Thailand has launched a new immigration app designed to bring the Thailand Digital Arrival Card and other travel and immigration services together in one digital platform, potentially making future trips across the border more straightforward for Malaysian travellers.
Thailand’s Immigration Bureau has officially launched THIM, or Thai Immigration Application, as a digital gateway for foreign nationals travelling to or staying in Thailand. The platform is intended to streamline procedures from pre-arrival preparation through entry and, eventually, a range of immigration services during a visitor’s stay.
For Malaysians travelling to Thailand, the most immediately relevant feature is the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC), which THIM provides as an additional way to complete the mandatory digital arrival declaration. The existing official TDAC website remains available, so travellers do not need to submit the information twice or use the app simply because it has been launched.
A DIGITAL ONE-STOP SHOP
At present, THIM offers TDAC and an Explore Thailand feature providing travel-related information and benefits. The Immigration Bureau says it intends to expand the platform considerably, with planned services including immigration appointment and queue booking, certificates of stay, visa extensions, 90-day reporting, and Visa on Arrival services at authorized checkpoints.
The bureau says the initiative is partly a response to increasing visitor numbers and pressure on physical facilities at airports and border checkpoints. Immigration Commissioner Pol Lt Gen Panumas Boonyalug said the aim is to make entering and staying in Thailand “more convenient, faster, safer, and more seamless,” while maintaining security, data accuracy, and personal-data protection.
The app has been available through the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and Huawei AppGallery since August 1, 2026. By its official launch in September, the Immigration Bureau said it had recorded more than 600,000 downloads and more than 580,000 users, representing 97.2% of downloads.
For travellers, the practical takeaway is fairly simple: THIM is currently another way to access the TDAC rather than an additional immigration requirement. The official TDAC system states that foreign nationals must submit their arrival information within three days before arriving in Thailand, including the date of arrival.
As more services are added, however, THIM could become considerably more useful for frequent visitors, expatriates, and others who regularly deal with Thai immigration.
Sources: Thailand Immigration Bureau, Thailand Digital Arrival Card, The Nation, TNA.
