The Thailand Digital Arrival Card is free, mandatory for every non-Thai national entering Thailand, and must be submitted 3 days before your arrival date. You complete it at tdac.immigration.go.th, you get a QR code by email, and you show that at immigration. It takes about ten minutes.

The one thing worth knowing before you start: three fields cannot be changed after you submit. Get those wrong and you have to start a fresh submission. They are covered below.

The TDAC is not a visa and does not replace one. For entry rules, fees and how long Indians can stay, see our Thailand visa guide.

📌 Quick facts

⚠️ Use only tdac.immigration.go.th. Several paid lookalike sites charge for what the Thai government provides free. There is no official fee, no expedited option, and no agent you need.

What to have ready before you start

The official guide lists five categories of information. Gather these first and the form takes ten minutes instead of thirty.

Passport information. Passport number, full name exactly as printed, nationality, date of birth, expiry date.

Personal information. Date of birth, gender, occupation, country of residence, phone number.

Travel information. Arrival date, flight or vehicle number, the country you boarded from, your mode of travel, and your purpose of visit.

Accommodation information in Thailand. The type of accommodation and its full address. Have your hotel booking open. If you are moving between hotels, you need the first one.

Not booked yet? You cannot complete the TDAC without a confirmed address.

We can put together your Thailand hotels and transfers around your dates, and send the confirmations you need for this form. Plan my Thailand trip →

Health declaration information. Only triggered in some cases, covered below.

Everything must be entered in English. The form will not accept other scripts.

What each field means

Most people do not get stuck on the process. They get stuck on a single field, staring at a box and wondering what Thai Immigration actually wants in it. Here are the ones that cause the most hesitation.

Family name and given name

Family name is your surname. Given name is everything else. Copy both exactly as they are printed in your passport, not as you normally write your name.

Open your passport to the photo page. Indian passports print these as two separate fields, "Surname" and "Given Name(s)". Whatever sits in the Surname field is your family name. Whatever sits in Given Name(s) is your given name. Do not reorder them, do not expand initials, and do not add or remove middle names.

If your passport has a blank surname field, which is common for holders from Tamil Nadu, Kerala and other parts of South India where initials are used instead of a family name, do not guess. Your name cannot be corrected after you submit, so a guess here is expensive. Email the Immigration Bureau at contact@tdac.immigration.go.th before submitting and ask how they want the fields completed for a passport with no surname.

This is the single most important field on the form, because it is one of only three that cannot be edited afterwards.

Country where you boarded

This is the country you flew out of on the flight that brings you into Thailand. It is not your nationality, and it is not necessarily where your journey began.

• Delhi to Bangkok direct: India

• Mumbai to Dubai to Bangkok: the United Arab Emirates, because Dubai is where you boarded the flight into Thailand

• Kolkata to Singapore to Phuket: Singapore

If you are arriving overland from Malaysia or Laos, it is the country you crossed from.

The field matters more than it looks. Thai Immigration uses your boarding country, along with your nationality and flight, to decide whether to show you the health declaration section.

Countries you stayed in within two weeks before arrival

List every country you were physically in during the 14 days before you land in Thailand. Include your home country. Include countries where you only had a layover if you left the airport and entered the country.

For most Indian travellers flying direct this is simply India. If you have been travelling, list each one.

The Ministry of Public Health maintains a list of countries that trigger additional health questions. If any country you enter here is on that list, the form will prompt you for more health information. That is the only purpose of this field, and answering it accurately costs you nothing.

Occupation

This is a free text box, not a dropdown. There is no list to choose from. You type your occupation yourself. That surprises a lot of people, because most fields on this form are dropdowns. If you have been searching for the occupation options, there are none. Just type it. Keep it simple and in English. A plain job title is what Immigration is looking for: Engineer, Teacher, Student, Homemaker, Retired, Business, Doctor, Self-employed. There is no need for your full designation, your employer's name, or anything elaborate. "Software Engineer" is better than "Senior Technical Lead, Platform Engineering". Use the same description you have given on any visa application or other travel paperwork for this trip. Inconsistencies between documents are what create questions at the counter, not the job itself. Unlike your name, this field can be corrected later if you get it wrong.

