Required documents for travel to Thailand
During 2021 to 2022 Thailand required Thailand Pass, COVID insurance, vaccination certificates, and quarantine hotel bookings on top of passport and visa rules. This page separates historical COVID documents from 2026 requirements.
For a trip in 2026, start with our current entry requirements guide, submit TDAC on the official immigration site within 72 hours of landing, and confirm your passport on the current exemption list. Our Bangkok team handles live entry questions daily: not Thailand Pass, not quarantine hotels, and not COVID insurance minimums.
The four cards below summarise how this page should be read. Everything that follows is context for researchers, not a packing list for your next flight.
Records 2022 COVID-era rules. Not a live checklist for 2026 trips.
Required for much of early 2022. Fully dropped for foreign tourists from 1 July 2022.
Test & Go and Sandbox schemes preceded the July pivot. None apply today.
Replaced paper TM6 from May 2025. Required on every entry in 2026.
2022 COVID era vs 2026 rules
Use the tabs below to compare what travellers faced in 2022 with what immigration requires today. The left tab summarises the old COVID gate. The right tab lists the live checklist for June 2026.
- Thailand Pass required for most foreign arrivals in H1 2022
- Test & Go (1-day quarantine) or Sandbox (7 days) or full ASQ quarantine
- Mandatory COVID insurance with USD 20,000 minimum cover for Thailand Pass
- RT-PCR testing before departure and on arrival under most schemes
- Pre-paid SHA+ or ASQ hotel packages with embedded testing
- Vaccination proof required or spot-checked depending on month
- Paper TM6 arrival card on flights and at borders after COVID easing
- Major easing from 1 July 2022: no quarantine, no Thailand Pass, no routine vax checks
- TDAC mandatory within 72 hours of every arrival at tdac.immigration.go.th
- 60-day visa exemption for eligible passports on the permanent official list
- No Thailand Pass, vaccination proof, RT-PCR, or COVID insurance requirements
- No quarantine hotels, SHA+ lists, or pre-paid testing packages
- Standard visa, exemption, or e-Visa proof matching your stay purpose
- Tighter scrutiny on repeated exemption entries and border-run patterns
- Long stays require DTV, retirement, Privilege, LTR, or another proper visa category
Full walkthrough: 2026 entry requirements guide.
Archive warning: Thailand Pass and quarantine schemes ended in 2022. TDAC replaced TM6 in May 2025. Do not combine COVID-era steps with a 2026 arrival checklist.
Current rules (June 2026) vs COVID era
Thailand travel in 2022 changed month by month as Test & Go, Sandbox, and Thailand Pass gave way to the 1 July easing. The table below maps the topics travellers still ask about when they compare old advice to immigration counters in 2026. Use it row by row before you pack documents from an outdated source.
| Topic | 2022 rule | Current rule (June 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-arrival registration | Thailand Pass (Jan to Jun 2022); dropped 1 July 2022 | TDAC mandatory within 72 hours of arrival. See TDAC guide |
| Quarantine | Test & Go (1 day), Sandbox (7 days), or full ASQ until 1 July 2022 | None. No hotel quarantine or embedded testing on arrival. |
| COVID insurance | Mandatory USD 20,000 cover for Thailand Pass until mid-2022 | Not required for standard tourism entry. Travel insurance still recommended. |
| Pre-departure testing | RT-PCR required for Test & Go and most Sandbox routes | Not required. No routine health tests at the border. |
| Vaccination proof | Required or spot-checked depending on month and scheme | Not required for entry. No vaccination certificates at immigration. |
| Visa exemption length | 30 days standard with temporary 45-day extensions during parts of 2022 | Up to 60 days for eligible passports on the permanent list |
| Arrival card | Paper TM6 on flights and at borders | TDAC online submission. TM6 retired from May 2025. |
| SHA+ / ASQ hotels | Pre-paid quarantine or Test & Go packages at approved properties | Not used. Book any legal accommodation. No COVID hotel lists. |
| Certificate of Entry (COE) | Required before Thailand Pass in earlier reopening phases | Retired. No embassy health pre-approval for tourism. |
| Land border entry | Same COVID schemes as air for most of H1 2022; eased July 2022 | Standard visa and exemption rules. No Thailand Pass or quarantine. |
| Travel insurance (general) | COVID policy mandatory early 2022; recommended after July | Optional for most tourists. Mandatory for retirement and some long-stay visas. |
| TM30 address reporting | Required for landlords; checked at extensions | Still required. Missing TM30 blocks many extensions and conversions. |
The practical takeaway for 2026 is simple: complete TDAC, confirm 60-day exemption eligibility on the official list, and ignore every COVID-era document from 2022. Immigration officers still exercise discretion at the counter, especially for repeated entries or vague onward travel plans, but they no longer ask for Thailand Pass QR codes or quarantine hotel vouchers.
