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Security Alert May 17, 2024

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Travel Advisory July 24, 2023

Thailand - level 1: exercise normal precautions.

Reissued with obsolete COVID-19 page links removed.

Exercise normal precautions in Thailand. Some areas have increased risk.  Read the entire Travel Advisory.

Reconsider travel to:

• Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat, and Songkhla provinces due to  civil unrest associated with ongoing insurgent activities.

Read the  country information page  for additional information on travel to Thailand.

If you decide to travel to Thailand:

• Enroll in the  Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)  to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.   
• Follow the Department of State on  Facebook  and  Twitter .   
• Review the  Country Security Report  for Thailand.
• Have evacuation plans that do not rely on U.S. government assistance.
• Visit the CDC page for the latest  Travel Health Information  related to your travel.
• Prepare a contingency plan for emergency situations. Review the  Traveler’s Checklist .

Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat, and Songkhla Provinces – Level 3: Reconsider Travel

Periodic violence directed mostly at Thai government interests by a domestic insurgency continues to affect security in the southernmost provinces of Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat, and Songkhla. In Songkhla, the insurgency is most active in the districts of Chana, Thepha, Nathawat, and Saba Yoi. U.S. citizens are at risk of death or injury due to the possibility of indiscriminate attacks in public places.

The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in these provinces as U.S government employees must obtain special authorization to travel to these provinces.

Visit our website for  Travel to High-Risk Areas .

Embassy Messages

View Alerts and Messages Archive

Quick Facts

6 months from date of entry required

One page is required per entry stamp; please note endorsement pages are not considered blank passport page

No, if your stay is less than 60 days

Yellow fever may be required if arriving from certain countries with yellow fever

Embassies and Consulates

U.S. Embassy Bangkok 95 Wireless Road Bangkok 10330 Thailand Telephone: + (66) (2) 205-4049, 02-205-4049 (within Thailand) Emergency After-Hours Telephone: +(66) (2) 205-4000, 02-205-4000 (within Thailand) Fax: +(66) (2) 205-4103, 02-205-4103 (within Thailand) Email:   [email protected]

CONSULATE 

U.S. Consulate General Chiang Mai 387 Witchayanond Road Chiang Mai 50300 Thailand Telephone: +(66) (53) 107-777, 053-107-777 (within Thailand) Emergency After-Hours Telephone: +(66) 81-881-1878, 081-881-1878 (within Thailand) Fax: +(66) (53) 252-633, 053-252-633 (within Thailand) Email:   [email protected]

Destination Description

Learn about the U.S. relationship to countries around the world.

Entry, Exit and Visa Requirements

Visit the Royal Thai Embassy website for the most current visa information.

• U.S. citizen tourists entering Thailand for fewer than 60 days do not require a visa.
• We strongly recommend that your passport be valid for at least six months beyond the date of your arrival in Thailand to avoid possible denied entry.
• Thai immigration officials or airline staff may ask for your onward/return ticket.
• Business travelers, U.S. government employees travelling on official business, teachers, retirees, and those planning to stay longer than 30 days should check with the  Royal Thai Embassy about visa requirements .
• If you overstay your visa, you will be fined. Depending on the length of overstay, you may also be arrested, detained, deported at your own expense, and banned from re-entering Thailand.

We strongly recommend you carry a copy of your U.S. passport identification page and current Thai visa to help avoid detention by the Thai immigration police.

Thailand’s entry/exit information is subject to change without notice. For the most current information, please see  The Royal Thai Police Immigration Bureau . 

You can find detailed information on vaccinations and other health precautions on the  CDC website . 

HIV/AIDS Restrictions: Some HIV/AIDS entry restrictions exist for visitors to and foreign residents of Thailand. However, these restrictions are generally not enforced. Please verify this information with the Royal Thai Embassy before you travel. COVID-19 Requirements:  There are no COVID-related entry requirements for U.S. citizens.

Find information on dual nationality , prevention of international child abduction and customs regulations on our websites.

Safety and Security

Terrorism: Terrorist groups and those inspired by such organizations are intent on attacking U.S. citizens abroad. Terrorists are increasingly using less sophisticated methods of attack – including knives, firearms, and vehicles – to more effectively target crowds. Frequently, their aim is unprotected or vulnerable targets, such as:

• High-profile public events (sporting contests, political rallies, demonstrations, holiday events, celebratory gatherings, etc.)
• Hotels, clubs, and restaurants frequented by tourists
• Places of worship
• Shopping malls and markets
• Public transportation systems (including subways, buses, trains, and scheduled commercial flights)

For more information, see our Terrorism page.

Periodic acts of violence in Thailand remain a concern.  In August 2019, several small explosions and related arson events occurred in various locations throughout Bangkok resulting in no deaths but some injuries and minor property damage. Several small-scale bombings occurred near some tourist locations in the far Southern provinces in August 2016 and December 2018. In August 2015, an explosion near the Erawan Shrine in downtown Bangkok killed at least 20 people and injured more than 100. The U.S. Department of State assesses there is a continued risk of terrorism in Southeast Asia, including in Thailand.

If a protest or demonstration is expected to pass near the U.S. Embassy or Consulate facilities,  Embassy and Consulate entrances and functions may be restricted. The U.S. Embassy in Bangkok’s  website ,  Facebook,  and  Twitter  sites and the U.S. Consulate General in Chiang Mai’s  website ,  Facebook , and  Twitter  sites post information about local events that may affect Embassy functions. Enroll in the  Smart Traveler Enrollment Program  ( STEP ) to receive security and safety messages.

Far Southern Thailand:  Periodic violence directed mostly at Thai government interests by a domestic insurgency continues to affect security in the southernmost provinces of Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat, and Songkhla. U.S. citizens are at risk of death or injury due to the possibility of indiscriminate attacks in public places. Martial law is in force in this region.

