This page is for the period before you travel - from the moment you've booked your flight to the moment you board. Some items here are mandatory by law. Others will save you significant money or hassle on arrival. All of them are worth doing before you leave.
TDAC - do this the night before
The Thailand Digital Arrival Card replaced the old paper TM.6 form in May 2025. It's free, takes about 5 minutes, and is mandatory for every non-Thai national entering Thailand - by air, land, or sea. Without it, you may be denied boarding or entry.
Thailand Digital Arrival Card
Official Thai Immigration Bureau - free, no payment required
The official and only legitimate site is tdac.immigration.go.th - run directly by the Thai Immigration Bureau. It is completely free. If any website asks you to pay for TDAC submission, it is a scam.
Paid TDAC websites
Search "Thailand arrival card" and you'll find multiple websites charging £20–40 to "process" your TDAC. They are not affiliated with the Thai government in any way. They take your money, fill in the same free form on the official site, and send you back what you could have done yourself in 5 minutes.
The official site is tdac.immigration.go.th - it is free and takes 5 minutes. Do not pay anyone to do this for you.
Travelling as a group: You can submit TDAC for up to 10 people in a single submission. Each person still needs their own QR code at immigration, but you can complete it together.
Transit passengers: If you're passing through Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang) without clearing immigration - i.e. staying airside - you do not need a TDAC.
Forgot to do it? You can complete the TDAC on your phone while standing in the immigration queue - the official site works on mobile. Not ideal, but it works. You'll need your passport details and accommodation address to hand. Alternatively, there are kiosks at Suvarnabhumi before the immigration counters if you'd rather not do it on your phone.
Each entry needs a new TDAC. Even if you're on a multi-entry visa and you've done it before, you need to complete a new one every time you enter Thailand.
Visa check
Most nationalities - UK, US, EU, Australia - can enter Thailand without a visa for 60 days under the visa exemption scheme. You don't need to do anything before you travel except make sure your passport is valid.
| Your situation | What you need |
|---|---|
| Staying up to 60 days, eligible nationality | Nothing - visa exemption on arrival. Just a valid passport. |
| Staying 60–90 days | Visa exemption + 30-day extension at Immigration on arrival. No pre-travel action needed. |
| Staying 3–6 months | Apply for a Tourist Visa (TR) at a Thai embassy before you fly, or via the Thai e-Visa portal. |
| Remote worker, staying long-term | Apply for DTV before departure via the Thai e-Visa portal. Allow 5–15 working days. |
| Not sure if you need a visa | Check the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs site or your nearest Thai embassy. Don't assume. |
See the full Visas guide for detailed breakdowns of every visa type, the 2026 rule changes, and which visa is right for your situation.
Travel and health insurance
Bangkok has excellent private hospitals but they are not free. A serious illness or accident without insurance can cost tens of thousands of pounds. Sort this before you leave, not after you land.
What you need depends on how long you're staying:
| Stay length | Recommended approach |
|---|---|
| Under 30 days | Standard travel insurance with medical coverage. Make sure it covers Thailand and has a minimum £5 million medical limit. Check your existing card or annual policy first. |
| 1–6 months | Travel insurance with extended stay coverage, or a dedicated expat health insurance policy. SafetyWing is popular for this range - nomad-focused, monthly billing, good for Thailand. Check it covers hospitalisation explicitly. |
| DTV visa holder | Not officially required for the application - most people are never asked for it. Strongly recommended anyway. Bangkok private hospitals are expensive. SafetyWing or a proper expat policy covers you well. |
| LTR visa holder | Mandatory - minimum USD 50,000 coverage required. Must be a proper international health policy, not travel insurance. LTR without this doesn't get approved. |
| Long-term resident (any visa) | Cigna, Allianz, AXA, and Bupa all have international plans. Thai local insurance is cheaper but covers less outside Thailand. |
Money and cards
Sort your money situation before you fly. Thai ATMs charge 220 THB flat per withdrawal regardless of how much you take out. Arriving with a plan saves a lot of unnecessary fees.
SIM card - order before you go
You can buy a SIM at the airport on arrival, but pre-ordering saves you time and queue faff when you've just landed after a long flight.