Purpose of visit

Choose the option that matches the actual reason for your trip. For a holiday, that is the tourism option.

Be accurate here rather than convenient. Entering a tourism purpose while carrying documents that suggest you are travelling for work is the kind of inconsistency that draws questions at the immigration counter. The stated reason behind Thailand's 2026 rule tightening was illegal employment, and officers are alert to mismatches.

Accommodation type and address

Another dropdown for the type, hotel, guesthouse, apartment and so on, then the full address.

Enter your first night's accommodation. If you are moving between hotels or islands, Immigration wants where you are going tonight, not your full itinerary. You can update the address later if your booking changes.

You cannot leave this blank. The form requires a confirmed address, which is why booking accommodation has to happen before you fill the card, not after.

Flight or vehicle number

The flight number of the aircraft landing in Thailand, exactly as it appears on your ticket, including the airline code. For example, a Thai Airways flight would read TG316 rather than 316.

If you are arriving by land or sea, enter the vehicle, bus or vessel number instead.

This field can be updated if your flight changes, which is one of the most common reasons people use the update function.

A general rule for the whole form: everything must be entered in English, and the official guide asks you to recheck every field after using the MRZ scan, because auto-fill is not always perfect.

⚠️ The three fields you cannot change

Once you submit, these are locked:

1. Full name, as it appears in your passport

2. Nationality or citizenship

3. Date of birth

Everything else, including your flight, arrival date and accommodation, can be updated later. These three cannot. If you get one wrong you must complete a brand new submission.

So before you click Submit, read your name character by character against your passport. Indian passports frequently carry a surname in a separate field, initials rather than a full middle name, or a name printed differently from how you normally write it. Copy the passport, not your habit.

Step by step

1. Go to tdac.immigration.go.th and click "Arrival Card". There is a brief security check on the page before the buttons become active. Wait for it to clear.

2. Enter your personal and passport information, then click Continue. Rather than typing your passport details, you can scan the MRZ (the two lines of machine-readable text at the bottom of your passport photo page) or upload an image of it, and the system fills the fields automatically.

This is the single best time-saver in the form, and it also reduces typos in exactly the fields you cannot later correct. The official guide does add one warning: always recheck the data after retrieving it from the MRZ. Auto-fill is not always perfect.

3. Enter your trip and accommodation details, then click Continue. Dropdown tip from the official guide: type three characters and the system filters the options for you. Much faster than scrolling a list of every country or province.

4. Enter your health status information, if prompted. This step only appears if the Ministry of Public Health has listed the country you visited in the two weeks before arrival, the country you boarded from, your nationality, or your flight. Most travellers flying direct from India will not see it. If you do, answer it and click Preview.

5. Review everything. Click Edit on anything that needs fixing. This is your last chance on the three locked fields.

6. Enter your email address. This is where the card gets sent. Use an address you can access on your phone while travelling.

7. Tick the Terms and Conditions box, then click Submit.

8. Download your Thailand Digital Arrival Card. Save the PDF to your phone and screenshot the QR code as well. You can re-download it from the email at any point during your stay.

Save it offline. Airport wifi at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang is unreliable, and the immigration queue is a bad place to discover you cannot load your email.

Travelling as a family or group

The TDAC supports group submission of up to 10 people per submission, which saves considerable time for families travelling together.

Every traveller needs their own card, including infants and children. There is no combined family card. Group submission simply lets you complete them in one session rather than starting over ten times.

If your group is larger than 10, split it across multiple submissions.

How to fix a mistake

You can update a submitted card any time before you travel, as long as the error is not in one of the three locked fields.