If your research started with a 2022 blog post or YouTube walkthrough, compare it row by row above, then open our Thailand entry requirements hub for step-by-step preparation. Our Bangkok team reviews nationality-specific cases daily and can confirm whether your saved checklist is still valid.
What to use in 2026 instead
If you saved a 2022 checklist, received outdated advice from a travel agent, or found a Thailand Pass tutorial on social media, replace it with the actions below. Each item reflects a rule change or scam pattern we see frequently at our Bangkok office when travellers mix COVID-era steps into modern trips.
Submit TDAC on the official immigration site
Complete TDAC within 72 hours of every arrival at tdac.immigration.go.th only. The form is free, replaces the old TM6 paper card, and applies to all foreign nationals including infants. Save your confirmation email and screenshot offline before you board. Thailand Pass is not TDAC and must not be used.
Confirm 60-day exemption eligibility for your passport
Do not rely on 2022 temporary 45-day schemes or outdated forum posts. Check the official exemption list on thaievisa.go.th before booking non-refundable flights. Immigration may still ask for proof of funds and onward travel even when no embassy visa is required.
Discard COVID-era checklists entirely
Thailand Pass, Certificate of Entry, SHA+ hotel bookings, RT-PCR before departure, and mandatory COVID insurance no longer apply. If an airline email or travel agent still references them, treat the advice as archived. Our 2026 entry guide replaces every item on a 2022 packing list.
Avoid fake TDAC and Thailand Pass copycat sites
Third-party websites charged fees for Thailand Pass in 2022 and continue to sell unnecessary TDAC services today. Use immigration.go.th and thaievisa.go.th only. Paid copycat forms may not produce a valid confirmation and can delay you at the counter.
Book normal accommodation without quarantine packages
ASQ, AHQ, and SHA+ quarantine hotels were mandatory under Test & Go and Sandbox in early 2022. In 2026 you may stay at any legal hotel, guesthouse, or rental. No pre-paid testing packages or government-approved COVID hotel lists are required for standard tourism entry.
Carry appropriate visa proof for how you plan to stay
Entering on repeated tourism stamps to live or work remotely was risky even after July 2022 and is harder in 2026. Apply for DTV, retirement, Thailand Privilege, LTR, or another matching category before you sign a long lease or relocate family members.
For a printable arrival checklist, see our full 2026 entry guide. We also offer TDAC assistance if you want a second review before departure.
Why this page still exists
Search engines and social posts still surface Thailand Pass and 2022 travel guide results. YouTube walkthroughs with hundreds of thousands of views continue to rank even though the steps they describe ended years ago. We keep this archive so travellers understand three common misconceptions: Thailand Pass is not TDAC; quarantine hotels (ASQ/AHQ) are not part of modern entry; and temporary 30-day exemption schemes evolved into the 60-day policy for eligible passports.
The page also links forward to our 2024 travel snapshot for readers tracing how entry changed year by year. If you need live help separating history from current rules, use live chat or book a consultation with our Bangkok team.
Frequently asked questions
These questions come up when travellers compare old forum advice, airline notices, and immigration counters in 2026. Each answer is two to three sentences and points to live policy where it matters.
Q:Does this COVID programme still apply in 2026?
A:No. Sandbox, Test & Go, Thailand Pass, and mandatory COVID insurance ended by July 2022.
Q:Is Thailand Pass the same as TDAC?
A:No. Thailand Pass was COVID health authorisation. TDAC is the immigration arrival card replacing paper TM6 from May 2025.
Q:Do I still need COVID insurance?
A:Not for standard tourism entry in 2026. General travel insurance is recommended.
Q:Are quarantine hotels still required?
A:No. ASQ, SHA+, and sandbox packages were COVID-era requirements only.
Q:Where are current entry rules?
A:See our entry requirements guide and TDAC guide linked on this page.
Q:Why do search results show old news?
A:Forum threads and videos remain indexed after rules change. This archive links to current policy.
Q:Do I need RT-PCR for Thailand entry?
A:Not for immigration in 2026.
Q:Can TVC help with Thailand Pass?
A:No. We handle 2026 visas, TDAC coordination, and entry planning only.
Official references (current)
Verify exemption eligibility and TDAC submission on these official sites before departure. Third-party copies may charge fees or collect data without delivering valid confirmations. Thailand Pass portals and COVID insurance validators from 2022 are not listed because they no longer govern entry.