The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in these provinces. Travel to this region by U.S government employees must be reviewed and approved in advance. For more information on terrorist threats against U.S. citizens worldwide and steps to take as a result of these threats, please see the  Worldwide Caution .

• Crimes of opportunity,  such as pick-pocketing, bag-snatching, and burglary, occur in Thailand.
• Violent crimes  against foreigners are relatively rare. However, murders, rapes, and assaults against foreigners do occur.
• Sexually motivated violence,  committed by either Thai citizens or foreigners, is most likely to occur after time spent at bars, clubs, and parties, on beaches, or in remote/isolated areas. The Thai police response will differ from an investigation in the United States; investigating officials have publicly discredited people who have reported being the victim of crimes . In addition to making a report at the police jurisdiction in which the crime occurred, we advise contacting the Embassy and engaging a local attorney if you are a victim of an assault.
• When traveling alone,  exercise caution, stay near other travelers, and ensure friends or family know how to contact you.
• Taxi and “tuk-tuk”  drivers may attempt to charge excessive fares or refuse passengers. You should either request the driver use the meter or agree on the fare beforehand.
• At the airport  use only public transportation from the airport’s official pick-up area, cars from the limousine counters, or a car from your hotel.
• Rental scams  do occur in Thailand. Many rental motorbike, jet ski, and car companies will hold your passport until you pay for real or fictitious damages. We advise against using your passport as collateral.
• Exorbitant bar tab scams  occur in Thailand. Some bars and entertainment venues will charge exorbitant prices for drinks or unadvertised cover charges and threaten violence if you don’t pay.
• Other scams  involving gems, city tours, entertainment venues, and credit cards are common, especially in tourist areas.

International Financial Scams:  See the  Department of State  and the  FBI  pages for information.

Internet romance and financial scams are prevalent in Thailand. Scams are often initiated through Internet postings/profiles or by unsolicited emails and letters. Scammers almost always pose as U.S. citizens who have no one else to turn to for help. Common scams include:

• Romance/Online dating
• Money transfers
• Grandparent/Relative targeting
• Free Trip/Luggage
• Work permits/job offers

Victims of Crime: U.S. citizen victims of crime are encouraged to contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate for assistance. Report crimes to the local police by calling 191 or the Tourist Police at 1155 and contact the U.S. Embassy at +66 (0) 2-205-4049 or Consulate at +(66) (53) 107-777. Remember that only local officials have the authority to investigate and to prosecute a crime.

Domestic Violence: U.S. citizen victims of domestic violence are encouraged to contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate for assistance. Report crimes to the local police by calling 191 or the Tourist Police at 1155 and contact the U.S. Embassy at +66 (0) 2-205-4049 or Consulate at +(66) (53) 107-777. Remember that only local officials have the authority to investigate and to prosecute a crime.

See our webpage on help for U.S. victims of crime overseas .

• Help you find appropriate medical care
• Assist you in reporting a crime to the police
• Contact relatives or friends with your written consent
• Explain the local criminal justice process in general terms
• Provide a list of local attorneys
• Provide our information on victim’s compensation programs in the U.S.
• Provide an emergency loan for repatriation to the United States and/or limited medical support in cases of destitution
• Help you find accommodation and arrange flights home
• Replace a stolen or lost passport

Tourism: The tourism industry is unevenly regulated, and safety inspections for equipment and facilities do not commonly occur. Hazardous areas/activities are not always identified with appropriate signage, and staff may not be trained or certified either by the host government or by recognized authorities in the field. In the event of an injury, appropriate medical treatment is typically available only in/near major cities. First responders are generally unable to access areas outside of major cities and to provide urgent medical treatment. U.S. citizens are encouraged to purchase medical evacuation insurance. See our webpage for more information on  insurance providers for overseas coverage . 

Local Laws & Special Circumstances

Criminal Penalties: You are subject to local laws. If you violate local laws, even unknowingly, you may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned. Individuals establishing a business or practicing a profession that requires additional permits or licensing should seek information from the competent local authorities, prior to practicing or operating a business.

Furthermore, some laws are also prosecutable in the United States, regardless of local law. For examples, see our website on crimes against minors abroad and the Department of Justice website.

Arrest Notification: If you are arrested or detained, ask police or prison officials to notify the U.S. Embassy immediately. See our webpage for further information.

Conditions at the Bangkok Immigration Detention Center (IDC):  Conditions in immigration detention centers (IDCs) where authorities detain foreign nationals who violate immigration laws remain poor and most are overcrowded. IDCs, administered by the Immigration Police Bureau, which reports to the Royal Thai Police (RTP), are not subject to many of the regulations that govern the regular prison system. U.S. citizen detainees often complain of stark, austere living conditions, overcrowding, and unhealthy conditions. Personal security is poor. In addition, the main IDC in Bangkok does not dependably provide adequate medical or mental health care. In 2019, two U.S. citizens died while in custody at the Bangkok IDC. Deportations are self-funded and it may take up to two weeks for Thai authorities to process a case before deportation. Detainees must have funds to purchase a phone card and do not have access to the internet. Prior approval and a security escort are required to visit a Western Union or an ATM machine.

• Please see the  Immigration Act B.E. 1979  for more information about Thai Immigration violations.
• Please see the  Department of State’s Report on Human Rights Practices for Thailand  for further information.

Lèse majesté (Royal Insult):  Thais hold the monarchy in the highest regard. Making a critical or defamatory comment about the royal family is punishable by a prison sentence of up to 15 years per offense. As an example, purposely tearing Thai bank notes, which carry an image of the King, may be considered a lèse majesté offense.

