Thailand Immigration Management, or THIM, is an optional app during its pilot and launch phase. Foreign visitors should still complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card through the official channel required by the Immigration Bureau. The controlling references checked for this guide are Tourism Authority of Thailand THIM notice and Thailand Immigration Bureau TDAC.
Choose the branch that matches your case
| Situation | Action |
|---|---|
| You only need to satisfy entry filing | Complete TDAC through the official service |
| You want the THIM pilot features | Use THIM optionally after verifying the official app |
| A third-party site asks for payment | Stop and return to the Immigration Bureau domain |
| Trip details change | Use the official update path rather than submitting to an intermediary |
Name the two products
TDAC is the required digital arrival card. THIM is a broader mobile platform being developed to streamline registration and future foreign-national services. Tourism Authority of Thailand THIM notice.
Write “required form” and “optional app” as separate checklist rows. This matters because the decision is not complete until the evidence, timing and responsible person agree.
Do not infer replacement
TAT explicitly says travellers should continue completing TDAC during the THIM pilot. Thailand Immigration Bureau TDAC.
Reject app-store copy that says THIM removes the TDAC obligation unless the Immigration Bureau changes its official guidance. This matters because the decision is not complete until the evidence, timing and responsible person agree.
Use the controlling domain
The official TDAC service is on Thailand Immigration’s domain. Tourism Authority of Thailand THIM notice.
Start from the authority page instead of an advertisement or search-engine form. This matters because the decision is not complete until the evidence, timing and responsible person agree.
Match passport and journey data
Names, passport number, arrival date, transport and accommodation details should reflect the actual trip. Thailand Immigration Bureau TDAC.
Use the passport machine-readable zone and confirmed booking, then proofread. This matters because the decision is not complete until the evidence, timing and responsible person agree.
Save proof without oversharing
Keep the official acknowledgement available offline, but do not post the QR code or personal details publicly. Tourism Authority of Thailand THIM notice.
Store it in the travel wallet and share only with authorised officials. This matters because the decision is not complete until the evidence, timing and responsible person agree.
Recheck close to departure
THIM was scheduled for official launch in August 2026, so interfaces and supported functions can change. Thailand Immigration Bureau TDAC.
Open TAT and Immigration guidance again before travel. This matters because the decision is not complete until the evidence, timing and responsible person agree.
Use a required-versus-optional app decision card
Turn the rule into a working aid with columns for the controlling fact, the evidence you hold, the result and the date checked. For this task, the decisive question is to avoid mistaking an optional pilot app for the compulsory Thailand Digital Arrival Card. A blank evidence cell is a stop sign, not permission to use a remembered number or a marketing summary.
Test at least two plausible branches from the table above. That comparison shows which fact changes the answer and prevents the most convenient scenario from being treated as the only possible one. Label every arithmetic step as an LBRD calculation and keep the official figure beside it.
Add a lookalike-domain verification checklist
The second aid should expose what the first one can hide: a deadline, cost, handover, alternative route or follow-up duty. Write the downside of being wrong beside each branch. Where the consequence is legal, financial, medical or safety-related, the competent authority and case-specific professional decision remain controlling.
Recheck the live source immediately before the irreversible step. Save only the minimum evidence needed, protect personal details, and note any limitation. Record who will act, the last safe date and the evidence that closes the task.
Stop when the evidence no longer matches
Pause the decision if you encounter treating thim as a tdac replacement, using a lookalike domain, paying for the free official filing route. Those are not small drafting errors; each can change the eligibility, cost, route or safety outcome described above. Return to Tourism Authority of Thailand THIM notice for the controlling rule and use Thailand Immigration Bureau TDAC to check the second part of the decision.
If the authority page, account record, booking screen or case document disagrees with this guide, use the live record. Escalate to the named organisation or an appropriately qualified professional when a deadline is running, a child or adult is unwell, a licence or tax position is uncertain, or an irreversible payment is due. Keep the question narrow and provide the facts needed for a case-specific answer.
Work through a realistic example
A traveller installs THIM and sees TDAC-linked functions. That does not prove the arrival card has been filed. The traveller should verify a completed submission and acknowledgement in the official Immigration Bureau service.
Before you act
- Confirm the official TDAC domain
- Enter passport details exactly
- Enter actual travel and accommodation data
- Save the acknowledgement offline
- Treat THIM as optional unless guidance changes
- Avoid paid intermediaries
- Recheck before departure
Mistakes that change the answer
- Treating THIM as a TDAC replacement
- Using a lookalike domain
- Paying for the free official filing route
- Posting the acknowledgement publicly
- Relying on a June pilot description after launch changes
Related LBRD guides
Next, complete the TDAC timing checklist. You can also set up an in-country safety contact.
Questions readers ask
Is THIM compulsory?
TAT describes it as optional during the pilot; TDAC remains required.
Does THIM automatically complete TDAC?
Do not assume so. Confirm a completed official TDAC submission.
Where should I file TDAC?
Use the Thailand Immigration Bureau’s official service.
