Latest news with #ThaiImmigrationBureau
Time of India
06-05-2025
- Time of India
Travel advisory: Thai Government issues health alert for Indian tourists; find out why
Health precautions for travellers Enhanced entry requirements Tips for Indian tourists Stay updated Health precautions Documentation Thailand has long been a favorite getaway for Indian tourists, but recent health warnings have raised fresh concerns. The Thai government has issued an alert after confirming the country's first anthrax-related death in more than 30 years, along with a second reported case. Both incidents were traced to Mukdahan province, close to the Laos border, and involved people who had direct contact with infected cattle. Anthrax, a bacterial infection that usually affects livestock, can be deadly for humans and typically causes symptoms like skin sores, blisters, and swollen lymph response to these cases, Thai health authorities have intensified monitoring efforts. Approximately 638 individuals identified as part of "risk groups," including butchers and those who consumed raw meat, are under observation and receiving preventive antibiotic treatments. Travelers are advised to exercise caution, particularly in northeastern regions, and to avoid consuming raw or undercooked meat dishes, which are traditional in some local more: World's longest non-stop flight set to launch in 2027: Sydney to London in one go In addition to the health advisory, Thailand is stepping up its security and public health measures with a new entry requirement. Starting May 1, 2025, all foreign travelers will need to fill out a Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) before entering the previous paper-based method will be replaced with this online form, which can be found on the Thai Immigration Bureau's website. In addition to enabling authorities to better track travelers and manage issues like human trafficking and other security concerns, this measure aligns with the goal of streamlining and optimizing the admission more: Vietnam proposes 10-year Golden Visa program to boost trade and tourism : To ensure a hassle-free trip, make sure to check for the latest travel advisories or health updates from Thai authorities and the Indian Ministry of External Affairs before and during your visit.: Avoid consuming raw or undercooked meats, especially in regions where anthrax cases have been reported.: Ensure completion of the Digital Arrival Card before departure to facilitate a smooth entry medically prepared: Talk to your doctor about any recommended vaccinations before your trip, and pack a basic medical kit with essentials like pain relievers, antiseptics, and any personal medications you might need while remains a favorite among travelers for its charm and hospitality, but it's important for visitors to stay informed and follow health and safety guidelines to ensure a smooth and worry-free trip.
India Today
05-05-2025
- Health
- India Today
Why did Thailand issue a health alert for Indian travellers?
Thailand has long been a favorite among Indian tourists because of its affordability, ease of visa application, and diverse tourist attractions. However, the country recently placed a health warning after recording an anthrax death for the first time in over 30 years. The disease claimed the life of a 53-year-old man who was residing in Mukdahan Province, Another individual aged 53, who is known to have had contact with cattle, has tested positive and is presently hospitalised in the same is contracted through the spores of bacteria that can be found in soil, and it predominantly affects domesticated and wild animals, although it can be fatal to humans as well. Symptoms comprise, but are not limited to lesions or blisters on the skin along with swollen lymph nodes. Medical professionals in the region have further sought to avoid infections by warning against the consumption of raw meat, which is a common practice in the northeast of to these anthrax issues, local authorities are tracking this cohort of 638 people, termed as the 'risk group', which includes but is not limited to butchers along with meat consumers who are known to consume raw meat. Furthermore, these individuals are being placed on prophylactic antibiotic treatment for supposed safety CARD ARRIVAL CARD FOR FOREIGN VISITORS DIGITAL EDITIONadvertisement Thailand has lowered its immigration barriers by introducing a Digital Arrival Card for all foreign nationals who wish to visit the country. The online form needs to be filled out for travellers arriving by air, land or sea. The initiative is aimed at improving the surveillance of travellers during the fight against human trafficking and illegal activities in the can access and fill in the Digital Arrival Card on the Thai Immigration Bureau's official website well before travelling to the country. Failure to fill out the form will result in entry denial or TRAVELLERS TRAVEL ADVISORYIn line with recent health developments, it is recommended that Indian nationals travel to Thailand:They should avoid consuming raw as well as undercooked meat (and stay clear of northeast Thailand)Should steer clear of casual contact with livestock and animal-produced productsThey should monitor their health for any signs like lesions on the skin emerging or swollen lymph nodes and seek medical attention if sure that the Digital Arrival Card has been filled in before setting off to Thailand.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
Visiting Thailand? This New Electronic Entry Form Is Now Required
