Digital confusion
Re: "New online arrival cards target crime", (BP, April 27).
Wanting to avoid the Songkran rush, I decided to go to Malaysia. However, I found out just before I left that it was necessary to register my details online about when I was arriving and leaving the country.
I did not have the time to get a printout, so I was concerned about this when I arrived there. It turned out that I did not need one as I come from a country where it's possible to get expedited processing. So I was relieved when I finally passed through immigration.
But then I was worried about having to fill out another form when departing. I have been told I would be fine as long as I did not change anything in my itinerary. Still, I wondered about what would happen if I were asked to show my registration details to immigration when leaving, and the net wasn't working on my phone at the airport, or I was asked to show a printout. Luckily, all I had to do was put my passport on a machine, and through I went.
I imagine that people would feel similarly when having to fill out a digital online arrival card upon arrival. In this respect, the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) is active as of today, May 1.
The government decided to use this measure about a month ago. It must be asked if enough information has been provided to tourists, and if they are aware they need to complete online registration within three days of entering the kingdom.
There is no clear explanation of what is needed to enter the country, such as the necessity of printing out documents. And what is going to happen when a tourist cannot speak either English or Thai, and the immigration officer is explaining about the necessity of filling out an online form before arriving in the country?
It would be better if the government deferred the TDAC plan for a few more months to smooth out all the kinks in the system.
