Foreign visitors will be required to submit a Digital Arrival Card or TM6 form prior to their arrival in Thailand starting 1st May 2025, as a means of enhancing the efficiency of its immigration procedures. Essential personal details as well as the address of the intended accommodations during travellers’ stay are among the form.
This regulation will apply to all foreign nationals arriving by air, land, or sea, with the sole exception of Thai passport holders. The digital TM6 form, which will soon be available online, will be offered at no charge, streamlining the process for all travellers.
Mongkon Wimonrat, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, emphasised that the completion of this form is mandatory for all non-Thai travellers, including those arriving on tourist visas, long-term visas, or under the visa waiver program, as reported by Seasia.
Thailand had previously employed a physical version of the TM6 form, but this was discontinued in July 2022 to bolster the country’s appeal to international tourists. The old paper-based system required forms to be filled out by passengers in haste, often resulting in legibility issues that hindered immigration processing. Furthermore, the data collected was not integrated into the country’s immigration system, leading to inefficiencies.
The reintroduction of the TM6 form in its digital format marks a significant leap forward in modernising Thailand’s immigration process. By requiring online submission before departure, this new system will ensure a far more efficient and integrated approach to processing travellers, seamlessly aligning with the country’s broader immigration framework.
The new policy is designed not only to facilitate more efficient arrivals but also to enable more effective tracking of foreign visitors.
It will also provide crucial address details that could be instrumental in emergency situations. Travellers who fail to update their address while in Thailand may face penalties, although specific details of these potential sanctions are still under discussion.
The return of the TM6 form has, however, led to the postponement of a long-discussed tourism fee of 300 baht, which had been under consideration for several years. Additionally, the introduction of a pre-arrival electronic travel authorisation (ETA) for visa-exempt travellers has also been delayed.
This shift is part of a broader global trend, with many countries adopting computerised systems to monitor the presence and whereabouts of foreign nationals within their borders.
Thailand’s tourism industry flourished in 2024, drawing 35.5 million international visitors and now has its sights set on attracting 40 million international tourists in 2025, underscoring its ongoing commitment to maintaining its position as one of the world’s leading tourist destinations.