Travelers can't get enough of Thailand's buzzy nightlife, spectacular beaches, and of course, its White Lotus-featured wellness resorts and spas. If you're one of the 39 million people who are estimated to visit the Southeast Asian nation in 2025, listen up: there's a new immigration requirement tourists are now required to complete in advance of their trip. Starting May 1, 2025, all foreign visitors to Thailand must complete a new electronic form called the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) at least three days prior to their arrival. The new requirement applies to all land, air, and sea border crossings. 'Completion of the TDAC will be mandatory for all foreign passport holders, including tourists, business travelers, and long-term residents,' the US embassy to Thailand said in an April travel alert. 'Exceptions apply only to travelers transiting or transferring through Thailand without passing through immigration control and to those entering using a Border Pass.' To submit the TDAC application, visit the Thailand Immigration Bureau's official website. The online application will prompt you to provide details regarding your passport, personal information including your nationality and citizenship, your travel and accommodation plans, as well as health declarations regarding any countries you've visited within the past two weeks. There is currently no fee attached to the form. The new travel requirement aims to help Thailand 'strengthen security measures, streamline immigration procedures, and support public health management,' according to the Thai Immigration Bureau. The TDAC replaces Thailand's paper TM6 arrival card which was typically completed by passengers en route to Thailand and submitted at the airport's immigration checkpoint. While the new electronic form is designed to streamline the paperwork process, the impetus now rests on travelers to remember to complete the form at least 72 hours before departure. Thailand had also planned to introduce a 300-baht (about $9) tourism tax to help fund infrastructure and a separate Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system in 2025. However, both have been postponed in order to roll out the new TDAC form first, according to Siam Legal International, a Thai law firm. While American tourists have become accustomed to visa-free travel to the majority of the world's countries, electronic entry forms such as this one are becoming more common as nations work to digitize their borders. The UK ETA, for example, is now required for all foreign visitors to the United Kingdom, and the European Union's new electronic travel authorization system ETIAS is scheduled to go into effect in 2026. Originally Appeared on Condé Nast Traveler The Latest Travel News and Advice Want to be the first to know? Sign up to our newsletters for travel inspiration and tips Stop Counting the Countries You Visit How Safe Is Flying Today? 5 Things Experts Want Travelers to Know The Best Places to See the Northern Lights Worldwide
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
29-04-2025
- Business Standard
Thailand travel from May 1: New pre-departure digital form a must
Are you planning a trip to Thailand from May 1? You will now have to complete a pre-departure digital form, a move that will allow authorities to track travellers more efficiently amid a widening crackdown on human trafficking into Southeast Asia's illegal cybercrime centres. All foreign travellers, including Indians, can fill out the Thailand Digital Arrival Card for trips beginning Thursday. The online card replaces the previously used paper form and is mandatory for foreigners entering the country by air, land or sea, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Forms are available on the Thai Immigration Bureau's website. Indian citizens will continue to be allowed to stay in Thailand visa-free for up to 60 days, with the option to extend their stay by an additional 30 days. The Thai government has not announced any changes to this policy. Arrival cards synced with biometric database The arrival cards will be linked to the Thai Immigration Bureau's biometric database, allowing authorities to screen the criminal backgrounds of visitors. 'The information will help us screen travellers and prevent those with criminal records from entering the country,' said Choengron Rimpadee, chief of the Immigration Division 2 at Suvarnabhumi Airport, in a statement. The introduction of the pre-departure card comes amid a regional crackdown on criminal gangs operating cyber scam centres in Myanmar and Cambodia. Concerns rose earlier this year after a Chinese actor was kidnapped, highlighting the risks travellers face while passing through Thailand. Chinese tourists, who made up the largest group of visitors to Thailand last year, have raised concerns over safety, pushing authorities to act swiftly. How to fill the Thailand Digital Arrival Card Travellers can submit the online forms up to three days before their arrival date. The forms can be submitted individually or for a group. The Tourism Authority of Thailand said that the form will require: Passport information Personal details Travel details including flight or travel plans Address of accommodation in Thailand Basic health declaration The model is similar to digital arrival cards introduced in other countries. Thailand remains popular for its tropical beaches, Buddhist temples, and lively nightlife. Tourism employs one in five workers and accounts for about 13 per cent of the country's gross domestic product. About 12 million tourists have visited Thailand since the start of the year, similar to last year's figures. Thailand remains a favoured destination for Indian travellers Indian tourists have become a key segment. In November 2023, Thailand introduced a policy allowing Indian citizens to stay visa-free for up to 60 days, with an optional 30-day extension. The scheme, initially planned to expire in 2024, has now been extended