Thailand TDAC Phuket: Free Arrival Card Guide

The Thailand TDAC Phuket rule is simple: every foreign visitor flying into Phuket International Airport (HKT) must submit a free Thailand Digital Arrival Card online within three days before landing, arrival day included. The only official site is tdac.immigration.go.th. The card is not a visa, it costs nothing, and any site that charges a fee is not Immigration Bureau.

This guide walks through who needs a Thailand TDAC Phuket submission, how to fill it for a hotel on the island, how to spot fake portals, and what officers may ask at the counter. Rules summarised here were cross-checked with the Royal Thai Embassy guidance (updated March 2026) and practical Phuket arrival notes checked in late October 2026; always re-read the official site the week you fly.

What is the Thailand TDAC and who must file it?

TDAC stands for Thailand Digital Arrival Card. Since 1 May 2025 it has replaced the old paper arrival card for foreigners entering by air, land or sea. Children need their own card. Transit passengers who never clear Thai immigration, and people entering on a Border Pass, are the usual exceptions named by embassies.

The TDAC does not give you permission to stay. Stay length still depends on your passport and visa status. Many Western passport holders now get a visa-exempt stay of up to 30 days for tourism after the September 2026 change; see our related note on Thailand’s 30-day visa exemption and keep passport validity and onward tickets ready.

When should you complete a Thailand TDAC Phuket form?

Open the form only inside the three-day window before you enter Thailand. If you fly Bangkok–Phuket after clearing immigration in Bangkok, your TDAC arrival date is the Bangkok (or first Thai airport) date, and the accommodation address should still be your first Phuket hotel. A domestic hop after clearing immigration does not normally need a second card, but confirm on the official FAQ before you travel.

Have passport details, flight number, arrival date and first hotel address ready.
Use one form per person; start a new form for every new entry into Thailand.
Save the confirmation and QR code offline (screenshot or PDF) before you board.

How do you fill the Thailand TDAC Phuket fields?

Type the official URL yourself. Do not click sponsored “arrival card” ads. On the form you will enter identity data (often via passport MRZ scan), trip details, purpose of visit, countries recently visited, and the full address of your first night in Phuket. Health questions may appear; answer them honestly.

For the address field, use the hotel, villa or Airbnb street address from your booking confirmation, not only the beach name. If you stay first in Patong and move to Kata later, Immigration wants the first overnight address. After submit, you receive a confirmation with a QR code. Keep it on your phone and, if possible, a printed copy in your passport wallet.

Item	What to enter for Phuket
Official site	tdac.immigration.go.th only
Cost	Free
Window	Within 3 days before arrival (arrival day OK)
Address	First hotel / villa street address on Phuket
Proof	QR confirmation on phone or printout

Fake TDAC websites: how to stay safe

Lookalike sites charge roughly USD 20–90 and rank high in search ads. Thai Immigration has publicly warned that a meaningful share of arrivals used unpaid-looking but fake portals. Check the exact domain, never enter a credit card for TDAC, and never send passport scans to a third-party “agent” that is not your airline or embassy. Tourist scams around Phuket go beyond forms; our roundup of Phuket tourist scams covers other high-season traps.

What happens at Phuket immigration after TDAC?

At HKT, officers may ask for the TDAC QR, proof of accommodation, an onward or return ticket, and occasionally proof of funds. Complete the Thailand TDAC Phuket card before you land so you are not stuck on airport Wi-Fi. After immigration, plan your transfer: private cars, Smart Bus options and Grab are covered in our Phuket airport transfer guide. Older paper TM forms still confuse travellers; for context on related paperwork see TM6, TM7 and TM30 explained.

If you connect through Bangkok first, you clear immigration there with the same TDAC. Your Phuket domestic flight then behaves like any Thai domestic sector. Keep hotel booking emails handy in case the officer asks where you will sleep on night one.

Practical checklist the day before your Phuket flight

Confirm you are inside the three-day TDAC window.
Submit on tdac.immigration.go.th and download or screenshot the QR.
Match the address to your first booking confirmation.
Carry passport with six months’ validity where required, and your return ticket.
Re-check visa rules for your nationality; TDAC never replaces a visa when one is required.

November through April is peak season on the Andaman coast, so queues at HKT grow. Filing early in the allowed window, not at the gate, is the simplest way to keep the Thailand TDAC Phuket step from slowing your arrival.