Thailand Travel Guide 2026: TDAC Digital Arrival Card, 60-Day Visa-Free, Baht, Grab, Drive-Left
The one Thailand travel guide that actually explains the TDAC digital arrival card (mandatory 2025+), the 60-day visa exemption for most nationalities, why you'll still carry cash for street food, how Grab replaced Uber, the Rabbit card in Bangkok, and the wai etiquette that separates tourists from thoughtful visitors.
Published July 28, 2026·16 min read
Summary
Everything for a 2026 trip to Thailand: 60-day visa exemption on arrival for ~93 nationalities, complete the free TDAC digital arrival card within 3 days before flying, carry ฿5,000–10,000 cash for street food and tuk-tuks, use Grab not tuk-tuks in Bangkok, and skip roaming with an AIS-backed eSIM. Wai politely, take shoes off at temples, and mind your feet.
TDAC + 60-day visa exemption
Two things every tourist needs to know for 2026:
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Visa exemption | Free 60 days for 93 nationalities (extended from 30 in July 2024). Extendable once at Thai Immigration for ฿1,900. |
| TDAC | Mandatory. Free at tdac.immigration.go.th. Within 3 days before arrival. Third-party sites charge for it — use the official one. |
| Passport validity | At least 6 months from entry date |
| Onward ticket | Airline may ask; be ready with return/onward booking |
Longer than 60 days?Options: extend visa exemption once at a Thai Immigration office (฿1,900), apply for a proper tourist visa (60-day, extendable), the new Destination Thailand Visa (DTV)for digital nomads, or a border run — but border-run rules tightened in 2024. Verify at immigration.go.th.
Money: baht cash for street life, cards for the modern economy
The Thai baht (฿, THB) is the local currency. Contactless works at hotels, malls, chain restaurants, 7-Eleven, and BTS/MRT ticket machines. Street food vendors, tuk-tuks, small shops, temples, and most massage places are cash-only.
ATM fee warning: every Thai bank ATM charges ฿220 (~US$6)for foreign card withdrawals, on top of your bank's FX fee. Withdraw the maximum (usually ฿20,000 = US$560) each time to spread the fee. Use Bangkok Bank, Kasikorn, or SCB ATMs.
PromptPay QRis the local payment rail — most Thai bank apps use it. Some tourist-heavy vendors accept international scan-to-pay via Alipay or WeChat Pay if you have those.
7% VATincluded in prices. Tourists can claim VAT back on retail purchases over ฿2,000 per shop per day (with total ฿5,000+ per trip) at the airport tax-refund desk with your passport.
Tipping:not customary but appreciated. ฿20–50 for great massage or hotel porter; round up taxi and tuk-tuk fares. Higher-end restaurants often include a 10% service charge already.
Bangkok transit: BTS, MRT, Grab, tuk-tuks (in that order)
- BTS Skytrain: elevated, covers Sukhumvit + Silom lines. Buy the Rabbit card (฿100 refundable + top-up) at any station. Fares ฿17–62 per ride.
- MRT (subway): underground; separate MRT Plus card OR increasingly accepts contactless bank card / Apple Pay on the Blue Line. Fares ฿17–42.
- Airport Rail Link: Suvarnabhumi (BKK) to Phaya Thai BTS in 26 min for ฿45. Don Mueang (DMK) — take the SRT Red Line to Bang Sue MRT or Grab (~฿350).
- Grab is the ride-hail default in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Pattaya. Fares transparent; card in-app. Bolt and inDrive compete on price.
- Tuk-tuks: negotiate before boarding. Fun once; overpriced vs Grab for anything longer than a Sukhumvit soi.
- Motorbike taxis (win motocyai): orange vests, wait at every soi corner. Cheap and fast for short hops (~฿30–80).
Airports and inter-city transport
| Route | Options |
|---|---|
| Suvarnabhumi (BKK) to city | Airport Rail Link (฿45, 26 min); Grab (~฿350); metered taxi (~฿300+฿50 airport fee+tolls) |
| Don Mueang (DMK) to city | SRT Red Line to Bang Sue (฿33); A1/A2 bus to Mo Chit BTS (฿30); Grab (~฿350) |
| Bangkok ↔ Chiang Mai | Flight (~1h 15, ฿800–2,500) or overnight sleeper train (~13h, 2nd class ~฿950) |
| Bangkok ↔ Phuket / Krabi | Flight (~1h 20, ฿800–3,000); AirAsia, Thai Lion, Nok |
| Bangkok ↔ Koh Samui | Direct flight (Bangkok Airways monopoly, expensive) or fly to Surat Thani + Lomprayah ferry |
Thai phrases that unlock the country
Thai is tonal; getting the tone right matters. But even a rough attempt with a big smile earns huge goodwill. Add khrap (male speaker) or kha (female speaker) to the end of most sentences for politeness.
Cultural norms visitors get wrong (some seriously)
- Never insult the King or Royal Family. Lese-majeste is a criminal offence with prison time. Don't joke, don't step on baht coins (they carry the King's image).
- Feet are the lowest, dirtiest body part. Never point feet at people, Buddha statues, or the King's image. Never step over someone. Never sit with feet facing an altar. Take shoes off entering temples, homes, and many shops.
- The head is sacred. Don't touch anyone's head, including children.
