Preparing a first trip

The arrival card

A Thai embassy page updated on 26 February 2026 explains the Thailand Digital Arrival Card. It says the form applies to non-Thai nationals entering through immigration, that it can be submitted in the three days before travel, and that it is not a visa. It names the official site as tdac.immigration.go.th and lists airports, including Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Chiang Mai, and Hat Yai, where kiosks may help if you have no phone. An automated open of the form during this edition returned an error, so the link below is the embassy explanation rather than a button that failed. Complete the form yourself, keep the confirmation, and do not send passport numbers to a random help account.

Information Thai embassy note on the Digital Arrival Card, dated 26 February 2026.

Dress and temples

TAT’s visitor information covers modest dress at temples. Shoulders and knees are the usual line, and some gates are stricter. Wat Phra Kaew is not a beach. The same TAT island pages that describe Samui and Phi Phi also ask visitors not to treat swimwear as street clothes away from the sand. Read the rule at the door you are entering.

Information TAT visitor information.

Money, without a fake precision

This site does not quote exchange rates or “daily budgets.” Cards work in cities and fail in small parks. Carry some cash for gates, markets, and boats. Ask the price before you sit down to a meal or get into an unmetered car. If a number is not on an official page, it is not this guide’s number.

Health and the sea

Bring the medicines you already use, in their packaging. For the coast, the red-flag rule on Phuket’s TAT page is the swimming rule to remember. For reefs, Koh Tao’s page says to look and not touch. Travel insurance is your own contract; this site does not sell it and does not describe a cover level.

What to leave out of the plan

• Visa day counts. They depend on your passport and they change. Use your government’s travel advice and a Thai official page, not a forum.
• Screenshots of ticket prices from old articles. The 2020 TAT historical-park story is useful as a list of places and useless as a fare.
• Any message that asks you to pay Thailand Explorer. This site does not take payment. The personal draft you can download stays on your computer.

A simple order

1. Choose the region in Choose a region.
2. Read the one destination guide that matches the base.
3. Book the long ride through the airline or through D-Ticket, as Getting around describes.
4. Complete the arrival card in the embassy’s window.
5. Check the weather notes for that coast or mountain the week before you fly.

If a step fails, delay the sightseeing, not the paperwork.