New Bangkok Airport E-Gates — What You Need to Know Before You Fly

If you’re entering Thailand, there’s a big change at the main international airport in Bangkok. Autogates are now live at Suvarnabhumi for travelers from 33 countries. If your country is on the list of approved passports, you can now use the e-gates to enter Thailand with a simplified process.

Bangkok Airport Autogates Are Now Live

The big exception is the United States. American passport holders will still need to visit a staffed booth, and the e-gate also does not apply for a handful of other major tourism source countries, including China, India, Russia, Israel, and Taiwan.

The stated selection reportedly came down to risk management parameters and passport rankings. Interestingly, the final list lines up almost exactly with the Henley passport ranking index, where the US currently sits at number 37. But if you’re one of the 33 eligible nationalities, here’s what you need to know before you rely on the gate.

Three Important Conditions

There are three important conditions. First, it only applies to visa-exempt, or what you might consider visa-free, entries. If you hold a visa of any kind, you still need to visit a staffed booth to get stamped in correctly. This is very important. Otherwise, you’ll enter under the exemption, which will invalidate the visa.

This includes DTV holders, long-term visas like retirement or non-B work visas, and single- or multiple-entry tourist visas. If you hold any visa, head to a staffed booth as usual.

Second, your current active passport must already have a Thai stamp in it from a previous trip. If you’ve never visited Thailand before, or you have a new passport without a stamp, you must visit a staffed booth first. On subsequent trips, you can then use the autogate.

The TDAC Is Free of Charge

Third, you must have filled out the TDAC and submitted it in advance. Any issues or errors will require you to visit a staffed booth instead.

The TDAC is free of charge, but you must use the official website or TDAC application, as scam and agency sites may ask for payment.

It’s also important to be aware that the autogate won’t give you a physical stamp in your passport, just a digital record of entry. So, if you know you’ll need a stamp for something later, it’s worth using a staffed booth instead. While arrivals are limited to visa-exempt entries from 33 nationalities, all departures can use the autogates.

The Visa Exempt Rules Changed

Finally, remember that the visa-exempt rules changed on September 15th. The number of visa-exempt countries dropped from 93 to 60, and for every country on that new list, the period of stay dropped from 60 days down to 30. Thailand also has bilateral agreements and visa on arrival for several other countries, so check what the specific situation is for your country.

If your country isn’t on either the exemption or bilateral list, you must apply for an e-visa in advance. And for anyone planning a longer stay, there are plenty of e-visa options.