The new Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC), which will replace paper cards from May 1, will help improve the screening of transnational criminals in addition to making arrivals more convenient for visitors, say immigration officials.
The new clearance system will be applied to all international arrivals by sea, air or land, said Pol Maj Gen Choengron Rimpadee, chief of the Immigration Division 2 at Suvarnabhumi airport.
Travellers must apply at least three days before the date of their planned arrival in Thailand. Applications will be accepted on the TDAC website starting on April 28 for people arriving on May 1.
The TDAC will replace the TM6 paper card, which all visitors had to complete in order to clear immigration. The use of TM6 cards has been suspended since last year as authorities overhauled the system.
“This new system is a lot better, considering its simplicity and convenience,” said Pol Maj Gen Choengron. “You can access the [digital format] of the arrival card anytime and anywhere, not only when airline or airport staff hand you one as before.”
The TDAC system will also be synced with the bureau’s biometric database, which allows immigration authorities to check the criminal backgrounds of international arrivals, he said.
And with the two systems connected, information regarding international visitors’ declared accommodations while in Thailand are automatically sent to the bureau’s database, bypassing the usual manual inputting of the information into the computer system, Pol Maj Gen Choengron said.
National police chief Kittharath Punpetch said on Friday that the Immigration Bureau’s new system would improve efficiency and help prevent gangs using the country as a base for criminal activities.
The use of Thai “nominees” to front foreign-controlled businesses, especially those from China, is moving to the top of the security agenda, Pol Gen Kittharath said.
The Chinese government and its embassy in Bangkok are ready to lend support to Thailand for a crackdown on those taking advantage of the country, he said.
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