• Prostitution is illegal in Thailand.  Serious consequences include criminal conviction and imprisonment, particularly in the case of child prostitution. 
• Commercial surrogacy is banned.
• Personal use of even non-lethal military equipment, such as protective vests and night vision scopes, is prohibited.
• Illegal drugs  carry severe penalties. Expect long jail sentences under harsh conditions, heavy fines, or even execution for possessing, using, or trafficking in illegal drugs.
• Shoplifting  can result in large fines and lengthy detention followed by deportation.
• Domestic Issues:  Local police are reluctant to become involved in domestic issues. You may call the Family Services Emergency hotline by dialing 1300 from any Thai phone.
• Possessing counterfeit or pirated goods is a crime in Thailand.  For more information see the  intellectual property section of the U.S. Department of Justice website .

Customs  may enforce strict regulations on Buddha images, firearms, bullets and/or bullet casings, bullet-proof vests, night vision devices and other para-military type equipment, explosives, drugs, radios, books, and recordings, which might be cultural property and/or considered harmful to the public interest.

Faith-Based Travelers: See the following webpages for details:

• Faith-Based Travel Information
• International Religious Freedom Report – see country reports
• Human Rights Report – see country reports
• Hajj Fact Sheet for Travelers
• Best Practices for Volunteering Abroad

LGBTI Travelers: There are no known legal restrictions on same-sex sexual relations or the organization of LGBTI events in Thailand. However, LGBTI groups report that in the case of sexual crimes, police tend to downplay sexual abuse claims from LGBTI victims.

See our LGBTI Travel Information page and section 6 of our Human Rights report for further details.

Travelers Who Require Accessibility Assistance. Sidewalks and street crossings are not suitable for travelers with mobility issues. Newly constructed buildings, facilities, and transportation equipment should be accessible by law for persons with mobility issues. However, enforcement of these provisions is not uniform.

Students: See our Students Abroad page and FBI travel tips .

Women Travelers: Some victims of sexual assault or domestic violence find that Thai authorities do not handle such cases with as much sensitivity or consideration for privacy as they would expect in the United States. See our travel tips for Women Travelers .

Ambulance services are:

• not present throughout the country or are unreliable in most areas except for Bangkok and other major cities.
• Injured or seriously ill travelers may prefer to take a taxi or private vehicle to the nearest major hospital rather than wait for an ambulance.

Medical treatment  is generally adequate in Thailand’s urban areas. In Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, and Pattaya, good facilities exist for routine, long-term, and emergency health care. Basic medical care is available in rural areas, but English-speaking providers are rare.

Medical tourism  is an established and rapidly growing industry. You should consult with your local physician before traveling and also  refer to information on medical tourism from CDC.

We do not pay medical bills. Be aware that U.S. Medicare/Medicaid does not apply overseas. Most hospitals and doctors overseas do not accept U.S. health insurance.

Medical Insurance: Make sure your health insurance plan provides coverage overseas. Most care providers overseas only accept cash payments. See our webpage for more information on insurance providers for overseas coverage. Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more information on type of insurance you should consider before you travel overseas.

We strongly recommend supplemental insurance to cover medical evacuation.

Medicine for personal use  is allowed as long as the amount does not exceed a 30-day supply and you bring the medicine with you. Do not mail medicine to Thailand without first confirming it will be allowed into the country.

If traveling with prescription medication, check with  Thailand Customs  and the  Thailand Food and Drug Administration  to ensure the medication is legal in Thailand. Always, carry your prescription medication in original packaging with your doctor’s prescription. 

The following diseases are present:

• Chikungunya
• Japanese encephalitis
• Tuberculosis:
• Hepatitis A and B
• Melioidosis         

Vaccinations: Be up-to-date on all vaccinations recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Further health information:

• World Health Organization
• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Air Quality:  The air quality in Thailand varies considerably and fluctuates with the seasons, but seasonal smog is a problem. In recent years the air quality in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, Lampang, Nan, and Samut Sakhon have exceeded Thai and U.S. government daily standards for fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) for a portion of the year. In Chiang Mai and other northern provinces, annual agricultural burning, approximately February through late April, and forest fires cause days with unhealthy to hazardous air quality based on the U.S. index. In Bangkok environs, airborne dust and auto pollutants are prevalent in the cooler, dry period (December-February). Anyone who travels where pollution levels are high is at risk. People at the greatest risk from air pollution exposure include:

• Infants, children, and teens
• People over 65 years of age
• People with lung disease such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema;
• People with heart disease
• People who work or are active outdoors

For Bangkok and Chiang Mai, U.S. Mission Thailand is reporting the U.S. EPA’s Air Quality Index (AQI) calculated from PM2.5 data captured by monitors owned and maintained by the Royal Thai Government. The information and advice on health protection measures to take is available

Visit AirNow Department of State for information on air quality at U.S. Embassies and Consulates.

The U.S. Embassy maintains a list of doctors and hospitals . We do not endorse or recommend any specific medical provider or clinic.

Health facilities in general:

• Adequate health facilities are available in Bangkok and other major cities but health care in rural areas may be below U.S. standards.
• Hospitals and doctors require payment “up front” prior to service or admission. Credit card payment is not always available.
• Medical staff at public hospitals may speak little or no English.
• Patients bear all costs for transfer to or between hospitals.
• Psychological and psychiatric services are limited, even in the larger cities, with hospital-based care only available through government institutions.

Medical Tourism and Elective Surgery:

• Medical tourism is a rapidly growing industry. People seeking health care overseas should understand that medical systems operate differently from those in the United States and are not subject to the same rules and regulations. Anyone interested in traveling for medical purposes should consult with their local physician before traveling and visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for more information on Medical Tourism.
• We strongly recommend supplemental insurance  to cover medical evacuation in the event of unforeseen medical complications.
• Your legal options in case of malpractice are very limited in Thailand.
• Although Thailand has many elective/cosmetic surgery facilities that are on par with those found in the United States, the quality of care varies widely. If you plan to undergo surgery in Thailand, make sure that emergency medical facilities are available and professionals are accredited and qualified.