1. Click "Update Arrival Card" on the homepage

2. Enter your TH Digital Arrival Card number, date of birth and nationality

3. Click Search

4. Correct the details, use Previous to step back or Cancel to exit without saving

5. Review, enter your email, accept the terms and submit again

6. Download the updated card

This is what you use when your flight changes or you switch hotels. Both are common and neither is a problem.

If the error is in your name, nationality or date of birth, do not try to update. Start a new submission.

Common mistakes

Leaving it too late. The requirement is 3 days in advance. Do it when you check in online, or set a reminder.

Paying a lookalike site. If you were charged, you were not on the government portal.

Assuming children are exempt. They are not. One card per person, whatever their age.

Name mismatches. The most expensive mistake, because it cannot be edited.

Not saving it offline. A QR code you cannot open is a QR code you do not have.

Thinking it is a visa. It is not, and it grants you nothing. The official guide states this explicitly.

One more thing: the 90-day rule

The same official notice that sets out the TDAC requirement carries a rule most travellers never see, because most trips are short.

If you stay in Thailand longer than 90 days, you must notify the nearest Immigration office in writing about your place of stay, as soon as your 90 days expire, and repeat that every 90 days.

Irrelevant for a one-week holiday. Important if you are on a long-stay visa.

Sources

• Thailand Immigration Bureau, official TDAC portal. Submission requirement, 3-day window, and confirmation that no fee applies. Checked 17 August 2026. https://tdac.immigration.go.th

• Thailand Immigration Bureau, TDAC User's Guide version 1.18 for application version 2026.08.00. Step-by-step process, required information categories, group submission limit, and the list of non-editable fields. Checked 17 August 2026. https://tdac.immigration.go.th/manual/en/index.html

• Immigration Act B.E. 2522, as cited in the official TDAC notice, for the 90-day reporting requirement.

This guide is for general information. Entry rules change without notice, so always confirm on the official portal before you travel.

Indian passport holders do not need a visa for tourist trips to Thailand of up to 60 days. The 60-day visa exemption is still in force as of 16 August 2026. A change moving India to a 30-day exemption was approved by Thailand's Cabinet in May 2026 but has not yet been published in the Royal Gazette, so it is not yet law. You must still complete the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) online before you fly.

📌 Status board: updated 16 August 2026

Do Indians need a visa now?	No, for tourist stays up to 60 days
Current entry route	Visa exemption (60 days)
Cost	Free
Mandatory	Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC), free
Change approved?	Yes, 19 May 2026
Change in effect?	No, pending Royal Gazette publication
When it takes effect	15 days after Royal Gazette publication
What it will change to	30-day visa exemption (revised from the original VOA proposal in July 2026)

We re-check this page against the Royal Thai Embassy, New Delhi every month. Last check: 16 August 2026.

Changelog

• 16 Aug 2026: Verified directly against Thailand's official MFA e-Visa checker. Indians still enter visa-free for up to 60 days. Royal Gazette publication still pending.

• 7 Jul 2026: Thai government issues entry reminder on proof of funds (THB 10,000 per person, THB 20,000 per family, under-12s exempt).

• Jul 2026: Tourism Authority of Thailand indicates India will move to 30-day visa exemption, not Visa on Arrival as originally announced.

• 21 May 2026: Royal Thai Embassy New Delhi reconfirms the 60-day exemption "remains effective until further announcement."

• 19 May 2026: Thai Cabinet approves restructuring of visa exemption schemes. India initially listed under Visa on Arrival.

• 16 Apr 2026: Royal Thai Embassy New Delhi publishes updated fee schedule for visa, legalisation and consular services.

• 1 Jan 2025: Thailand e-Visa system goes live for applications filed in India.

Do Indians need a visa for Thailand right now?

No, not for tourism or short business visits of 60 days or less. Indian ordinary passport holders enter under Thailand's visa exemption scheme. You do not apply for anything in advance and you pay nothing for the entry stamp itself.

You will still need to:

• Complete the TDAC online before departure (free)

• Hold a passport valid 6+ months from arrival

• Carry confirmed return or onward tickets

• Have proof of accommodation

• Be able to show proof of funds if asked

You do need a visa in advance if your trip is longer than 60 days, or if you're travelling for work, study, medical treatment beyond 60 days, or any non-tourist purpose.

