Thailand pre-flight checklist: the 72-hour countdown

A week before departure

• Check passport validity - six months beyond arrival is the safe standard, with blank pages.
• Confirm your entry option: visa exemption, visa/e-Visa, VOA or eVOA - see entry options compared.
• Book or confirm your first night's accommodation - the card needs the real address.
• Keep your onward ticket resolvable - officers can ask for proof you leave within your stay.

When the window opens

• File the Thailand Digital Arrival Card on the official portal - free, one per traveller, children included.
• Copy passport details character by character; match the flight to your current booking.
• Save every confirmation email; take screenshots or prints as backup.
• Long connection? The window may open while you fly - file before boarding the last leg.

The day before

• Re-check that every traveller's confirmation exists - families, this means everyone.
• If plans changed (flight, hotel, dates), use the portal's Update Arrival Card function - or file fresh if your name, nationality or date of birth details were wrong.
• Charge your phone - the confirmation lives there.

At the counter

• Documents reachable without digging: passport, boarding pass, first-night booking.
• Still in your window but not filed? File now - it must only be submitted before you arrive.
• VOA traveller? Head to the VOA counter for the fee, then immigration - your card should already be filed.
• The officer decides entry; a correct card makes the queue fast, not guaranteed.

Printable summary: see 7 common mistakes for the final double-check.