Pharmaceuticals:

• Exercise caution when purchasing medication overseas. Pharmaceuticals, both over the counter and requiring prescription in the United States, are often readily available for purchase with little controls. Counterfeit medication is common and may prove to be ineffective, the wrong strength, or contain dangerous ingredients. Medication should be purchased in consultation with a medical professional and from reputable establishments.
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Food and Drug Administration are responsible for rules governing the transport of medication back to the United States. Medication purchased abroad must meet their requirements to be legally brought back into the United States. Medication should be for personal use and must be approved for usage in the United States. Please visit the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Food and Drug Administration websites for more information.

Assisted Reproductive Technology and Surrogacy:

• If you are considering traveling to Thailand to have a child through use of assisted reproductive technology (ART) or surrogacy, please see our ART and Surrogacy Abroad page .
• Surrogacy is illegal for foreigners in Thailand, subject to complex local regulation. For additional information, visit the Government of Thailand’s website for information on foreigner surrogacy.
• If you decide to pursue parenthood in Thailand via assisted reproductive technology (ART) with a gestational mother, be prepared for long and unexpected delays in documenting your child’s citizenship. Be aware that individuals who attempt to circumvent local law risk criminal prosecution.

Water Quality:

• In many areas, tap water is not potable. Bottled water and beverages are generally safe, although you should be aware that many restaurants and hotels serve tap water unless bottled water is specifically requested. Be aware that ice for drinks may be made using tap water.

Adventure Travel:

• Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for more information about Adventure Travel .

COVID-19 Testing: For the most current list of COVID-19 testing locations in Thailand approved by the Ministry of Public Health, please visit:  http://service.dmsc.moph.go.th/labscovid19 .  Testing is paid for by U.S. citizens.

The Ministry of Public Health provides a list of 44 laboratories approved to conduct COVID-19 testing found  here .

Please Note : Same-day Covid-19 testing is available at most private hospitals throughout Thailand.  Please reference this list of testing locations and contact the provider directly to inquire about COVID-19 testing options, scheduling, cost, and other information.

COVID-19 Vaccines:  The COVID-19 vaccine is available for U.S. citizens to receive in Thailand.   According to Thai authorities, both private and public hospitals are providing COVID-19 vaccines. More information on a list of hospitals in Thailand is available  here .

The Bang Rak Vaccination and Health Center, the Institute of Dermatology, and the Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute are currently providing free bivalent vaccines to non-Thai citizens on a walk-in basis.

Visit the FDA's website to  learn more about FDA-approved vaccines  in the United States.  

Travel and Transportation

Road Conditions and Safety:

• Traffic accidents are common in Thailand.  According to the  World Health Organization , in 2018, Thailand had one of the world’s highest traffic-related fatality rates. Bangkok and some parts of Chiang Mai have heavy traffic.
• Reckless driving:  Speeding, reckless passing, and failure to obey other traffic laws are common in all regions of Thailand. Traffic moves on the left. Some drivers move illegally against the traffic. Scooters and motorbikes commonly drive on the sidewalks during rush hour and other periods of heavy traffic. Commercial drivers commonly consume alcohol, amphetamines, and other stimulants.
• Accidents involving motorcycles can be deadly . Riders may incur serious injuries when they are not wearing helmets or proper clothing and footwear. According to the World Health Organization, in 2016, 74 percent of traffic fatalities involved riders of 2-and 3-wheeled vehicles. Use of motorcycle helmets is mandatory, but this law is sporadically enforced. 
• Use a pedestrian bridge  to cross the road where one is available, including in front of the U.S. Embassy on Wireless Road and on Sukhumvit Road, where many pedestrians have been killed and several U.S. citizens seriously injured. Look carefully in both directions before crossing streets, even when using a marked crosswalk. 
• If you have a traffic accident,  you should contact your insurance company for guidance in dealing with the other party and the police.
• Emergency vehicles:  Congested roads and a scarcity of ambulances can make it difficult for accident victims to receive timely medical attention

Traffic Laws:

• Driving under influence is punishable by law . If you are found to be intoxicated, you could be jailed for a minimum of two years and subject to a fine.
• Bribes are illegal.  If you are found guilty, you could be imprisoned up to five years, face severe fines, or both.
• Lack of ID.
• Not obeying traffic laws and traffic signals.
• Driving slowly in regular lanes of traffic.
• If you are involved in a traffic accident, you should contact your auto insurance company for guidance . 

Public Transportation:

• Mass transit:  In Bangkok, the BTS elevated "Skytrain," “Airport Rail Link” mass transit, and the underground MRT systems are reliable, inexpensive, air conditioned, and often faster than Bangkok traffic.
• Bus system:  Bangkok also has an extensive bus system, but buses can be overcrowded and are often driven with little or no regard for passenger safety.
• For hire vehicles:  Cities outside of Bangkok typically have only rudimentary public transportation and usually do not have metered taxis. In many cases, motorcycle taxis, tuk-tuks, bicycle-powered rickshaws, and pick-up trucks will be the only options available for travelers without their own transport.
• Smartphone-based for-hire vehicle service  exist in Bangkok and other large cities. Those affiliated with registered taxis, such as Grab Taxi, Line Taxi, and All Thai Taxi are legal, but their affiliated car services are under legal review.

See our  Road Safety page  for more information.

Aviation Safety Oversight: The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has assessed the government of Thailand’s Civil Aviation Authority as not being in compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aviation safety standards for oversight of Thailand’s air carrier operations. Further information may be found on the FAA’s safety assessment page .

Maritime Travel: Mariners planning travel to Thailand should also check for U.S. maritime advisories and alerts . Information may also be posted to the U.S. Coast Guard homeport website , and the NGA broadcast warnings .

For additional travel information

• Enroll in the  Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)  to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
• Call us in Washington, D.C. at 1-888-407-4747 (toll-free in the United States and Canada) or 1-202-501-4444 (from all other countries) from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
• See the  State Department’s travel website  for the  Worldwide Caution  and  Travel Advisories .
• Follow us on X (formerly known as "Twitter") and Facebook .
• See  traveling safely abroad  for useful travel tips.

