Huge change on May 1 for foreign visitors

[reader]

From Pattaya Mail

By Barry Kenyon

All – yes all – foreigners hoping to enter Thailand by air, land or sea from the beginning of May will need to complete a digital “landing card” form in advance of making their journey. The online form, known as TM6, is not yet available. It will be free. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the only exceptions will be those travelling on a Thai passport.

What information will the TM6 require?

You will need the usual biographical details on your passport, together with a local telephone number and your initial Thai address. This information used to be collected on the manual TM6 form which was once handed out to tired passengers just before arrival. That pointless paper system was suspended in stages – first for air arrivals and then for land and sea – and is not currently in use. Immigration staff often could not read the scribbled details anyway written in haste after a long flight. The paper on-arrival TM6, in practice a waste of time as the information was not entered into the immigration system, is being replaced by an online version to be submitted prior to your journey to Thailand.

Does it matter whether I am visa-exempt for 60 days or have a visa?

No. The new rule applies to all non-Thais whether they are visa-exempt, visa on arrival, non-immigrant visa holders, Elite, Destination Thailand Visa, Long Term Residence etc etc. All must fill in the online TM6 form separately from any other embassy or immigration bureaucracy. Also irrelevant is whether or not you have a re-entry permit. None of it makes any difference. Tourists from 93 countries who currently obtain 60 days on arrival without any forms will need to complete the TM6 online. But nothing more.

So the online TM6 isn’t a visa?

It’s not a visa but an entry requirement irrespective of visa status. It is obvious that the key information is for the foreigners to give his or her address in Thailand. In theory, this information is available on a manual TM30 form submitted in paper form soon after arrival. But many tourists and expats do not regularly update their TM30, or have never heard of it, leading to enormous gaps in the immigration data base. The assumption is that the TM30 will disappear and replaced by the online TM6. If foreigners change their address whilst in Thailand, they will presumably be able to update the TM6 on their mobile device.

Why all this fuss about knowing your address in Thailand?

There are lots of reasons: to help track down criminals and unsavory characters, to streamline entry procedures, to reduce manual form filling etc. Embassies for their part are keen that immigration offices know the address of foreigners in Thailand in case of an emergency, eg a relative has died. If foreigners fail to update their Thai address details, and are found out, there will presumably be penalties but that’s another wait and see issue.

Is TM6 different from Entry Travel Authorization?

ETA, a forthcoming pre arrival form for visa exempt categories, has been postponed. They and all other foreigners must use the TM6. Also postponed is the 300 baht entry tax which has been debated for eight years and is still not in operation and won’t be any time soon. TM6 is free. It should be noted that most countries now have some kind of computerized bureaucracy which details the foreigner and his or her local address shortly before arrival.

Will there be more details published by the government?

Yes there are ambiguities, some highlighted in the above paragraphs. The final details hopefully will be announced next month after a briefing meeting for stakeholders on January 31. The immigration bureau has already reviewed the upcoming online system. Eventually the government hopes to integrate the TM6 bureaucracy with other immigration screening procedures. Eventually!

https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/news/huge-change-on-may-1-2025-for-foreigners-visiting-thailand-488282

 

[daydreamer]

39 minutes ago, reader said:

What information will the TM6 require?

You will need the usual biographical details on your passport, together with a local telephone number and your initial Thai address.

I'm guessing that they will accept a phone number of the hotel you're planning to stay in.  If so, the phone number will be useless.

Another hare-brained plan, acted upon without consideration for visitors to the country.  The powers that be really put their thinking caps on when devising this form that will need to be completed prior to arrival.  A large majority of visitors to Thailand buy a local SIM card on arrival, or the next day in a local store or phone service outlet.

[tm_nyc]

Sounds like Thai Immigration may be copying the Digital Arrival Card which Malaysia now requires of international visitors.  With the Malaysian DAC, visitors must fill out an online application within 3 days prior to arrival & then wait (24+ hrs in my case) to print out the DAC.  I think it is possible to fill it out the application in the Kuala Lumpur airport before queuing up for Immigration.

[Keithambrose]

1 hour ago, tm_nyc said:

Sounds like Thai Immigration may be copying the Digital Arrival Card which Malaysia now requires of international visitors.  With the Malaysian DAC, visitors must fill out an online application within 3 days prior to arrival & then wait (24+ hrs in my case) to print out the DAC.  I think it is possible to fill it out the application in the Kuala Lumpur airport before queuing up for Immigration.

Cambodia  has the same, plus visa. Very quick, though.

[macaroni21]

Maybe this is good time to explain the different entry requirements since, from time to time, I come across posts in this forum that suggests some confusion. The confusion partly stems from different terms used by different countries.

Basically, for tourism purposes (I won't be touching on longer stays) there are 4 broad types:

What is described here  in the OP is the 4th, which I will call "arrival notification". I will come back to this later.

