Skip to content
TDAC.infoThailand Digital Arrival Card, filed for you
Flag of South Korea — Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) for South Korean citizens: visa, immigration and entry requirements
For Passport Holders: South Korea 🇰🇷

South Koreans in Thailand 2026:90 Days & TDAC Romanisation

Visa rules, TDAC arrival card, customs, currency, vaccines and embassy contacts for South Korean travellers heading to Thailand in 2026.

Visa Status: Visa Exempt (90 Days)

Entry Requirements

If you hold a passport from South Korea, you must submit a Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) before entering the Kingdom of Thailand. The TDAC replaced the paper-based TM6 form and is now required for all international arrivals — regardless of your visa status or purpose of travel.

As a South Korean citizen, you are eligible for visa exempt (90 days) entry. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from your date of entry. The TDAC collects your personal details, travel information, and accommodation address in Thailand.

⚠️ Common Issue for South Korean Passport Holders

Romanization of names — this is the most common reason for TDAC rejections from South Korean travelers. Our system automatically detects and corrects these issues before submission, ensuring your arrival card is accepted without delays at immigration.

How to Apply

  1. 1Have your South Korea passport ready with at least 6 months validity from your planned entry date.
  2. 2Complete the online form on TDAC.info with your personal details, travel itinerary, and accommodation address in Thailand.
  3. 3Our team reviews your submission for errors and you receive your approved QR code via email before your departure.
  4. 4Present your QR code at Thai immigration upon arrival — no paper forms needed, skip the queues.

Visa Status

South Korean citizens: Visa Exempt (90 Days). No visa application required for tourist stays within the allowed period.

Visa Duration for South Korean Citizens

South Korean passport holders can stay in Thailand for 90 days under the bilateral agreement — unchanged by the 15 Sep 2026 reform under the current visa exemption. Extensions are available at local Immigration offices.

Flights to Thailand from South Korea

  • Seoul Incheon (ICN) → Bangkok
  • Seoul Incheon (ICN) → Phuket
  • Busan (PUS) → Bangkok

Common TDAC Mistakes by South Korean Travelers

  • Korean name romanization must match passport exactly
  • Korean passport numbers: 1 letter + 8 digits
  • Family name (성) comes first on TDAC — do not reverse
Confirmed 30 October 2026 - 33 countries and territories

Auto Gates at Suvarnabhumi: South Korea Passports Can Use the Arrival Gates

The arrival auto gates at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport now serve 33 countries and territories, up from two (Singapore and Hong Kong), and South Korea is one of them. The Ministry of Tourism and Sports confirmed this on 30 October 2026. The rollout is phased, so an eligible passport does not guarantee an open gate on every flight: if no gate is open for you, use a staffed counter.

When the arrival gate will take you

  • You enter visa-free. The gates are for travellers under the visa exemption. If you hold a visa, you still clear immigration at a staffed counter.
  • You have visited Thailand before. The gate matches a face scan against biometrics already on file, so first-time visitors give their biometrics at a staffed counter.
  • You filed your TDAC before landing. The gates do not replace the Thailand Digital Arrival Card. Since 15 October 2026 the TDAC confirmation email shows ELIGIBLE or MANUAL PROCESSING for the gate.
  • Your TDAC matches your passport. The gate reads the passport chip and checks it against your arrival record, so a different name spelling, passport number or date of birth sends you to a staffed counter.

Leaving Thailand is a separate system: the departure Auto Channel at Suvarnabhumi is open to e-passport holders of all nationalities. Arrival gates at Don Mueang and Phuket are planned but not yet confirmed as open.

Royal Thai Embassy in Seoul

For visa enquiries beyond the visa exemption period, contact the Royal Thai Embassy in Seoul.

Visit Embassy Website

The 90-Second Version

South Korea is one of Thailand's largest Asian markets — Bangkok and Pattaya for short breaks, Phuket and Samui for honeymoons, Chiang Mai for golf and long stays — with Korean Air, Asiana, Thai Airways and the low-cost carriers flying Incheon–Bangkok non-stop in about six hours. Korean passport holders keep a 90-day bilateral visa exemption, longer than the standard 60. Visa-free days for South Korean passports: 90 days, tourism and short business visits. Flight time: about 6 hours non-stop from South Korea. Where you land: Suvarnabhumi (BKK), Bangkok.

What Immigration Checks on South Korean Passports

  • Return ticket and hotel. Rarely questioned for Korean package travellers; independent travellers should keep both on their phone.
  • Passport validity. Six months from entry. Korean passports are ten-year documents for adults, five for minors.
  • First-night address. Required on the TDAC in English; write the hotel's English name and street.

Your Name on the TDAC

Korean passports print the romanised name with the family name first, and the MRZ follows: KIM<<MINJUN. On the TDAC the surname field is KIM and the given-names field MINJUN — one word as the MRZ shows it, not MIN JUN and not Min-jun, even if your passport's printed page shows a hyphen or space. Use the passport's romanisation, not the one on your credit card or airline profile if they differ. The passport number is one letter followed by eight digits (M-series).

Practical Notes for South Korean Travellers

  • Payments. Korean Visa/Mastercard credit cards work widely; domestic-only BC or Samsung Pay (Korea) do not. Every Thai ATM charges a flat 220 THB per withdrawal.
  • Time zone. Thailand is two hours behind Korea.
  • Help in Thailand. The Embassy of the Republic of Korea is on Thiam Ruam Mit Road in Bangkok.

Visa Rules for South Korean Citizens in 2026

South Korea is one of the few countries with a 90-day bilateral exemption rather than the standard 60 — the July 2024 expansion did not shorten it.

Sources

The facts on this page were checked against these primary sources. Each link opens the publisher's own website.

  1. Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) portal, Immigration Bureau — tdac.immigration.go.th
  2. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand — mfa.go.th
  3. Royal Thai Government Gazette (Ratchakitcha) — ratchakitcha.soc.go.th
  4. Thai Customs Department — customs.go.th
  5. World Health Organization (WHO): international travel advice — who.int

Links checked on 8 October 2026.

Ready to apply?

Get your Thailand Digital Arrival Card approved in just 5 minutes. Our team manually reviews every submission to ensure zero errors.

Start Application

More articles

Thailand Visa-Free 2026: 30 Days for 60 Countries

Who enters Thailand visa-free in 2026: 60 countries get 30 days since 15 September, plus the 15-day tier, Visa on Arrival, DTV and Elite.

How to Fill the TDAC

Step-by-step guide to completing the Thailand Digital Arrival Card correctly.

Other Nationality Guides

🇯🇵

Japan

Visa Exempt (30 Days)

🇨🇳

China

Visa Exempt (30 Days)

🇭🇰

Hong Kong

Visa Exempt (30 Days)

🇹🇼

Taiwan

Visa Exempt (30 Days)

🇬🇧

United Kingdom

Visa Exempt (30 Days)

🇺🇸

United States

Visa Exempt (30 Days)

🇩🇪

Germany

Visa Exempt (30 Days)

🇫🇷

France

Visa Exempt (30 Days)

🇳🇴

Norway

Visa Exempt (30 Days)

Guide

Free field-by-field guide to the Thailand Digital Arrival Card: passport name, address in Thailand, occupation for children, dates and QR timing.

FAQ

Do children need a TDAC? Is it a visa? When do you file? 25 answers on the Thailand Digital Arrival Card, checked against the September 2026 rules.