Review information about International Parental Child Abduction in Thailand . For additional IPCA-related information, please see the International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act ( ICAPRA ) report.

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Thailand Passport Requirements: Do I Need a Passport to Go to Thailand?

Kate H. Knapp

Travel Smarter! Sign up for our free newsletter.

Traveling to a foreign country can be intimidating enough without worrying about what type of documents you need to enter the country. Thankfully Thailand passport requirements are pretty straightforward.

Thailand passport requirements state that a passport that is valid for at least six months beyond your departure date and that includes at least one blank page for an entry stamp is required to visit Thailand. Check the expiration date as soon as you book your tickets to allow for plenty of time to renew before you travel.

Be prepared to provide proof of onward or return travel plans, if necessary. Once you arrive, be sure you receive an official stamp from the Thai immigration officials, specifying the end date for your stay.

Thailand Passport Requirements

A visa isn’t required for U.S. citizens staying in Thailand for less than 30 days, but Thailand passport requirements state that a passport that is valid for at least six months beyond your departure date and that has one blank page for an entry stamp is necessary to enter the country. You may also be asked to provide an onward or return ticket to immigration officials.

Upon entry into Thailand, you will receive an official stamp on your passport with the date your stay will expire. Make sure your passport has this stamp before leaving immigration because replacing a stamp later can lead to a few minor headaches or having to return to the original port of entry.

How to Get a Passport Book for Travel to Thailand

Apply for your passport as soon as international travel is confirmed. The cost will be greater if you apply for a passport within two weeks of travel time and need an expedited application. You can learn more about the requirements and documents needed to obtain a U.S. passport here .

Other Thailand Travel Requirements

Visa : No for U.S. citizens, up to 30 days

Vaccinations : Yellow fever vaccination may be needed for those traveling from countries with yellow fever

What to Do if You Lose Your Passport in Thailand

Take every precaution to keep your passport secure, such as carrying it in a hidden passport holder, keeping it locked in a safe, and emailing copies to yourself or a loved one before traveling.

If you do lose your passport, report the loss immediately to the U.S. Embassy Bangkok .

So, Do I Need a Passport to Visit Thailand?

In summary: Yes. Thailand passport requirements state that you must have a U.S. passport that will remain valid for at least six months after your travel dates, as well contain as least one blank page for an entry stamp. You may also need to show proof of return or onward travel.

More Information When Visiting Thailand

The  U.S. Department of State  provides detailed information, including travel advisories and passport validity requirements, to your destination.

For information on how to apply or renew a passport,  visit  here .

Tourism Authority of Thailand  is a great resource for things to do and places to stay, as well as everything you need to know before you go when planning a trip to Thailand.

Protect Your Passport

We recommend investing in a passport cover or wallet to protect your pages from bends, tears and spills. It’s important to keep your passport in good condition for easy inspection. 

On travel days, only take your passport out during inspection. Otherwise, keep it stowed away in a dedicated section of your bag (if you keep it in the same place every time, you won’t ever scramble to locate it). Once you arrive at your destination, find a way to stow it securely. In-room safes or safe deposit boxes at the hotel front desk are generally good options, but if neither is available, you’ll need to decide how to keep your passport secure. You might consider keeping it in an under-clothing money belt that you wear, or leaving it in the hotel or vacation rental but locking it in your suitcase with a TSA-approved lock .

Dress Up Your Passport

Shop the look.

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More from SmarterTravel:

• 5 Exotic Places Where You Don’t Need a Passport
• How to Renew a Passport, Global Entry, and TSA PreCheck—The Ultimate Guide
• How to Take Your Own Passport Photo

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Important: Double-Check Your Entry Stamps in Thailand

If you’re traveling to Thailand, you should be careful of receiving the wrong entry stamp, letting you stay for less than or greater than your intended period. These are known as “bad stamps” and can result in grave consequences regarding your status in Thailand if not resolved in time. 

Some of these errors can include:

• Stamping the incorrect page of your passport
• Providing the wrong end date on your entry stamp
• Giving you an arrival stamp meant for an entirely different visa 

For instance, you may be entering Thailand under a 30-day visa exemption stamp, but the border officer issued you a 90-day tourist visa stamp instead. While you may think that holding this stamp permits you to stay for 90 days as indicated, in reality, you did not apply for any visa before arriving. The Thai immigration database still lists you as being visa exempt without a 90-day tourist visa, and therefore, will penalize you for overstaying if you remained for more than 30 days in the country. 

Ignorance is no defense

Double-checking your arrival stamps is your responsibility and failure to do so will not waive any of the resulting penalties. To avoid any issues, ensure you verify the date and passport page where the stamp is located each time an immigrant officer stamps your passport. The moment the officer provides the stamp to you, open your passport, flip to the correct page, and check the stamp to ensure the date is correct. Notify the officer immediately if there are any inaccuracies.

To determine which stamp you need, you must know what your actual status in Thailand is as a foreigner. Are you arriving in Thailand under a visa exemption status and did not acquire any visa beforehand? Did you apply for a 90-day visa? Did you apply for a Thailand Elite Visa ? Once you know this, you’ll be able to recognize if the stamp you received was a “bad stamp” since you will know how long you’re supposed to stay. 

For example, if you are exempted from needing a visa to travel for 30 days, your stamp should not list an end date greater than 30 days. For some nationalities, such as South Korea and Russia, you are allowed to stay for 90 days without needing a visa. Being mindful of these specifics will help you avoid any problems arising from errors beyond your control. 

Be sure to speak up

On the other hand, some officers will provide a stamp limiting your stay to only 30 days when you already have a visa allowing you to reside longer. This is common if you have to apply for a re-entry permit each time you leave the country. Make sure you convey to the officer at the border that you have a re-entry permit and a valid visa, so they won’t automatically issue the wrong arrival stamp. 