The first of the terminology is the visa. This is approval before you can enter a country. Visas come in 3 variants. 

Traditional visas often come as a sticker in your passport or a pdf document. The tourist has to apply in advance and get one before making any firm plans for the journey. Example: US citizens visiting Vietnam; Turkish citizens visiting China.  Some countries, e.g. US make it necessary to interview the applicant at a consulate before issuing a visa and for some countries, e.g. Pakistan or Nigeria, visa applications are quite often denied.

Some destination countries offer an e-visa service, so the tourist does not need to travel to an embassy of a destination country to obtain a traditional visa. I think Cambodia has an e-visa system.

Some destination countries offer "visa on arrival" to tourists from selected origin countries. This tends to be the case when the destination country does not have an embassy or consulate in the origin country. Visas on arrival are not guaranteed, so one can end up flying all the way there and still be rejected.

The second terminology category  is the Visa Exemption or Visa-free. If a destination country offers visa exemption to citizens of an origin country, it means the latter citizens can enter (subject to very rare immigration ban) visa-free for a set number of days. Thailand offers visa exemption to a long list of origin countries.

In the past decade or a bit more, the US has instituted an "authorisation to travel" and the EU is implementing something similar this year. This is the third terminology category. This complicates the visa-exemption category, because even tourists who should otherwise be eligible to enter without a visa must first get an "authorisation to travel" before they travel. It is usually issued very fast via an online service but still requires lengthy form filling and payment. Once issued, it is valid for multiple entries over a set number of years.

Lastly, there is the arrival notification. Regardless of what category one fell under (visa or no visa), some countries require all travellers to still complete an arrival notification in the days or hours before flying in. This usually includes a health declaration (that's why is is done only just before arrival).

 

 

[reader]

From Pattaya Mail

There must be easier ways

EDITORIAL

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has announced that all foreign passport holders will need to fill in a pre-departure online TM6 form starting in May. The main reason is likely the introduction of 60 days visa exempt for umpteen millions of tourists which began last July. They can just turn up at the airport or border post without any documentation, a move which critics say is an open invitation to wannabe criminals (notably Chinese) of one sort or another. Presumably the computerized form, not yet available, will ask for Thai address details as well as passport-related information.

The Ministry says that the online TM6 – a replacement for the old manual landing card which was suspended years ago because of the impossible-to-read scribbled writing, is not a visa but just an information card. Immigration officials at airports and borders can still access via their installed computers an individual’s travel history, and whether he or she is banned and/or has a previous conviction or is wanted by Interpol. The new part is a statement by the traveller of his or her local address in Thailand. How all this affects other address-related bureaucracies post-arrival, such as TM30 (in theory completed by the hotel or house master) and TM47 (the 90 days report) still remains up in the air.

But the Ministry wants all foreigners, not just the visa exempts, to complete the TM6 computerized form prior to arrival. This is likely to produce some head scratching. Many expats have already provided details of their Thai address to local immigration, including documentary proof such as rental contracts or condominium unit ownership or a blue/yellow house book. But they now find themselves having to duplicate that information if they leave the country and return. A separate issue are the Destination Thailand Visa holders who are in the digital nomad category: many frequently change their address as they are neither retired and settled, nor workers earning money within Thailand.

Apparently, there are further entry procedures under review. An ETA or Electronic Travel Authorization as well as a form to collect 300 baht tourist tax are still being mulled over, even though government publicity last year claimed they would be in force, or at any rate on pilot, by January 2025. It is small wonder that many visitors to Thailand are befuddled by the ongoing confusion, mostly created by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (in charge of embassies and entry rules) and not by the Immigration Bureau (in charge of processing and monitoring arrivals).

Whilst neighboring Cambodia has about a quarter of the number of visitors to Thailand, she has an entry system which appears simpler and more comprehensive. Most arrivals have applied online for an e-visa and/or be required to obtain one at the airport or border. The required details include a Cambodian address and phone number. If an individual stays longer than 30 days, to apply for an extension or to take advantage of a variety of longstay permits, he or she must ensure inclusion on the computerized data base Foreigner Present in Cambodia System or FPCS. The app must be updated every time the visitor moves home internally. Not a perfect system by any means, but at least it doesn’t spread confusion and disenchantment about the host country. Those concerns are all too obvious in the Land of Smiles.

https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/editorial/there-must-be-easier-ways-to-admit-foreigners-into-thailand-488385

[Keithambrose]

5 hours ago, reader said:

From Pattaya Mail

There must be easier ways

EDITORIAL

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has announced that all foreign passport holders will need to fill in a pre-departure online TM6 form starting in May. The main reason is likely the introduction of 60 days visa exempt for umpteen millions of tourists which began last July. They can just turn up at the airport or border post without any documentation, a move which critics say is an open invitation to wannabe criminals (notably Chinese) of one sort or another. Presumably the computerized form, not yet available, will ask for Thai address details as well as passport-related information.

