Thailand Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong has announced that the country is extending the suspension of the arrival and departure card requirements for foreign travellers who enter the country via 16 land and sea checkpoints.
Previously, the Thai Government agreed to suspend the arrival and departure card requirement for 6 months, from 15 April until 15 October 2024.
This alone was an expansion of the pilot programme suspending the arrival and departure card requirement introduced at Songkhla’s Sadao Checkpoint bordering Bukit Kayu Hitam, Kedah, which proved to be very successful in attracting Malaysian travellers to Thailand.
Thailand suspends arrival and departure card requirement until 30 April 2025
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With the 6-month suspension ending yesterday (15 October), Sorawong announced that the Thai Cabinet has agreed to continue the exemption for another 6 months, from today until 30 April 2025.
As reported by Bangkok Post, among the key checkpoints where the exemption is effective are essentially all Thailand borders with Malaysia, as well as, Aranyaprathet in Sa Kaeo and Chiang Saen in Chiang Rai.
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Besides that, Thailand is also in the midst of removing the arrival and departure card completely and replacing it with the online ETA system.
The ETA system requires foreign tourists from 93 countries granted visa-free entry to register online prior to their arrival in Thailand, with a QR code being used to pass through automated immigration gates.
However, do note that Malaysians are exempted from the ETA system requirement to enter Thailand.
Tor Mor 6 form
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If you’ve ever travelled to Thailand from Malaysia by driving a motor vehicle or riding a motorcycle, you’d be familiar with the aforementioned arrival and departure cards, known as Tor Mor 6 (T.M.6).
All vehicles entering Thailand via its land borders must fill in T.M.6 and keep it with them until exiting, with those losing the card facing a hefty fine by Thai Immigration when exiting the country.
However, as procuring and filling up T.M. 6 takes time and could cause inconvenience for travellers from Malaysia, Thailand last year exempted the need for T.M. 6 at key land and sea borders, as we’ve explained earlier.
So, what do you guys think of this initiative by the Thai Government? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
