Thailand has opened Automated Border Control eGates to selected foreign arrivals at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport. The service is limited for now to eligible nationalities entering under the 30-day visa exemption and meeting TDAC and prior-entry requirements.

Automated arrival gates go live at Suvarnabhumi

Thailand has begun allowing certain foreign travellers to use new ABC eGates, or Automated Border Control gates, when arriving at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport. The move comes only days after Thailand’s revised 30-day visa exemption rules took effect, adding another step to the country’s push to digitise border procedures.

The expansion was first outlined during the summer. On August 17, 2026, the Thai government said the Immigration Bureau had approved, in principle, extending Auto Gate access to 31 more nationalities. Authorities said implementation would be phased, depending on equipment, security systems and the registration of travellers’ biometric data.

On August 26, the government’s Public Relations Department said the Immigration Bureau had approved the project and that Airports of Thailand was adjusting and testing systems, with launch expected within one month. The gates are now in service for qualifying arrivals.

Four requirements apply before travellers can use the eGates

Holding a passport from an eligible country is not, by itself, enough to use the automated arrival lanes. Airport signage and early traveller reports indicate that four conditions currently apply.

  • Travellers must be citizens of one of the 33 eligible countries or territories, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
  • They must have completed the Thailand Digital Arrival Card before arrival. The TDAC has been mandatory since May 2025, must be submitted before travel and is available free of charge through the official form.
  • They must have previously travelled to Thailand, allowing immigration systems to retrieve existing records. Travellers whose biometric data is already available are being prioritised, while first-time visitors still need to see an officer. Reports from the airport also indicate that travellers using a new passport with no prior entry recorded under that document may be sent to a staffed counter.
  • They must be entering under Thailand’s 30-day visa exemption programme. The eGate screen asks passengers, after passport scanning, to confirm entry as “Visa-Free (30 days)”. Visa holders must continue to use an immigration officer.

The visa-status limitation was highlighted by a holder of a Destination Thailand Visa who tried the system. After the passport scan, the gate asked for confirmation of 30-day visa-free entry. The traveller selected “Cancel” and was sent to an immigration officer, who advised that DTV entries still need to be processed at a staffed desk.

Rows of automated passport control gates in an airport arrivals area
Thailand’s automated arrival gates are currently configured for selected visa-free travellers at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

Eligible list covers 33 countries and territories

Signage at Suvarnabhumi lists 33 countries and territories whose citizens may use the arrival eGates if they also meet the other requirements. The list comprises Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

The United States is not included in the current eGate nationality list, even though US citizens are eligible for Thailand’s 30-day tourism visa exemption. As a result, visa-free eligibility does not automatically confer access to automated immigration clearance.

Long-stay visa holders may be considered later

When authorities first discussed the Auto Gate expansion, they estimated that about 6.5 million additional travellers could ultimately benefit. They also referred to around 900,000 holders of certain long-stay visa categories, while stressing that wider use would depend on system readiness and biometric-data availability.

For now, the configuration appears to be an initial phase focused on visa-exempt arrivals. Thai authorities have not publicly identified which long-stay visa categories could later be added, nor given a timetable for any such expansion.

Thailand continues to digitise immigration procedures

The eGate opening is part of a broader digital shift in Thai immigration. Since May 2025, foreign travellers have been required to file the TDAC before arrival. Thailand is also developing the THIM immigration app and has recently revised its visa and visa-exemption framework.

Since September 15, 2026, citizens of 60 countries and territories, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, can visit Thailand visa-free for tourism for up to 30 days, reduced from the previous 60-day allowance. Subject to conditions and immigration approval, the stay can be extended for up to another 30 days.

For eligible repeat visitors, the new gates could shorten one of the slowest parts of arriving in Bangkok: immigration clearance at Suvarnabhumi, which handles up to about 70,000 arriving international passengers a day. Travellers should still check their nationality, TDAC submission, passport history and visa status before heading to the automated lanes.