Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) has put up an on-site notice at its arrivals area listing 33 foreign passport countries or territories eligible to use the automated eGate. Travelers must meet three conditions at the same time: they must have already submitted Thailand’s Digital Arrival Card (TDAC), have entered Thailand before, and hold a passport on the notice’s list. Hong Kong is on the list; Taiwan, mainland China, and the United States are not.
This change affects the arrival inspection channel at the airport — it is not a new visa-exemption policy. Travelers who meet all three conditions may follow the on-site signage to use the Automated Border Control (ABC/eGate) lane; visa rules, visa exemptions, permitted length of stay, and immigration screening are unchanged.
Information current as of 23 September 2026.
Which Travelers Can Use the eGate?
The on-site notice at Suvarnabhumi Airport states that travelers must meet all three of the following conditions:
- Have already submitted Thailand’s Digital Arrival Card (TDAC);
- Have entered Thailand before;
- Hold a passport from one of the 33 countries or territories listed on the notice.
Only when all three conditions are met does the notice direct travelers to use the ABC (eGate) lane. If it is your first visit to Thailand, your passport is not on the list, you have not yet submitted a TDAC, or the on-site system does not accept your passport, follow airport and immigration staff instructions to use a manned counter instead.
The List of 33 Passport Countries/Territories
The following is compiled from the on-site eGate notice at Suvarnabhumi Airport, with names presented in the form travelers are most likely to recognize:
| Region | Countries/Territories |
|---|---|
| Asia | Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea |
| Europe | Austria, Belgium, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Denmark, the Netherlands, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland |
| Oceania | Australia, New Zealand |
| North America | Canada |
| Middle East | United Arab Emirates |
Hong Kong is listed separately in the notice. Taiwan, mainland China, and the United States do not appear on this on-site list. Travelers holding these passports should follow on-site instructions to use a manned immigration counter, unless the airport later announces an updated list.
Why Does the “33 Countries” Figure Differ Between the Government Announcement and the On-Site Notice?
Thailand’s Government Public Relations Department announced on 26 August 2026 that the Immigration Bureau had approved Auto Gate support for “33 countries, including Thailand,” and that it was working with Airports of Thailand (AOT) to configure and test the system, expected to go live within a month.
The traveler notice that subsequently appeared at Suvarnabhumi lists 33 *foreign* passport countries or territories, not including Thailand itself. The two pieces of information serve different purposes: the August announcement communicated the approval and build progress, while the on-site notice directly states the conditions foreign travelers need to meet. When working out whether you personally can use the eGate, rely on the on-site notice and instructions from immigration staff, not the August announcement’s headline figure.
How Should the Rollout Progress Be Understood?
The 26 August government announcement indicated that the Immigration Bureau and AOT were still configuring and testing the system at that point, with a rollout expected within a month to be ready for the year-end travel peak. The current on-site notice, which spells out the conditions for travelers, shows the airport has already begun directing travelers according to specific eligibility.
However, the presence of an on-site notice doesn’t mean every gate is available to use at all times. Equipment status, passport-reading results, and instructions from immigration staff can still affect which channel you actually end up using, so travelers should be prepared to be redirected to a manned counter.
The TDAC Is Still Required
Thailand’s Immigration Bureau’s TDAC guidance requires all non-Thai nationals to submit a TDAC online before arrival, which can be done within three days before the arrival date. The on-site eGate notice at Suvarnabhumi also lists “TDAC already submitted” as the first of the three conditions for using the eGate.
The TDAC is a pre-arrival information declaration, while the eGate is the inspection channel used after arriving at the airport. Even if your passport is on the list of 33 and you have entered Thailand before, not having submitted a TDAC means you still do not meet all the conditions on the notice.
Three Steps on Arrival
Step one: before you travel, confirm whether your passport is on the list of 33 and whether you have entered Thailand before. Step two: complete the TDAC within three days before your arrival date, and keep a record of the submission. Step three: after arriving at Suvarnabhumi Airport, check the eGate on-site notice; only proceed to the automated gate if all three conditions are met — otherwise, use a manned counter.
The automated gate is simply a faster inspection method — it does not guarantee entry. Travelers must still meet whatever visa or visa-exemption requirements are in effect at the time, and remain subject to inspection by Thai immigration authorities.
FAQ
Can a Hong Kong passport use the eGate at Suvarnabhumi Airport?
Yes, it can be within scope of use. Hong Kong appears on the 33-country list in the airport’s on-site notice, but the traveler must still have already submitted a TDAC and have entered Thailand before. All three conditions must be met together, and actual use still depends on equipment status on arrival and the instructions of immigration staff.
Can a Taiwan, mainland China, or US passport use it?
None of these three appear on the on-site notice’s list of 33. Travelers holding these passports should follow airport instructions to use a manned immigration counter, and should not assume they qualify just because news coverage mentions an “expansion to 33 countries.” If the list is updated in future, rely on new information from the airport or the Immigration Bureau.
Can a first-time visitor to Thailand use the eGate?
No, according to the on-site notice. One of the three conditions is that the traveler must have entered Thailand before. A first-time visitor does not meet all the conditions even if their passport is on the list and they have submitted a TDAC, and should use a manned counter as instructed on site.
Do I still need to fill in the TDAC if I’m using the eGate?
Yes. Having already submitted the TDAC is the first of the conditions listed in the on-site notice. Thailand’s Immigration Bureau guidance states that all non-Thai travelers must submit a TDAC before arrival, which can be done within three days before the arrival date; the eGate does not replace this declaration.
Does using the eGate mean I’m guaranteed entry?
No. The eGate is only an inspection channel — it does not change visa rules, visa exemptions, permitted length of stay, or immigration screening. If the system or an immigration officer requires further verification, travelers must still go to a manned counter, and the final decision on entry remains with Thai immigration authorities.
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Sources
- Thailand Government Public Relations Department – “Immigration Bureau Approves Auto Gate Support for 33 Countries at Suvarnabhumi Airport” (26 August 2026)
- Thailand Immigration Bureau – Official TDAC Guide
- Suvarnabhumi Airport eGate on-site notice (photo supplied by Fiamma; date of photo to be confirmed)
