Thailand is introducing a digital immigration form for foreign arrivals from 1 May 2025, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports has announced, in a bid to improve public perceptions around tourist tracking and safety.
The move online replaces previous paper-based applications. One, known as TM6, was suspended last year. The “landing card” used to be distributed to arriving passengers by airline staff, but the Thai Examiner has reported that the system came in for criticism after it was revealed the paperwork was piling up in warehouses with no proper scrutiny. Paperwork, such as the TM30 form, was also supposed to be submitted by hotels and accommodation providers, but in reality, arrivals were not properly monitored or recorded.
The problems caused by a lack of proper tracking came to a head recently, after a series of incidents involving foreign visitors, mainly from China, who were abducted into Myanmar.
Free to access
Now, from 1 May, all foreign arrivals whether by aircraft, overland transport or by sea, will be required to complete the new online registration form before departure to the Southeast Asian kingdom. The form is available via a Thai government-run website.
While the system is free to access, it is intended to work in tandem with other pre-screening measures, such as Thailand’s electronic visa (e-visa) system brought in on 1 January 2025. The e-visa applies to all except passport holders from visa-exempt countries. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Tourism Authority, and other stakeholders such as airlines, and tour operators, have been working on awareness raising about the new scheme for months.
Entered Thailand yesterday under the new Destination Thailand Visa (DTV)
— Jack Culpan (@JackCulpan) February 3, 2025
Such an easy process both when applying and entering the country
The DTV provides 5 years of multi-entry to Thailand pic.twitter.com/GN0mAezds5
“This free, user-friendly system is prioritized to avoid confusion before introducing other screening measures,” said Mr. Mongkon, Deputy Permanent Secretary. “It could take months, even a year, to fine-tune the TM6 process.”
Tourist fee still in the offing
What’s more, Thai authorities are due to implement a tourism levy, costing 300-baht and designed to provide automatic insurance to visitors who sometimes find themselves in difficulty without proper coverage when their trip goes awry. Despite raising the cost of a trip to Thailand, the tourist fee has gained approval from local stakeholders who argue it will improve the nation’s reputation for visitor safety and security. However, it was postponed last year.
Thailand’s tourism sector represents almost 20% of its gross domestic product and the country is seeking to boost those revenues further. To that end, it has grown its visa-free offering and extended the length of visa-free stay permitted to two months, as well as easing the rules to allow so-called digital nomads to stay for up to five years.