What's changing, and when

On 19 May 2026 Thailand's Cabinet approved a restructuring of its visa exemption and Visa on Arrival schemes. In the original announcement, India was moved out of the visa exemption list and into Visa on Arrival. That is why you will see many articles claiming Indians now pay THB 2,000 for a 15-day VOA.

Two things happened after that:

1. In July 2026, the Tourism Authority of Thailand indicated India would instead be placed on the 30-day visa exemption list, not Visa on Arrival, citing India's economic and tourism importance.

2. The change has not been enacted. The Ministry of Interior announcements that give it legal force have not been published in the Royal Gazette. The rules take effect 15 days after that publication.

What this means for you: if you're travelling in the next few weeks, you almost certainly still have the 60-day exemption. If you're booking for later in the year, plan around a 30-day stay and check this page before you fly.

Thailand visa types for Indians

Source: Royal Thai Embassy, New Delhi.

Thailand visa fees for Indians (2026)

All fees below are the official embassy fees in INR. Agents and visa services charge more on top.

Visa exemption entry: free. TDAC: free.

Planning a Thailand trip? We handle the whole thing: flights, hotels, transfers and a day-by-day itinerary built around your dates and budget. Tell us what you're thinking and we'll send a costed plan on WhatsApp. Get a free Thailand itinerary →

Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC)

The TDAC is mandatory for all foreign arrivals and replaces the old paper TM6 card.

• Where: tdac.immigration.go.th, the official portal

• Cost: Free

• When: Submit from 3 days before your arrival date. Thai Immigration's official notice states foreigners must submit arrival card information 3 days in advance of arrival.

• What you get: A QR code. Screenshot it and save it offline, because airport wifi is unreliable and you will need it at immigration.

• Who needs it: Every traveller, including infants. One submission per person.

Warning: only use tdac.immigration.go.th. Several paid lookalike sites charge for what is a free government service.

One more thing worth knowing. If you end up staying in Thailand longer than 90 days, you must notify the nearest Immigration office in writing about your place of stay, and repeat that every 90 days.

How to apply for a Thailand e-visa from India

Use this only if you need more than the exemption allows: a longer stay, multiple entries, or a non-tourist purpose.

1. Go to thaievisa.go.th, the only official portal. e-Visa has been live for India since 1 January 2025.

2. Create an account and select your visa category.

3. Upload documents: passport bio page, photo, itinerary, accommodation, financial proof, purpose-specific documents.

4. Pay the fee online (see table above).

5. Track the application in your account.

6. Receive the e-visa by email. Print it and carry it.

Processing time: Thailand's MFA does not publish a guaranteed processing time. Visa agencies and applicants typically report 10 to 15 working days for a single-entry tourist e-visa, and the embassy may request an interview or extra documents, which restarts the clock. Apply at least 3 to 4 weeks before you travel.

There is no visa sticker in your passport with e-Visa. The approval is electronic and emailed to you.

Documents required

For visa-exemption entry (most tourists):

• Passport valid 6+ months beyond arrival

• TDAC QR code

• Confirmed return or onward ticket within the permitted stay

• Hotel booking or accommodation address

• Proof of funds if requested

Additionally for an e-visa application:

• Recent passport-size photograph meeting portal specs

• Recent bank statements. The e-Visa portal specifies the required period for your visa category at the point of application.

• Day-by-day itinerary

• Employment or business proof

• Category-specific documents (admission letter, employment contract, medical letter)

Proof of funds: what you actually need to show

Thai immigration can ask you to show funds at the border. Officers run these checks randomly, and Thailand issued a public reminder about it in July 2026.

• How much: THB 10,000 per person, or THB 20,000 per family.

• What counts: Thai Baht, an equivalent amount in another currency, or documents evidencing payment of an equivalent amount. You are not required to carry the whole sum as physical cash.