The Ministry says that the online TM6 – a replacement for the old manual landing card which was suspended years ago because of the impossible-to-read scribbled writing, is not a visa but just an information card. Immigration officials at airports and borders can still access via their installed computers an individual’s travel history, and whether he or she is banned and/or has a previous conviction or is wanted by Interpol. The new part is a statement by the traveller of his or her local address in Thailand. How all this affects other address-related bureaucracies post-arrival, such as TM30 (in theory completed by the hotel or house master) and TM47 (the 90 days report) still remains up in the air.

But the Ministry wants all foreigners, not just the visa exempts, to complete the TM6 computerized form prior to arrival. This is likely to produce some head scratching. Many expats have already provided details of their Thai address to local immigration, including documentary proof such as rental contracts or condominium unit ownership or a blue/yellow house book. But they now find themselves having to duplicate that information if they leave the country and return. A separate issue are the Destination Thailand Visa holders who are in the digital nomad category: many frequently change their address as they are neither retired and settled, nor workers earning money within Thailand.

Apparently, there are further entry procedures under review. An ETA or Electronic Travel Authorization as well as a form to collect 300 baht tourist tax are still being mulled over, even though government publicity last year claimed they would be in force, or at any rate on pilot, by January 2025. It is small wonder that many visitors to Thailand are befuddled by the ongoing confusion, mostly created by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (in charge of embassies and entry rules) and not by the Immigration Bureau (in charge of processing and monitoring arrivals).

Whilst neighboring Cambodia has about a quarter of the number of visitors to Thailand, she has an entry system which appears simpler and more comprehensive. Most arrivals have applied online for an e-visa and/or be required to obtain one at the airport or border. The required details include a Cambodian address and phone number. If an individual stays longer than 30 days, to apply for an extension or to take advantage of a variety of longstay permits, he or she must ensure inclusion on the computerized data base Foreigner Present in Cambodia System or FPCS. The app must be updated every time the visitor moves home internally. Not a perfect system by any means, but at least it doesn’t spread confusion and disenchantment about the host country. Those concerns are all too obvious in the Land of Smiles.

https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/editorial/there-must-be-easier-ways-to-admit-foreigners-into-thailand-488385

Not accurate to say Cambodia  is simpler. You have to get an e-visa,  plus an ETA,  the latter available,  on line, 7 days and fewer before you arrive. Visa costs $30 or so, ETA is free. However  the online process is very efficient. 

[khaolakguy]

I don't see a problem with the proposed online TM6.

I think it follows a developing pattern around the world is simple to complete and may reduce or make more complicated the movement of criminals since Immigration will have prior notification of inbound felons.

The contact information is only for your initial local address and I am sure that a hotel number will be acceptable. Of course it is easy to lie about your initial destination, but if there are cautions about allowing entry, another red marker would be lying about this and it's easily checked.

The old manual forms were a nightmare with never enough space to complete legibly while travelling, and the whole plane de-seating while pens and passports and accommodation details were found.

[daydreamer]

On 1/27/2025 at 7:20 AM, khaolakguy said:

I am sure that a hotel number will be acceptable.

I agree, if that is the case.  It just seems redundant to ask for a hotel's phone number, when the immigration police surely already have hotel phone numbers in their database.

[reader]

From The Thaiger

Delay 300-baht tourism fee

Starting May 1, all foreign visitors to Thailand will need to complete a mandatory digital version of the TM6 immigration form, replacing the old paper-based system. The Ministry of Tourism and Sports confirmed the move, which aims to streamline immigration procedures and boost safety confidence among tourists.

Natthriya Thaweevong, the ministry’s permanent secretary, explained that the online form will help police track tourists during their stay, enhancing Thailand’s image as a safe destination.

The TM6 suspension, which began on April 15 last year, will officially end on April 30 this year. To prepare for the change, the ministry recently invited the Immigration Bureau to demonstrate the online system. A key meeting with stakeholders, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), airlines, and hotel operators, is set for January 31 to finalise rollout plans and ensure smooth implementation.

Deputy Permanent Secretary Mongkon Wimonrat stressed that the digital TM6 will be compulsory for all foreign arrivals by air, land, and sea.

“This free, user-friendly system is prioritised to avoid confusion before introducing other screening measures.”

Meanwhile, the much-anticipated 300-baht tourism fee is likely to be delayed. A ministry source revealed that the government wants to ensure the TM6 system operates seamlessly before adding further requirements.

https://thethaiger.com/news/national/thailand-to-launch-digital-tm6-for-tourists-delays-300-baht-fee

 

 

[10tazione]

I am scared, as I still remember the "seemlessly working, user friendly system" called Thailand pass in 2021.

[bkkmfj2648]

I know many of you do not like this guy's way of presenting Thailand issues - but he makes some good and interesting points about the new May 1 2025 TM6 deadline and its possible relationship with the new Thai tax filings and related tax requirements.