Foreigners are usually permitted to stay in Thailand up to a certain number of days depending on which visa they hold. Staying longer than that, even if unintentional, results in an overstay penalty. Depending on how long the period is, you could face hefty fines or even deportation and a ban on reentering Thailand. If you notice any discrepancies, you must immediately request for corrections to be made.

If you notice any errors on your entry stamps, you can amend them at the following locations:

• The nearest Thai Immigration Office (if you’re in Bangkok you can reach out to the office located on Chaeng Wattana Road).*
• Suvarnabhumi Airport or Phuket International Airport (only if arriving by air).
• Land Border Office that issued the stamp (only if arriving by land).**

*NOTE: Some immigration officers may direct you to an airport to complete this process.

**NOTE: Even if you arrived in Thailand by land, you can still check in with the Thai Immigration Office to see if they can make the corrections from their end. 

Speak to the officers working at any of the above locations and provide an in-depth explanation of your situation. Explain to them which visa you applied for or whether you were under exempted status and show them the stamp you received upon arrival. The officer will then replace the stamp on your passport with the correct one. 

Be in the know before you go

As Thailand undergoes a surge of popularity amongst tourists, the government is becoming stricter on issuing penalties and cracking down on overstays. Keeping a close eye out for any mistakes on your arrival stamp will help you avoid sudden fines and difficulties in applying for another visa in the future. 

If you are ever unsure about what visas you need in Thailand or are having trouble with Thai immigration, contact Siam Legal for expert advice and legal services . Our bilingual legal team has over 20 years of experience dealing with legal issues of all kinds in Thailand and will ensure you have the information you need and that your rights are protected.

Category : Travel to Thailand

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Thailand Immigration Control Procedure for Foreigners

Thailand Immigration control procedure for foreign passport holders at the airport in Thailand is pretty simple if only you have all the required documents in place. What to expect during your arrival at the airport?

Thailand Immigration Counters

Once at the airport, just proceed to the immigration counters by following the signs “ Immigration ”.

If you are from one of the eligible countries and have a plan to use Thailand Visa on Arrival , you must go to “ Visa on Arrival ” counters first. Detailed information about applying for Visa on Arrival at different airports in Thailand can be found here:

• Visa on Arrival at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK)
• Visa on Arrival at Bangkok Don Mueang Airport (DMK)
• Visa on Arrival at Phuket International Airport (HKT)
• Visa on Arrival at Krabi International Airport (KBV)
• Visa on Arrival at Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX)

Thailand Immigration at the airports usually has separate counters not only for Foreign passports and Thai passports but also ASEAN passports and even Chinese passports .

Quite often you might encounter long lines at Immigration counters of Suvarnabhumi Airport. Luckily, there is a fast track immigration service that lets you enter the country fast and worry-free. The service can be pre-booked here: Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport Fast Track Immigration Service .

Phuket Airport is also offering similar service that lets you to take the worry out of your arrival or departure at the airport and enjoy a VIP service through the airport formalities . You can book online Phuket Airport VIP Immigration Fast-Track Service that will fast track you through immigration and hotel transfer.

Thailand Immigration Procedure

The steps of Thailand Immigration control procedure for foreign passport holders are listed below.

Present your passport  and boarding pass . Immigration card (TM.6) is no longer used at the airports.

In most cases, your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the day of your arrival. Tourists who are planning to use Visa on Arrival must possess passport with at least 1 month validity.

Thailand Immigration card is currently only needed when arriving by land or by sea. You can find plenty of them just before the Immigration. More information about Thai immigration card can be found here: Thailand Arrival Card .

Immigration officer will compare your personal appearance to your passport photo.

Your Thailand visa / Thailand visa exemption will be checked.

All the passengers from 45 countries in health control list must show the immigration card with stamp from health control counter that they have been tested for diseases specifically prohibited and prescribed in the regulations. In case if there is no stamp to show at passport control, the passenger will be taken to health control first.

List of countries which require International Health Certificate for Yellow Fever Vaccination is as follows:

• Burkina Faso
• Central African Republic
• Congo Republic
• Cote d’ Ivore
• Equatorial Guinea
• French-Guiana
• Guinea-Bissau
• Sao Tome & Principe
• Sierra Leone
• Trinidad and Tobago

The blacklist status of travellers will be checked on computer system.

If you haven’t overstayed your Thailand visa before and have no criminal record, you shouldn’t have any troubles at this step.

All information of passport, flight number and all arrival information will be  recorded .

Passport will be  stamped .

Holders of Single-Entry or Multiple-Entry Tourist Visa will be given an entry stamp for 60 days, most of tourists using  visa exemption  – entry stamp for 30 days, travellers with Visa on Arrival – entry stamp for 15 days. Some nationalities and holders of different types of Thailand visa can get an entry stamp with a longer duration.

Your stay in the country can later be extended at one of Thailand Immigration offices. Detailed information about the extension can be found here: Thailand Visa Extension .

Your passport will be returned to you.

Afterward, you can collect your baggage from the belt.

Take the worry out of your arrival at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport after a long flight, and enjoy a VIP service through the airport formalities. Take advantage of a premium service that fast tracks you through immigration by booking it online here: Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport Fast Track Immigration Service .

Border-Visa Run 101: What You Need to Know

After receiving several inquiries from readers of my other related posts, who were confused about the difference between a visa run and a border run, I decided to clarify exactly what these terms involve and the distinctions between the two.

To begin, let's understand why you might need to do a visa or border run in the first place.

When you enter Thailand, you will receive an exemption stamp, allowing you to stay for either 30 days or 15 days, depending on your country of origin.

Once this duration is over, you must leave the country.

To extend your stay, you have the option of visiting an immigration office and paying a fee of 1,900 Baht, but this can only be done once.