Children under 12 are exempt from this requirement.

Practical advice: carry some cash regardless. A card that gets declined at an immigration counter is a bad place to discover a problem, and officers move faster when you can simply show notes. Keep booking confirmations and payment receipts accessible on your phone as backup.

Can you extend your stay?

Visitors entering under the visa exemption can normally apply for a 30-day extension at a Thai Immigration office before their permitted stay expires. Extensions are granted at the discretion of the Immigration Bureau and carry a fee. Confirm the current amount at immigration.go.th or your nearest Immigration office, as fees are revised periodically.

Note that under the original May 2026 VOA proposal, extensions were to be prohibited entirely. Since India now appears headed for 30-day exemption instead, extension rules may differ. Check before relying on an extension.

Common reasons Indians get refused entry

• No confirmed return or onward ticket

• Passport under 6 months validity

• No TDAC submitted

• Unable to show proof of funds

• No accommodation booking

• Previous overstay on the record

• Immigration suspicion of intent to work. The crackdown on illegal employment is the stated reason behind the 2026 rule changes.

Sources

• Source: Royal Thai Embassy, New Delhi, fee schedule effective April 2026. Verified 16 August 2026.

• Thailand e-Visa official portal: https://thaievisa.go.th

• Thailand Digital Arrival Card portal: https://tdac.immigration.go.th

• TAT Newsroom. Cabinet approves updated visa measures, pending Royal Gazette publication: https://www.tatnews.org/2026/07/thai-cabinet-approves-updated-visa-measures-pending-royal-gazette-publication/

• KPMG GMS Flash Alert 2026-209. Thailand revised visa exemption and VOA rules: https://kpmg.com/xx/en/our-insights/gms-flash-alert/2026/flash-alert-2026-209.html

• The Nation Thailand. Thailand revamps visa rules: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/policy/40068630

This guide is for general information. Visa rules change without notice, so always confirm with the Royal Thai Embassy or the official e-Visa portal before booking.

Trout angling pairs well with a longer Uttarakhand itinerary. Harshil sits close to Gangotri, Chamoli connects to Auli and Joshimath, and Rishikesh works as a base if you want river activity beyond fishing. If you'd like help building an itinerary around a specific river or season, our team can put one together.

India's coastline runs over 7,500 kilometres, from the Andaman Islands to Gujarat, and covers everything from quiet fishing coves to full-scale beach towns. Here are some of the best stretches to add to your next trip.

Radhanagar Beach, Havelock Island (Andaman)

Radhanagar sits on the western edge of Havelock Island and has some of the clearest water in the Andamans. The sand is fine and white, the water stays calm through most of the day, and the sunset here is one of the better ones in the islands. If this is on your list, check our Andaman tour packages for island-hopping options that include Havelock.

Still deciding between the Andamans, Goa and Kerala? Compare all three here.

Palolem Beach, Goa

Palolem is a curved bay in South Goa, lined with palm trees and small beach shacks. It's quieter than the beaches further north, and the water is calm enough for swimming most of the year. Want a Goa trip built around beaches like this? Tell us your dates and pace and we'll put an itinerary together.

Varkala Beach, Kerala

Varkala is built on red laterite cliffs that run right along the shoreline, with cafes and shops set along the cliff edge above the beach. It's also one of the few beach spots in Kerala where the cliffs themselves are part of the draw, not just the sand. It's usually added on to a wider Kerala trip; see our Kerala tour packages for options.

Om Beach, Gokarna (Karnataka)

Om Beach gets its name from its shape, two curved bays that together resemble the Om symbol. Gokarna has a smaller, more low-key beach scene than Goa, and Om Beach is a good base for walking to nearby Half Moon and Paradise beaches. If you'd rather skip the crowds of Goa, ask us to plan a Gokarna trip around this stretch instead.

