Thailand travel from May 1: New pre-departure digital form a must

Are you planning a trip to Thailand from May 1? You will now have to complete a pre-departure digital form, a move that will allow authorities to track travellers more efficiently amid a widening crackdown on human trafficking into Southeast Asia’s illegal cybercrime centres.

 

All foreign travellers, including Indians, can fill out the Thailand Digital Arrival Card for trips beginning Thursday. The online card replaces the previously used paper form and is mandatory for foreigners entering the country by air, land or sea, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Forms are available on the Thai Immigration Bureau’s website.

 

 

Indian citizens will continue to be allowed to stay in Thailand visa-free for up to 60 days, with the option to extend their stay by an additional 30 days. The Thai government has not announced any changes to this policy.

 

Arrival cards synced with biometric database

 

The arrival cards will be linked to the Thai Immigration Bureau’s biometric database, allowing authorities to screen the criminal backgrounds of visitors.

 

“The information will help us screen travellers and prevent those with criminal records from entering the country,” said Choengron Rimpadee, chief of the Immigration Division 2 at Suvarnabhumi Airport, in a statement.

 

The introduction of the pre-departure card comes amid a regional crackdown on criminal gangs operating cyber scam centres in Myanmar and Cambodia. Concerns rose earlier this year after a Chinese actor was kidnapped, highlighting the risks travellers face while passing through Thailand.

 

Chinese tourists, who made up the largest group of visitors to Thailand last year, have raised concerns over safety, pushing authorities to act swiftly.

 

How to fill the Thailand Digital Arrival Card

 

Travellers can submit the online forms up to three days before their arrival date. The forms can be submitted individually or for a group.

 

The Tourism Authority of Thailand said that the form will require:

 

Passport information

Personal details

Travel details including flight or travel plans

Address of accommodation in Thailand

Basic health declaration

 

The model is similar to digital arrival cards introduced in other countries.

 

Thailand remains popular for its tropical beaches, Buddhist temples, and lively nightlife. Tourism employs one in five workers and accounts for about 13 per cent of the country's gross domestic product. About 12 million tourists have visited Thailand since the start of the year, similar to last year’s figures.

 

Thailand remains a favoured destination for Indian travellers

 

Indian tourists have become a key segment. In November 2023, Thailand introduced a policy allowing Indian citizens to stay visa-free for up to 60 days, with an optional 30-day extension. The scheme, initially planned to expire in 2024, has now been extended indefinitely.

 

Human trafficking concerns in Southeast Asia

 

Thailand’s new digital form coincides with growing human trafficking concerns across Southeast Asia.

 

Myanmar’s State Administration Council said on Monday that authorities had rescued around 1,030 foreign nationals, including Indians, from online scam centres near the Thai border in the past three weeks. Most of the rescued victims were from China and India, with some from East Africa, according to Myanmar’s Ministry of Information.

 

The operation follows a series of alerts from Indian authorities about rising cyber frauds linked to trafficking networks in the region.

 

In March 2024, Indian news reports suggested that around 5,000 Indian nationals had been lured to Cambodia with promises of data entry jobs. Investigations by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) pointed to links with China.

 

“On average, around 7,000 cyber-related complaints are registered daily on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), and most of these frauds originate from three Southeast Asian countries—Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos. Many web applications used in these crimes are written in Mandarin, so we cannot rule out a China connection,” said Rajesh Kumar, chief executive officer of I4C, in a press release.

 

Indian authorities warn of fake job offers

 

In May 2024, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a case about an international racket trafficking Indians to scam centres in Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar.

 

The CBI’s first information report detailed how job seekers were first promised opportunities in Thailand, Dubai and Bangkok but were later transported to scam hubs and forced into cyber fraud operations.

 

India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also issued an advisory on May 17, 2024, warning Indian citizens about fraudulent job offers routed through Thailand to Laos.

 

“Instances have come to notice wherein Indian nationals are being lured for employment through Thailand in Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR)—also known as Laos. These fake jobs are for posts such as 'digital sales and marketing executives' or 'customer support service' by dubious companies,” the MEA said.

 

The ministry reminded job seekers that licensed recruitment agents, under the Emigration Act 1983, cannot charge more than Rs 30,000 plus 18 percent GST and must issue proper receipts.

 

Earlier, in December 2023, the MEA had warned that unauthorised agents were demanding Rs 2-5 lakh from applicants and using social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp to evade scrutiny.

 

“Such agents lure workers into jobs under harsh or life-threatening conditions. Cases have been reported in East European countries, some Gulf nations, Central Asia, Israel, Canada, Myanmar, and Laos,” the MEA said.

 

The advisory stressed that genuine employment offers must include a signed contract with clear details about salaries and benefits. It added that tourist visas should not be used for employment and that reputable foreign employers usually pay for airfare, accommodation, and insurance.

 

In February, Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue during a joint press conference with US President Donald Trump at the White House.

 

He said there was a strong need to dismantle networks that lure people with false job promises, leading to exploitation abroad.