Another way to extend your stay is to exit the country and return.

Moreover, those who possess a visa have a specific period allowed for their stay in the country, usually 60 or 90 days, depending on the type of visa.

Upon reaching the end of this period, they must either extend their visa inside Thailand or leave the country. If they leave, they can either return to reactivate another period of validity on their existing visa or obtain a new visa from a consulate or embassy in another country.

Let's delve into this topic further to gain a deeper understanding.

The border separating Thailand and Cambodia, Aranyaprathet to Poipet.

The Difference Between a Visa Run & Border Run

The terms “visa run” and “border run” can be used interchangeably, though there are nuances pertaining to different circumstances.

Both require you to go across the border and back, so essentially they are one of the same thing. However, depending on your situation, they may mean slightly different things.

For the sake of this post I'll provide examples to explain how they can differ slightly in meaning, but by the end of the post you'll see why they are really one and the same.

The Visa Run

If you do not have a visa and are seeking to obtain one, you will need to visit a consulate or embassy outside of Thailand.

This will likely require you to stay for one or two nights in your destination, giving you enough time to visit the consulate or embassy, apply for, and collect the visa.

Arguably, this is the primary difference between these two terms.

In this scenario, the term “visa run” would be more applicable because you are crossing the border to obtain a visa.

However, the term “visa run” can still be applied to those who already have a visa, as we'll discuss below, since they are seeking to get a new stamp in their visa by running to the border.

The Border Run

When people use the term “border run,” it generally refers to the fact that they already have a visa or are seeking to re-enter the country on an exemption stamp. In this case, they need to go over the border and return on the same day.

So, the term “border run” essentially means literally going over the border and coming back (running to the border and back = border run).

Several companies offer this service, and a typical border run involves obtaining a ticket from a border run company and boarding a minivan early in the morning. The minivan will then take you to the nearest border, usually involving a 3-4 hour trip there and back.

Upon reaching the destination country's side of the border, you turn around and return directly to Thailand, obtaining a re-entry stamp in the process.

Land Border Runs

If you do not have a proper visa and were previously on an exemption stamp, which would have given you 30 days on arrival at the airport (or 15 days, depending on your country of origin), re-entering Thailand via land will grant you a new stamp with a validity of 30 days.

It used to be the case that leaving Thailand and returning would only get you a 15-day stay, but this rule has since changed for most nationalities.

Additionally, immigration authorities keep track of the number of “in-out” stamps in your passport. If you abuse the system by repeatedly entering and leaving the country without obtaining a proper visa, you may expect to be stopped by immigration officials, questioned on this matter, and possibly refused a new stamp.

If you aren't sure whether your country of origin will permit you a 15 or 30-day stay in Thailand, you can check here on Wikipedia.

A few lucky countries – Argentina, Brazil, Chile, South Korea and Peru – are allowed 90 days within any 6 months.

Airport Border Runs

Flying in and out of Thailand can still be considered a border run or a visa run because you are crossing a border, turning around, and coming back in. However, the rules will be slightly different for those who do not have a proper visa.

If you fly out of Thailand and return on the same day, you can receive another 30-day stamp on arrival. Nevertheless, if you frequently engage in airport border/visa runs, expect to be questioned by immigration at some point.

Immigration officials will inquire about your intentions and ask why you need to keep leaving and returning to Thailand.

If you have a girlfriend, wife, or family in Thailand or if you are working there, they will want to know why you haven't obtained the appropriate visa for your situation.

Even if you are simply a tourist who enjoys visiting repeatedly, they will ask why you have not acquired a tourist visa for this purpose.

Indeed, I advise obtaining a tourist visa rather than doing back-to-back border/visa runs – it will save you any hassle with immigration. A tourist visa is relatively cheap and easy to obtain. See here.

Getting Your Visa Stamped (at the border)

For those who do have a proper visa, such as a Multiple Entry Tourist Visa or a Multiple Entry Non-Immigrant O Visa, when you cross the border and return, you will receive a stamp that activates a new validity period for your existing visa.

If you have a Multiple Entry Tourist Visa, you will be granted another 60 days of stay. On the other hand, if you have a Multiple Entry Non-Immigrant O Visa, you will be given an additional 90 days of stay.

It's worth noting that these visas can be extended at immigration for a cost of 1,900 Baht. So, if you are unable to do a border run, you can still extend your visa for a certain period by visiting immigration with the required documentation and fee.

If you possess a Non-Immigrant O Visa, you will be allowed to extend once during the yearly validity period, for 60 days. For those with a Multiple Entry Tourist Visa, you can extend once within the visa validity period, for 30 days.

For those who are new to this process, I hope this post provides a clear insight into what a visa/border run is, why it is necessary, and the differences between the two terms.

If your visa is about to expire and you need to leave the country to activate another period of validity, or you simply want to enter and exit to receive another 15 days in Thailand, or even if you want to visit the consulate or embassy of another country to obtain a visa, you can find my recommended visa/border run itinerary at the link below.

Getting a Visa to Cross the Border

Depending on your nationality, you may need a visa to cross over the border into the country where you are doing your border/visa run. For example, the large majority of nationalities will require a visa to enter Laos.

In Laos, this visa can be obtained and paid for at the border. You can pay in US Dollars or Baht, with US Dollars usually being the cheaper option.

However, you also have the option to get your visa in advance, which can be advantageous and more convenient. By doing so, you won't need to fill in the visa application form upon arrival or fiddle with money at the border.

You can use the widget below to determine whether or not you need a visa for your destination country.

Visa Document Checker

If you are considering doing a visa run, then check out my recommendation for the fastest, most comfortable, most affordable visa run option.

In this post, I break down the entire visa run step-by-step, and even recommend great but cheap accommodation for those who need to stay overnight to in order to visit the Thai embassy.

