Thailand's THIM "Super App": What Long-Stay Nomads Need to Know
THIM is Thailand's official app for filing the mandatory Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) from your phone in about three minutes. It fully rolled out across all Thai entry checkpoints in August 2026. It saves your details for repeat entries, supports group filings, and the TDAC website remains a fallback if needed.
Thailand's THIM "Super App": What the Immigration Bureau Just Changed for Long-Stay Nomads
Thailand's Immigration Bureau has launched THIM, a new official mobile app that moves the country's digital arrival card onto your phone. For backpackers on a two month trip it is a small convenience. For long-stay travellers and digital nomads who cross the Thai border several times a year, it is the start of a single place to handle arrivals, trips and, eventually, the paperwork that used to mean a morning queuing at an immigration office.
THIM completed its full rollout across all Thai entry checkpoints in August 2026, when mandatory compliance began. Here is what the app does today, why it matters most if you are staying long-term, and what features are coming from October 2026.
What is the THIM app?
THIM (the Thailand Immigration Management system) is an official app from Thailand's Immigration Bureau, built in partnership with Amazon Web Services and Digital Identity Co. The Immigration Bureau has described THIM as a future "super app" for foreigners, eventually covering far more than the arrival card alone. It lets travellers submit their arrival information before they land, complete the digital arrival card on their phone, manage upcoming trips, update personal details, and add family members or group travellers to a single application. It is available on the App Store and Google Play.
How does THIM relate to the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC)?
THIM is the mobile front end for the Thailand Digital Arrival Card, the TDAC, which has been mandatory for foreign arrivals since 1 May 2025. The official TDAC portal remains the primary system, and THIM simply gives you an easier, app-based way to file the same arrival card. You still complete a TDAC for every entry, but THIM lets you do it from your phone, reuse your saved details, and the Immigration Bureau says the whole process takes under three minutes. TDAC itself is already well established, more than 10 million travellers have filed one since it became mandatory in May 2025, so THIM is a new front door onto a system most visitors have already used at least once.
Why does THIM matter if you are staying in Thailand long-term?
THIM matters most for repeat and long-stay travellers because it is built around people who arrive more than once. The features that save the biggest amount of time on a long trip are:
- Pre-filled information for repeat travellers, so you are not retyping passport and trip details on every entry.
- Automated passport reading and e-KYC identity verification, scanning your photo page and machine-readable zone so your details are pulled in rather than typed, which cuts manual data entry and reduces rejected forms.
- Trip management and deadline notifications, useful when you are juggling visa runs and re-entries across the year.
- Group and family applications, so couples and families filing together do it once rather than form by form.
Thailand's Immigration Bureau has also said it wants THIM to grow into a broader immigration platform covering visa extensions, the 90-day residence notification that long-stay foreigners must file, and automated border procedures for more nationalities. If that arrives as planned, the recurring admin that defines long-stay life in Thailand could move into one app.
Many long-stay nomads pair the convenience of THIM with the multi-entry Destination Thailand Visa. If that is your plan, read our Thailand DTV visa guide for who qualifies and how to apply.
Want to see where your money actually goes? BudgetBro tracks it in any currency, free.
When is the THIM app rolling out?
THIM is now live and mandatory across all Thai entry checkpoints from August 2026. Download it on the App Store for iPhone or Google Play for Android. The official TDAC website remains available as a fallback if you run into any issues with the app, and a wider feature expansion is planned from October 2026.
How do you use THIM, and what languages does it support?
You download THIM from the App Store or Google Play, verify your identity with the in-app e-KYC and passport scan, then submit your arrival details before you fly to Thailand. The app currently supports English, Russian, Japanese and Chinese, and officials plan to expand it to 15 languages. Keep your passport handy for the first setup, since the automated passport reader fills in most of your profile from it.
Crossing into other countries on your travels? Several now use the same pre-arrival system. See how Vietnam's digital arrival card and China's online arrival card work before you fly.
Frequently Asked Questions About Thailand's THIM App
Is the THIM app mandatory for entering Thailand?
No. The Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) is mandatory for foreign arrivals, but THIM is just one way to file it. You can still complete the TDAC on the official portal at tdac.immigration.go.th. THIM is an optional, more convenient app-based route to the same arrival card.
Does THIM replace the TDAC website?
From August 2026 THIM is the primary way to file your Thailand Digital Arrival Card, with mandatory compliance active across all entry checkpoints. The official TDAC website remains available as a fallback if the app does not work for your situation.
Can I use THIM for my whole family or travel group?
Yes. THIM lets you add family members or group travellers to a single application, so you file once for everyone instead of completing a separate arrival card per person. This is one of the bigger time savers for couples, families and groups arriving together.
Will THIM handle visa extensions and 90-day reporting?
Not yet, but it is on the roadmap. Thailand's Immigration Bureau has said it wants THIM to expand into visa extensions, the 90-day residence notification, and automated border procedures for more nationalities. For now these are still handled through existing immigration channels.
Which app stores is THIM available on?
THIM is available on both the App Store for iPhone and Google Play for Android. Search for the official Thailand Immigration Management app and check the developer is the Immigration Bureau before downloading.
Is THIM the same as Thailand's "super app"?
THIM is the first release of what Thailand's Immigration Bureau plans to grow into a broader "super app" for foreigners. Today it covers the TDAC arrival card, e-KYC and trip management. The Immigration Bureau has said future versions will add more services under the same app.
Does THIM include Digital ID or let you book appointments with immigration officers?
Digital ID and appointment booking are part of the Immigration Bureau's longer-term plan for THIM as it expands into a super app, alongside visa extensions and 90-day reporting. They are not part of the current trial release, which focuses on the arrival card, e-KYC and trip management.
If you are settling into Thailand for the long haul, tracking your spending matters as much as your paperwork. BudgetBro helps long-stay travellers and digital nomads log expenses in over 160 currencies, set trip budgets, and see where the money goes, all in one place. Always check the official Thai Immigration Bureau website for the latest entry rules before you travel, as requirements can change at short notice.
Staying a while? Compare Southeast Asia travel insurance for UK travellers.
Also new: Thailand's 450 baht tourist fee.
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