Marari Beach, Kerala

Marari, near Alappuzha, is a working fishing village beach with a long, quiet shoreline. It's a good pick if you want beach time without the crowds, and it pairs well with a backwater houseboat stay nearby. Our Kerala packages can include a Marari stop alongside Alappuzha's backwaters.

Nagoa Beach, Diu

Diu's Nagoa Beach has a horseshoe shape and calmer water than most beaches on India's west coast. The old Portuguese quarter and Diu Fort are a short drive away, so it works well as a two-in-one stop for beach and history. Not a route we have a fixed package for yet, but our team can build a custom itinerary around it.

Tarkarli Beach, Maharashtra

Tarkarli, on the Konkan coast, is known for water clear enough for snorkelling and scuba diving, which is unusual for mainland India. The beach is less developed than Goa, with backwaters and a nearby fort (Sindhudurg) adding to the trip. Get in touch if you want this built into a Konkan coast itinerary.

Kovalam Beach, Kerala

Kovalam has three connected beaches, each with a different pace. The lighthouse beach is the most built up, with restaurants and shops right along the shore, while the beaches further along are quieter. Kovalam is easy to slot into a longer Kerala trip; browse our Kerala holiday options to see what's included.

Planning Your Beach Trip

Beach weather in India varies a lot by coast and season. The west coast (Goa, Kerala, Maharashtra) is best from October to March, before the summer heat sets in. The Andamans are good most of the year outside monsoon (June to September).

If you're planning a beach honeymoon specifically, our comparison of Andaman, Goa and Kerala breaks the three down by cost, days needed and best season.

Not sure which of these fits your trip? Browse all our tour packages or design your own trip and our team will help you plan around it.

This 4-day international event will take place from July 30 to August 2, 2026
held at Iruvanjhipuzha & Chalipuzha Rivers in Kozhikode district. These rivers feature natural rapids ranging from Class I (easy) to Class VI (extreme), making them suitable for different categories of competitive kayaking.

What Makes the Festival Special?

The Malabar River Festival attracts competitive kayakers from India and around the world, including participants from the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, and South Africa, making it an event for global adventure travellers.

The competition includes exciting disciplines such as:

• Kayak Cross

• Downriver Time Trial

Why Should You Attend?

The festival is more than a kayaking competition. It also highlights Kerala's growing reputation as an adventure tourism destination while showcasing the natural beauty of the Western Ghats.

Even if you're not a kayaking enthusiast, there's plenty to enjoy. Spectators can watch elite athletes tackle powerful rapids, photograph dramatic river landscapes, and experience the vibrant festival atmosphere along the riverbanks.

Thusharagiri is easily accessible from Kozhikode, making it an excellent day trip or weekend getaway. Visitors can also explore nearby waterfalls, trek through forest trails, and enjoy local Kerala cuisine while taking in the region's lush monsoon scenery or explore it more fully with our custom Kerala Honeymoon Package.

Who Can Participate?

The Malabar River Festival offers two competition categories, making it accessible to both experienced whitewater kayakers and paddlers looking to take part in their first international river event.

Open Category

The Open Category is for professional and experienced recreational kayakers with Class 3 or higher whitewater paddling skills.

Amateur Category

The Amateur Category is designed for paddlers with Class 2 whitewater skills.

Registration

Both categories are open to men and women, including international, national, and Kerala-based participants.

Registration includes:

• Official festival T-shirt

• Race bib

• Lunch on all event days

• Transport between the hotel and race venues

Participants in the Open Category also receive entry to the Downriver Time Trial, while the Amateur Category is intended for participation rather than prize competition.

Final Thoughts

If you're planning to visit Kerala during the 2026 monsoon season, the Malabar River Festival is an event worth experiencing. Combining world-class whitewater kayaking, breathtaking natural landscapes, and a lively festival atmosphere, it offers one of the most exciting outdoor sporting experiences in South India.
You can also Pair the festival with Kerala's other water-based celebrations, like the Champakulam Boat Race

Ready to plan? Browse Uttarakhand tour packages for the full regional picture, or go straight to our honeymoon packages to see what's currently bookable.