Thailand's digital arrival card is a five-minute form that quietly ruins departures, because nothing reminds you to fill it. Thai Immigration's own guidance answers the questions Indian travellers actually ask — including one that saves money: transit passengers do not need it at all.
In this guide2 sections
What the Immigration Bureau's guidance says#
- Transit and technical landings are exempt. "Do flights that are technical landings or transit flights need to register for TDAC? No, TDAC submission is not required."
- Ten people per submission. A family or group travelling together can be entered in a single submission, up to a maximum of ten.
- No reminders. "TDAC does not send reminders" — the responsibility sits entirely with the traveller.
- Three to five minutes per person, provided passport, flight and accommodation details are to hand.
- Kiosks exist at five airports for travellers who arrive without having filed: Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Hat Yai. Kiosk submissions produce a QR code you can photograph.
- The platform is multilingual — English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Russian among the available languages.
Why the kiosk is a fallback, not a plan#
Because arriving without a TDAC puts you in an extra queue at the exact moment when everyone else is walking to immigration. Filing online before departure is the difference between joining the normal line and standing at a machine with a full flight behind you. The Bureau's own framing is that completing it in advance "helps facilitate a faster and more efficient immigration process upon arrival."
The card is separate from your permission to enter. Indian passport holders currently get 60 visa-free days, with the approved 30-day cap still awaiting Royal Gazette publication — the state of play is in Thailand: Indians still get 60 visa-free days, and the full application rules in Thailand visa for Indians and our TDAC guide.
One more thing worth repeating: the TDAC is free at tdac.immigration.go.th. Sites charging a "processing fee" for it are charging for a government form, as with Sri Lanka's free ETA.
VisaGyan is an independent journal, not affiliated with the Thai government. File the TDAC only on the official Immigration Bureau site.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a TDAC if I am only transiting through Bangkok?
- No. Thai Immigration states that for flights that are technical landings or transit flights, "TDAC submission is not required." The card is for travellers actually entering the country.
- Can one person submit the TDAC for the whole family?
- Yes, up to ten. The guidance says a maximum of 10 entries can be submitted per family submission, which covers most groups travelling together on one booking.
- Will I get a reminder to fill the TDAC before my flight?
- No. "TDAC does not send reminders." Nothing prompts you, and the form takes about three to five minutes per person when your passport, flight and accommodation details are ready.