- Wai correctly: palms together at chest level, head slightly bowed. Wai monks and elders; wai back if wai'd to. Don't wai kids or servers — awkward.
- Dress modestly at temples: shoulders and knees covered. Sarongs often provided at entry.
- Buddhist monks (orange robes): women should never touch a monk or hand something directly to one — place items on a cloth for them to pick up.
- Public displays of affection are frowned upon — hand-holding OK, kissing not.
- Don't raise your voice. Getting angry, aggressive, or confrontational ("losing face") gets you nowhere in Thailand and makes the situation worse.
- Songkran (mid-April): the water festival is fun but essentially shuts the country for a week. Airports and trains packed.
Staying connected: AIS / TrueMove H / DTAC
Three networks: AIS (widest coverage including islands), TrueMove H, and DTAC (now merged with TrueMove H as TrueMove H+DTAC in some regions). 5G in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket; 4G elsewhere.
A travel eSIM is dramatically cheaper than home-carrier roaming (US$10–15/day) — a 10 GB plan for a week runs US$8–15. Install on Wi-Fi before you fly. See Thailand eSIM vs roaming and the Thailand eSIM buying guide.
Practical odds and ends
- Plugs: Type A/B/C mix (US 2-pin and EU 2-round both fit most sockets), 220 V.
- Time zone: ICT (UTC+7), no daylight saving.
- Emergency: 191 (police), 1669 (medical), 199 (fire), 1155 (Tourist Police, English).
- Tap water: not safe. Bottled everywhere ฿7–15.
- Cannabis was decriminalised in 2022 — visible "green rush" shops. Rules tightened in 2024/2025; check current status. Never carry across borders.
- Alcohol sales restricted 14:00–17:00 and after midnight in supermarkets. Bars exempt.
- Songkran (13–15 April): nationwide water fight. Wear cheap clothes, waterproof phone.
- Rainy season roughly June–October; sudden but short downpours.
FAQ
QDo I need a visa to visit Thailand in 2026?
ACitizens of 93 countries and territories — including Canada, US, UK, Australia, NZ, Japan, Korea, most EU/Schengen, Singapore, Malaysia — receive a free 60-day visa exemption on arrival (extended from 30 days in July 2024). You need a passport valid at least six months, proof of onward travel, and now the mandatory TDAC (Thailand Digital Arrival Card) submitted online within 3 days before arrival. TDAC is free — do it at tdac.immigration.go.th; skip the third-party 'visa services' charging fees for it.
QWhat is the TDAC and how do I fill it out?
AThe Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) replaced the old paper TM6 arrival form in 2025. It's a free online form asking about your flight, accommodation, and personal details. Complete it at tdac.immigration.go.th within 3 days before your arrival. You'll get a QR code by email — save a screenshot; some border officers scan it. Also required for land border crossings from Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia. Not required for transit passengers who don't clear immigration.
QHow much cash should I carry in Thailand?
AMore than you think. Contactless cards work at hotels, malls, chain restaurants (Starbucks, Coffee World), 7-Eleven, PromptPay-enabled merchants, and BTS/MRT ticket machines. But street food, tuk-tuks, small shops, most massage parlours, temples (small donations), and the entire island economy on Koh Phangan or Koh Lanta run on cash. Withdraw ฿5,000–10,000 (US$140–280) at Bangkok Bank, Kasikorn, or SCB ATMs — expect a ฿220 foreign-card ATM fee per withdrawal (all Thai bank ATMs charge this).
QHow does public transit work in Bangkok?
ATwo main urban rail networks: BTS Skytrain (elevated, uses the Rabbit card) and MRT (underground, uses its own MRT Plus card, and increasingly accepts EMV contactless bank card on some lines). BTS and MRT don't share fare cards yet — get a Rabbit for BTS and either the MRT Plus or tap your contactless bank card for MRT. Airport Rail Link connects Suvarnabhumi (BKK) to BTS Phaya Thai. For anywhere off-rail, Grab (rideshare) is cheap and reliable; tuk-tuks negotiate before you sit down.
QWhich side of the road does Thailand drive on?
AThe left, like the UK, Japan, and Australia. Renting a car is uncommon for tourists in Bangkok (traffic is legendary) but popular in Phuket, Krabi, Chiang Mai, and Koh Samui. You legally need an International Driving Permit (IDP) plus your home licence; rentals often accept just the home licence for tourism but insurance may be void if you're stopped without an IDP. Motorbikes: same rule; helmets legally required; road accident stats are alarming.
QWhat's the cheapest way to get mobile data as a tourist?
AA Thailand travel eSIM installed on your unlocked phone runs on AIS, TrueMove H, or DTAC for a fraction of the US$10–15 per day most US carriers charge for a roaming pass. Install on Wi-Fi before you fly and land at Suvarnabhumi (BKK) or Don Mueang (DMK) already connected. AIS has the widest island coverage; TrueMove H is competitive in cities. Local prepaid at the airport also works (5-day tourist SIMs from ฿299) — an eSIM skips the queue.
Bottom line
Fill the free TDAC within 3 days before flying, land into your 60-day visa exemption, carry ฿5,000–10,000 in cash, use Grab for real distances (skip tuk-tuk overpricing), tap Rabbit on BTS and MRT Plus / contactless on MRT, and let an AIS-backed travel eSIM carry your data. Wai politely, mind the feet, and never joke about the King. Sawadee kha.