AIS Tourist SIM can be pre-ordered at ais.th and collected at their Suvarnabhumi Airport counter when you land. Select the collection option at checkout and pick your package (30-day unlimited data is the standard option). Their desk is clearly signed in the arrivals hall.
If you don't pre-order, buying at the airport on arrival is perfectly fine. The carrier booths are on the arrivals floor and the process takes about 10 minutes. See the Arriving guide for a full breakdown.
Book your first accommodation
You need a Thailand accommodation address to complete your TDAC. Book your first night before you fill in the form.
If you're planning to find longer-term accommodation after arrival - which is the right approach - book somewhere flexible for your first 2–4 weeks. A serviced apartment or month-rate hotel gives you a proper Thai address for registration purposes, which you'll need for banking, SIM registration, and TM30 filing.
What to have confirmed before you complete the TDAC: Hotel or apartment name, full address in English. You'll enter this into the accommodation field of the form. It doesn't need to be your long-term address - just where you're staying on arrival.
What to pack
Bangkok is a large, well-supplied city. You can buy most things here, often cheaper than at home. Don't overpack. This is what's actually worth bringing.
| Item | Notes |
|---|---|
| Passport | Valid for 6+ months from arrival. Bring physical copies too - Immigration offices often ask for photocopies. |
| Passport photos | Bring 6–10 printed 4×6cm photos on white background. You'll need them for visa extensions, TM30, bank accounts. Getting them printed here is easy but having them ready saves trips. |
| International Driving Permit | If you plan to drive or ride in Thailand. Get this before you leave - Thailand doesn't issue them to foreign visitors. See the IDP section above. |
| Unlocked phone | Must be unlocked to use a Thai SIM. Check this before you leave - some networks lock phones to their network. |
| Power adapter | Thailand uses Type A, B, and C plugs. UK three-pin doesn't work directly. Bring a universal travel adapter. |
| Light clothing | Bangkok is hot and humid year-round. 28–35°C. Light cotton or linen. But also one warmer layer - malls, offices, and restaurants are heavily air-conditioned. |
| Prescription medication | Bring enough for your stay plus extra. Many medications are available in Bangkok, but not all, and navigating pharmacies with an unfamiliar drug name takes time. |
| Health insurance docs | Policy number, emergency contact number, insurer's Thailand assistance line. Keep these accessible, not buried in email. |
| Small daypack | For carrying documents to Immigration appointments. You'll make several trips in your first month. |
International Driving Permit
If you plan to drive a car or ride a motorbike in Thailand, you legally need an International Driving Permit (IDP) alongside your home driving licence. Thai police checkpoints do check for it, and - more importantly - your insurance is void if you're in an accident without one.
You must get this before you leave home. Thailand does not issue IDPs to foreign visitors.
| Country | Where to get it | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | PayPoint - newsagents and corner shops that display the PayPoint sign. Apply at paypoint.com/instore-services/international-driving-permits | ~£5.50 | Get the 1968 convention permit - valid 3 years. The Post Office no longer issues these. |
| US | AAA or AARP offices. Bring your licence, 2 passport photos, and $20. | ~$20 | Same day at a branch. AAA membership not required to get one. |
| Australia | NRMA, RAA, RACQ, RACV - any state motoring association | ~AUD $35 | Bring licence and a passport photo. |
| EU | Local automobile association (ADAC in Germany, AA in Ireland etc.) | €10–20 | Varies by country - check your national motoring body. |
What you need to bring to get one: Your valid driving licence, a passport-sized photo, and the fee. Some issuing centres ask for a photocopy of your licence too. The whole process takes about 10 minutes in person.
Validity: The 1968 IDP is valid for 3 years or until your home licence expires, whichever comes first. You must carry it together with your original licence at all times - the IDP alone is not valid.
Staying longer than 90 days? After 90 days in Thailand you should convert to a Thai driving licence at the Department of Land Transport (DLT). You'll need your passport, visa, IDP or home licence, proof of address, and a health certificate. It's a full day at the DLT but once done you don't need to renew annually.
Pre-arrival checklist
Use this as your final check before you leave. Click items to mark them done.