punpetch, said that the TDAC system would enhance the convenience of travelers and act as a deterrent for gangs using Thailand as a base for their illegal operations. 

Pol Gen Kittharath added that the use of Thai “nominees” as the face of foreign-controlled businesses, specifically from China, is a significant security concern. He said that the Chinese government and its embassy in Bangkok have pledged their full support to Thailand to clamp down on such individuals.

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