First Time in Thailand Checklist: Visa, Arrival Card and Cash

Most first-timers need only a passport and a free arrival card: 60 countries and territories, including Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, enter visa-free for up to 30 days, tourism only. File the TDAC online within 3 days before arrival. Leave your vape at home.

If this is your first trip, start with three things: your entry route, the free arrival card and the cash rules. That covers the things that actually go wrong at the border.

1. Entry: you stay visa-free for up to 30 days, for tourism only. The visa exemption guide has the detail.
2. Arrival card: file the free TDAC online within 3 days before arrival. The TDAC guide walks you through it.
3. Cash: declare baht above THB 450,000 or foreign cash above USD 15,000. See the cash declaration guide.
4. Insurance: all hospitals require a guarantee of payment before they treat patients. Read travel insurance for Thailand.
5. Emergency numbers: save 191 for police, 1669 for medical help and 1155 for the tourist police. The emergency numbers guide has the rest.

Before you fly

Most Western passports need no visa. The exemption covers 60 countries and territories, among them Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Germany, France and Japan, and you stay up to 30 days for tourism only. Visa on Arrival is a much narrower route, open only to Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia.

Keep your papers to hand at the desk, because officers may ask for proof of onward travel and funds. Check the date on your entry stamp before you leave the checkpoint. If you are still choosing dates, the best time to visit Thailand helps, and Moving to Thailand is the page for staying longer.

The arrival card

Everyone files the TDAC, visa-exempt visitors included. Do it online within 3 days before you land, and file a fresh one each trip. It costs nothing, so any site that asks you to pay is a scam.

Money

Bring as much cash as you like, because baht and foreign banknotes have no amount limit. Above THB 450,000 in baht or USD 15,000 in foreign currency, though, you declare it. Breaking the rule can mean a fine of up to THB 20,000, prison, or both.

For everyday spending, expect a foreign-card ATM fee of THB 220 at Krung Thai or THB 250 at KBank with a Visa card. The ATM fee guide compares more banks, and the Thailand trip budget covers the fixed costs.

At the airport

Buy a tourist SIM with your passport in hand, since you register it on the spot. On AIS, you send your passport number by SMS to 4444161 and follow the reply. A typical pick is AIS with unlimited data for THB 499; the eSIM guide compares the rest.

To get into town from Suvarnabhumi, the Airport Rail Link is the cheap, predictable option at THB 15 to THB 45, and it runs from 05:30 to 24:00. A public taxi adds a THB 50 airport surcharge. Each airport has a route guide: Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang.

Your first days

For rides around town, use Grab or Bolt and pay the upfront fare the app shows. A private passenger car carrying no more than seven people can be registered as a ride-hailing car. Complaints go to the Department of Land Transport on 1584; the Grab and Bolt guide covers the rest.

Temples and the Grand Palace are places of reverence, so cover up. Sleeveless shirts, vests, short tops, see-through tops and short pants are not allowed, and neither are torn pants, tight pants and mini skirts. Foreign visitors pay THB 500 for the palace; the Grand Palace guide has tickets and dress in full.

Power and water

Mains power in Thailand is 220 volts at 50 cycles. The sockets take both flat parallel prongs, as in the United States and Japan, and two round pins, as in most of Europe and Asia. If your devices come from a 110 V country, read the voltage printed on each one before you plug in, because the Tourism Authority recommends not bringing 110 V appliances.

In Bangkok the tap water is safe to drink, and the Department of Health certified the city supply as compliant on 16 June 2025. That certificate covers the Bangkok metropolitan area only, so don’t read it as a promise for other provinces.

What to leave at home

Leave your vape at home: e-cigarettes are a prohibited import. Bringing in goods while evading a prohibition carries up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to THB 500,000, or both. The vape law guide explains the rule, and the customs guide holds the full lists.

Scams and emergencies

Install the Thailand Tourist Police app, which lets you request immediate assistance and translation. Never hand your passport over as a guarantee, for example to motorcycle or jet-ski rental businesses. For cash, choose an ATM inside a bank and shield your PIN. The scams guide goes through more tricks.

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