Those arriving in and departing Thailand via air, land and sea ports must fill in the card – known as the TM6 form – online. EPA-EFE via ST/ANN
SINGAPORE: Thailand’s immigration is set to begin enforcing a digital arrival card for all visitors to the kingdom with foreign passports from May 1.
Those arriving in and departing Thailand via air, land and sea ports must fill in the card – known as the TM6 form – online.
This includes foreign travellers from visa-exempt countries such as Singapore.
There will be no charge for submitting the digital form, which will replace the currently suspended paper card.
Local media reports say the digital TM6 form will require personal and travel information including passport details and a Thai address.
Only those travelling with a Thai passport are exempt from submitting the TM6 form, said the Ministry of Tourism and Sports’ deputy permanent security Mongkon Wimonrat on Jan 21, after chairing a meeting also attended by Thailand’s immigration bureau.
Use of the online form is expected to help track tourists during their stay, Tourism Ministry chief Natthriya Thaweevong told local media, as the kingdom bids to boost confidence in security standards.
Thailand is battling perceptions that the country is unsafe to visit, particularly among Chinese tourists, after a string of high-profile kidnappings.
Flights, hotel bookings and a sold-out Eason Chan concert have been cancelled, prompting Thai premier Paetongtarn Shinawatra to assure Chinese tourists of the kingdom's security in Chinese through an AI-generated video.
Use of the paper version of the form has been cancelled for foreign travellers arriving by air since July 2022.
TM6 immigration forms were temporarily suspended by the Cabinet to boost tourism and ease congestion at checkpoints.
When the suspension period ends on April 30, 2025, a digital version of the TM6 will replace the paper-based one, said Natthriya.
A source at the ministry who requested anonymity said that with the online TM6 form coming soon, there is a greater likelihood the 300 baht (US$8.93) tourism fee will be postponed, Bangkok Post reported.
Thailand has set its sights on drawing 40 million foreign visitors in 2025, having welcomed more than 35.5 million and generating 1.6 trillion baht (US$0.048 trillion) in tourism revenue in 2024. - The Straits Times/ANN
