Thailand Requires A Digital Arrival Card For Visitors From May 1

According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, travellers can submit the digital arrival card individually or as a group up to three days before their scheduled arrival. The required details include passport information, a travel itinerary, accommodation in Thailand, and a basic health declaration. The new system is modelled on digital entry needs already adopted in other countries.

Thailand will need all foreign visitors to submit a pre-departure digital form starting May 1. The move aims to help authorities track travellers amid a broad crackdown against human trafficking into Southeast Asia’s illegal cybercrime hubs. From Monday, travellers can fill out the Thailand Digital Arrival Card for trips starting Thursday. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the online form will replace the existing paper-based system and will be mandatory for foreigners arriving by air, land, or sea. Visitors can access the form through the Thao Immigration Bureau’s website. The digital arrival cars will be linked to the Thai Immigration Bureau’s biometric database. This will enable authorities to screen visitors for any criminal background, Choengron Rimpadee, chief of the Immigration Division 2 at Suvarnabhumi Airport, told reporters. The introduction of the digital form follows a multinational operation against criminal groups that run cyber scam centres along the borders of Myanmar and Cambodia.

Earlier this year, the kidnapping of a Chinese actor brought renewed attention to human trafficking networks using Thailand as a transit point, raising security concerns, especially among Chinese tourists, who were the largest visitor group last year. Thailand remains a major tourist destination, renowned for its tropical climate, stunning beaches, vibrant nightlife, and Buddhist temples. Tourism employs about one in five workers and contributes roughly 13% to the country’s gross domestic product. Since the start of the year, Thailand has welcomed around 12 million tourists, similar to that recorded a year earlier.

According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, travellers can submit their digital travel card individually or as a group up to three days before their scheduled arrival. The required details include passport information, a travel itinerary, accommodation in Thailand, and a basic health declaration. The new system is modelled on digital entry needs already adopted in other countries.

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