Thailand will require all foreign visitors to submit a pre-departure digital form starting May 1. The move aims to help authorities track travelers amid a broad crackdown against human trafficking into Southeast Asia’s illegal cybercrime hubs.
From Monday, travelers can fill out the Thailand Digital Arrival Card for trips starting Thursday. The online form will replace the existing paper-based system and will be mandatory for foreigners arriving by air, land, or sea, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Visitors can access the form through the Thai Immigration Bureau’s website.
The digital arrival cards will be linked to the Thai Immigration Bureau’s biometric database. This will allow 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 running cyber scam centers along the Myanmar and Cambodia borders. 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 made up the largest visitor group last year.
Thailand remains a major tourist destination, known for its tropical climate, beaches, 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 the number recorded a year earlier.
According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, travelers can submit the digital arrival card individually or as a group, up to three days before their scheduled arrival. Required details include passport information, travel itinerary, accommodation in Thailand, and a basic health declaration. The new system is modeled on digital entry requirements already adopted in other countries.
From Monday, travelers can fill out the Thailand Digital Arrival Card for trips starting Thursday. The online form will replace the existing paper-based system and will be mandatory for foreigners arriving by air, land, or sea, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Visitors can access the form through the Thai Immigration Bureau’s website.
The digital arrival cards will be linked to the Thai Immigration Bureau’s biometric database. This will allow 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 running cyber scam centers along the Myanmar and Cambodia borders. 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 made up the largest visitor group last year.
Thailand remains a major tourist destination, known for its tropical climate, beaches, 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 the number recorded a year earlier.
According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, travelers can submit the digital arrival card individually or as a group, up to three days before their scheduled arrival. Required details include passport information, travel itinerary, accommodation in Thailand, and a basic health declaration. The new system is modeled on digital entry requirements already adopted in other countries.
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