Thailand wrestles with the pros and cons of a very generous entry and visa system. Foreigners can now register online for the actual TDAC (Thai Digital Arrival Card) where several grunts and groans have been resolved.  Expats are now able, if they so wish, to request Thailand (THA) as their country of residence, whilst the earlier instruction to print your intended departure date from Thailand is no longer mandatory.  There are no last-minute reprieves from filling in the TDAC: the only exceptions are those on diplomatic passports, airport transit transfers not proceeding through immigration and foreign traders and stall holders with “border passes”. Other causes of confusion will take time to settle.  The term TDAC is sometimes confused with ETA (Entry Travel Authorization) but they are in fact synonymous in Thailand.  The dropdown menu of foreign countries for the applicant’s passport  issuance contains some surprises.  For example, Britain is spelt “Britian” and, whilst those countries with a monarchy are mostly so listed, Denmark appears as if it’s in republican list.  However, these are not serious form-filling blots.  TDAC doubles as a health form which could cause some confusion for frequent travellers, although the foreign affairs ministry assures that help is available at major immigration entry points. Although TDAC was marketed as a hi-tech convenience to visitors – avoiding filling in manual forms at the airport – the immigration bureau has now conceded that it will also target crime.  Police major general Choengron RImpadee, chief of the immigration bureau, said TDAC will be synced with the bureau’s biometric database which allows checks against criminal backgrounds.  But it remains unsure if the new system will significantly dent well-publicized criminal behavior by ill-intentioned foreigners such as use of nominees in businesses, working without authorization and the illegal renting of condominium units for periods less than one month. Meanwhile, the prime minister has asked several government departments to investigate abuse of the 60 days visa-exempt discretion.  It is believed several options are being investigated.  These could include maintaining the status quo, limiting extensions and border runs for individuals, or reducing 60 days to 30 days for some or all nationalities.  Other suggestions include charging entry fees which could assimilate the long-delayed “tourist entry tax”, or making it difficult for visa exempt tourists to transfer to longer-stay visas such as “student” status which is allegedly open to abuse.