indefinitely. Human trafficking concerns in Southeast Asia Thailand's new digital form coincides with growing human trafficking concerns across Southeast Asia. Myanmar's State Administration Council said on Monday that authorities had rescued around 1,030 foreign nationals, including Indians, from online scam centres near the Thai border in the past three weeks. Most of the rescued victims were from China and India, with some from East Africa, according to Myanmar's Ministry of Information. The operation follows a series of alerts from Indian authorities about rising cyber frauds linked to trafficking networks in the region. In March 2024, Indian news reports suggested that around 5,000 Indian nationals had been lured to Cambodia with promises of data entry jobs. Investigations by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) pointed to links with China. 'On average, around 7,000 cyber-related complaints are registered daily on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), and most of these frauds originate from three Southeast Asian countries—Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos. Many web applications used in these crimes are written in Mandarin, so we cannot rule out a China connection,' said Rajesh Kumar, chief executive officer of I4C, in a press release. Indian authorities warn of fake job offers In May 2024, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a case about an international racket trafficking Indians to scam centres in Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. The CBI's first information report detailed how job seekers were first promised opportunities in Thailand, Dubai and Bangkok but were later transported to scam hubs and forced into cyber fraud operations. India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also issued an advisory on May 17, 2024, warning Indian citizens about fraudulent job offers routed through Thailand to Laos. 'Instances have come to notice wherein Indian nationals are being lured for employment through Thailand in Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR)—also known as Laos. These fake jobs are for posts such as 'digital sales and marketing executives' or 'customer support service' by dubious companies,' the MEA said. The ministry reminded job seekers that licensed recruitment agents, under the Emigration Act 1983, cannot charge more than Rs 30,000 plus 18 percent GST and must issue proper receipts. Earlier, in December 2023, the MEA had warned that unauthorised agents were demanding Rs 2-5 lakh from applicants and using social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp to evade scrutiny. 'Such agents lure workers into jobs under harsh or life-threatening conditions. Cases have been reported in East European countries, some Gulf nations, Central Asia, Israel, Canada, Myanmar, and Laos,' the MEA said. The advisory stressed that genuine employment offers must include a signed contract with clear details about salaries and benefits. It added that tourist visas should not be used for employment and that reputable foreign employers usually pay for airfare, accommodation, and insurance. In February, Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue during a joint press conference with US President Donald Trump at the White House. He said there was a strong need to dismantle networks that lure people with false job promises, leading to exploitation abroad.
Hindustan Times
28-04-2025
- Hindustan Times
Tourism hotspot Thailand introduces mandatory digital arrival card for foreign visitors
Thailand will require foreign visitors to fill out a pre-departure digital form from May 1, a move that will make it easy for authorities to track travellers amid a broadening crackdown against human trafficking into Southeast Asia's illegal cybercrime centres. Starting Monday, travelers can fill up the Thailand Digital Arrival Card for trips beginning Thursday. The online card replaces the previously used paper form, and is mandatory for all foreigners entering the country by air, land or sea routes, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The forms can be accessed on the Thai Immigration Bureau's website. The arrival cards will be synced with the Thai immigration bureau's biometric database, which will allow for the screening of criminal backgrounds of visitors, Choengron Rimpadee, chief of the Immigration Division 2 at Suvarnabhumi Airport, told reporters last week. The introduction of a mandatory pre-departure card comes in the wake of a multinational crackdown against criminal gangs operating cyber scam centres in the border towns of Myanmar and Cambodia. The viral kidnapping of a Chinese actor earlier this year triggered the campaign as trafficking through Thailand has stoked security concerns among Chinese travellers, who were the largest group of tourists last year. Thailand is popular among tourists for its tropical climate, pristine beaches, a vibrant nightlife and Buddhist temples. The industry, which employs one in five of the country's workforce and accounts for about 13% of gross domestic product, has welcomed about 12 million tourists since the start of the year, little changed from a year earlier. Travellers may submit the online forms up to three days before their scheduled arrival date, and they can be submitted individually or as a group, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Required details include passport information, personal and travel details, accommodation in Thailand, and a basic health declaration. It's modelled on the digital arrival card requirements in many other countries. Still, the mandatory arrival cards are unlikely to affect tourism sentiment, according to Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents.
