No. As of 27 October 2026, Thailand has no Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) in force, and there is nothing to apply for. The only online step before you arrive is the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC), which has been required since 1 May 2025.
The short answer, checked on 27 October 2026. An ETA for visa-exempt visitors was announced in 2024, with a trial planned for late 2024 and a launch in 2025. Neither happened, and no new date has been set. Do not pay any website for a "Thailand ETA". Before you fly, fill in the TDAC on the official site, which costs nothing, and check that your passport qualifies for visa-free entry.
The question comes up because several countries have introduced travel authorizations in recent years, and because Thai officials talked about one for Thailand. Search results still show pages describing a Thai ETA as if it were coming next month. This page explains what was planned, how an ETA would differ from the two things that do exist or are being discussed (the TDAC and the proposed tourist entry fee), and how to avoid the websites that sell a document that does not exist.
What an ETA is, and what Thailand announced
An electronic travel authorization is a permission you apply for online before you travel, even though you do not need a visa. The authorities check your details in advance and approve or refuse the trip. The United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom all run systems like this, and the European Union has been preparing its own.
Thailand announced an ETA in 2024 for travelers who enter without a visa. According to a Thai law firm's overview, last updated on 20 October 2026, a trial was planned for late 2024 and a full launch for 2025. Both dates passed without a launch, and as of 5 October 2026 no new date had been set. The firm's summary is blunt: there is no ETA to apply for today.
The official record points the same way. When the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) announced the new 30-day visa exemption on 1 September 2026, and when it issued a reminder about proof of funds on 6 July 2026, neither notice mentioned an ETA requirement. We did not find a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Immigration Bureau saying in so many words that the ETA has been postponed; what we found is that no official entry rule asks for one.
ETA, TDAC and tourist entry fee compared
Three different things are often mixed up in news reports and on visa websites. Only one of them applies to you today.
| ETA | TDAC | Tourist entry fee | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Advance permission to travel without a visa | Digital arrival card with your trip details | A charge per foreign visitor, with insurance included |
| Status (27 Oct 2026) | Not in force; no launch date | Mandatory since 1 May 2025 | Not collected; draft only |
| Cost | Nothing to pay, because it does not exist | Free | 450 baht proposed; collection "early 2027 at the earliest" (press) |
| Where | No official site | tdac.immigration.go.th only | No payment channel exists |
| Can it refuse your trip? | That would be its purpose | No; it records information | No |
The TDAC is not an ETA. It does not approve your trip in advance; it replaces the old paper arrival card. Our guide to the Thailand Digital Arrival Card explains how to fill it in and when. The entry fee is also separate: on 9 October 2026 the Deputy Prime Minister backed the 450-baht rate and asked for collection rules before the Cabinet decides, and our page on the tourist entry fee follows that process. Whether you may enter without a visa at all, and for how long, is covered in our guide to the Thai visa exemption.
Fake "Thailand ETA" websites
Because the ETA was in the news, a number of websites now present a "Thailand ETA" with an application form, step-by-step instructions or a fee, as if it already existed or were about to start. Some are commercial agencies, some simply copy old news. None of them can give you anything the Thai government recognizes, because there is no ETA to issue.
A paid "Thailand ETA" is money and passport data handed to a stranger. If a site asks for a fee, your passport scan and your card details for a Thai travel authorization, close it. The only official pre-arrival website is tdac.immigration.go.th, and it is free. If you have already paid, contact your card issuer about the charge and change any password you used on that site.
Some signs that a site is not official:
- It charges a "processing" or "service" fee for a Thai ETA or for the TDAC.
- Its address does not end in .go.th, the domain Thai government services use, as the TDAC and the e-Visa portal do.
- It promises "approval within hours" or a "guaranteed" entry permit.
- It bundles an "ETA" with the TDAC or with insurance in one paid package.
The Immigration Bureau has already warned that many travelers registered on fake TDAC websites, and the same trick works with an ETA that only exists in headlines. Our overview of common scams in Thailand covers other tricks aimed at visitors, and our page on phone and online scams explains the 1441 anti-scam hotline.
What to do before you fly today
For a visa-exempt traveler in October 2026, the checklist is short:
- Check your stay. Most visa-exempt passports now get 30 days. Count your days with our visa-free stay calculator; if you need longer, look at the tourist visa (TR) instead.
- File the TDAC on the official site in the days before arrival. It is free, also for children.
- Carry what immigration may ask to see, such as an onward ticket and proof of funds; the visa exemption guide lists them.
- Buy travel insurance because you need it, not because a website says an ETA requires it. No insurance rule applies to ordinary tourists; see our guide to travel insurance for Thailand.
Travelers who need a visa follow a different route, through Thailand's official e-Visa portal, thaievisa.go.th. A few nationalities use a visa on arrival, and Chinese citizens enter under a separate bilateral agreement, explained in our guide to Thai visa rules for Chinese citizens. None of these involves an ETA either.
If an ETA is introduced later
An ETA could still come. If it does, it will be announced by the Thai government, and the official channels to watch are the e-Visa portal, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Immigration Bureau and TAT's newsroom. Until an official announcement with a start date appears on one of those channels, treat any claim that you need a Thai ETA as false. For a wider overview of what neighboring countries ask of travelers on the same trip, our sister site viamo.net has a page on Thailand's entry requirements.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an ETA to visit Thailand in 2026?
No. Thailand has no ETA in force as of 27 October 2026. Visa-exempt travelers need a valid passport, a free TDAC filed on the official site before arrival, and whatever immigration may ask to see, such as an onward ticket.
Is the TDAC the same as an ETA?
No. The TDAC is a digital arrival card that replaced the paper form; it records your trip details but does not approve your entry in advance. An ETA would be a pre-travel permission. The TDAC is free and is filed only at tdac.immigration.go.th.
When will Thailand introduce the ETA?
No date has been set. The 2024 plan named a trial in late 2024 and a launch in 2025, and both passed without a launch. As of early October 2026 there was no new date, according to a Thai law firm that tracks the scheme.
I paid for a Thailand ETA online. What should I do?
Assume the payment bought nothing official. Contact your card issuer about the charge, change any password you reused on the site, and file the free TDAC on tdac.immigration.go.th before you arrive.
Sources
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – New 30-day and 15-day visa exemption rules from 15 September (checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – Entry reminder on proof of funds for foreign visitors (checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – Thailand Digital Arrival Card system set to launch on 1 May 2025 (checked October 2026)
- Immigration Bureau – Thailand Digital Arrival Card (official site) (checked October 2026)
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Thai e-Visa official website (checked October 2026)
- Thai Law Online (law firm) – Thailand Electronic Travel Authorization, updated 20 October 2026 (checked October 2026)