The Fastest & Most Comfortable Visa Run Under 3,000 Baht [In 10 Easy Steps]

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Last Updated on September 21, 2023

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Sample Thailand Exit Stamp in Passport when you leave Thailand

After your travel is complete in Thailand and you are departing the country, you will go through the immigration check, where visa officer will inspect your passport, collect the departure card and stamp on your passport. It is important to understand how the stamp looks as it will have the date on which you actually left the kingdom of Thailand. It will be your proof in future that you have not overstayed in the country.

Sample Thailand Exit Stamp in Passport during Departure

Complete Stamps in Passport during Entry and Exit to Thailand

Below are the complete list of stamps on your passport, when you arrive and exit in Thailand using Visa on Arrival.

Other Articles

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Multiple Entry Tourist Visa for Thailand

Thailand has long been considered the tourist hub of South East Asia. People will arrive in the country, enjoy their time, and then head out to explore neighboring countries. Because of its welcoming locals, rich culture, exquisite food, beach, and mountain getaways, people know they will return. Many foreigners stay in Thailand for months and barely scratch the surface of discovering this beautiful country. This is why a Multiple Entry Tourist Visa is the perfect travel solution.

Foreigners can enter Thailand for a holiday in many ways. If they are limited in time and are from a Visa Exempt country, they can visit for up to 30 days without needing a visa through Thailand’s Visa Exemption scheme . This scheme is open to 64 nationalities from around the world. If someone is not eligible for a visa exemption, they can organize a 15-day Visa on Arrival when they arrive in Thailand.

These are good if you are short on time or only intend to visit once, but to truly experience Thailand, you need time. If you plan to visit multiple countries during your stay in Asia, the Multiple Entry Visa is the quickest and cheapest way to plan your holiday.

What is a Multiple Entry Tourist Visa?

A Multi-Entry Tourist Visa allows foreign nationals unlimited entry to Thailand over a 6-month period. It is issued to people who visit the country for tourism, leisure, or medical purposes. 

A multi-entry visa allows the holder to stay in Thailand for up to 60 days per visit. A person could visit the islands in the south of Thailand, relax on the beach and learn to scuba dive for two months; fly to Vietnam and enjoy the sights of Saigon for a week or two; and then return to Thailand’s northern mountains to experience animal sanctuaries, Lan Na culture, and cook northern Thai food.

With a multi-entry visa, people can enter either by air, land, or sea. Many people arrive by plane and then leave by train or boat.

The visa is valid for 6 months after it is approved. This means that people have 6 months to use the visa and enter Thailand as often as they like from the date their visa is approved. It is easy to confuse visa validity with time spent in the country. Validity is how long you have to utilize or use the visa before needing to apply for a new one. Time in the country is the 60-day permission of stay. A stamp is placed in your passport for 60 days when you arrive, so a visitor can arrive on the last day of their visa validity and still get a full 60 days to stay in Thailand.

How to apply for a Multiple Entry Tourist Visa

Many nationalities can now apply for their Thailand Multi-Entry Tourist Visa online at https://thaievisa.go.th/home . This system was updated during Covid and is often the simplest way to obtain a visa.

When applying for a visa online, applicants need to create an account and apply as individuals. Once the account is created, individuals will need the following documents:

• A current passport with no less than 6 months validity beyond the date of departure from Thailand and at least 2 blank pages. Applicants must complete online visa applications with their given name(s) and surname matching their passports.
• Printout of visa application form submitted online, with barcode
• Travel booking confirmation
• Proof of accommodation in Thailand, e.g. hotel booking, invitation letter from family or friend in Thailand
• Financial evidence showing a balance of 200,000 Thai Baht (approx. £5000, USD$5,5000, Aud$8000). This is to prove financial stability over a 6-month period. e.g. bank statements, proof of earnings, sponsorship letter from employer
• Confirmation of legal residence in the country where the application is submitted  (if applicants are not nationals of these countries) e.g. long stay visa, residence permit, BRP card

E-Visa applicants do not need to submit their passport and original supporting documents in person at a Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate. After the e-Visa application has been approved, a confirmation email is sent to applicants. It is best to print a copy of the confirmation email when you are ready to travel. This will be presented to airlines and Thai Immigration officials when traveling to Thailand.

Certain countries are not eligible to apply for an E-Visa because additional documents are needed for approval. 

If you are unsure if eligible for an online visa or do not have access to the online application process, you can contact your local Thai Embassy and organize an appointment. Immigration requirements can change without notice, and many embassies will not allow walk-ins, so it is best to contact the embassy when you are ready to apply. They will confirm the costs and paperwork required.

Minimum documents needed:

• Passport with 6 months (after the intended date of departure from Thailand) validity and at least 2 empty pages.
• Visa application form completed and signed
• Proof of travel booking
• Proof of Accommodation
• Financial evidence – Bank statement or proof of earnings (equivalent to 200,000 Thai Baht)
• Letter of acceptance from institutes or companies organizing activities (if traveling for the purpose of scuba diving, martial arts, or culinary learning) 

All documents in a foreign language must be translated into English or Thai and certified before they will be approved.

The cost of a multi-entry tourist visa can vary from country to country, but an estimated cost is $150 – $250 USD. It is important to note that many embassies will only accept payment in $USD. Confirm cost and currency with your local Embassy or Consulate when making an initial query.

If you are applying online, the E-Visa system will confirm the payment due and process the payment through their secure payment portal.

Assistance with Visa Applications

The process for applying is straightforward and can be done yourself. If you would like help confirming documents are correct before lodging your application or wish to receive approval without going back and forth to embassy appointments, you can enlist the services of a Visa Assistance Agent . These agents are aware of current immigration requirements and will confirm documents are correct to avoid delays. They will liaise with embassies and consulates on your behalf.

Agents will charge a fee for their service but often save you time and money in the long run. They streamline your application process and speed up your approval. Agents can assist with online applications, though you may be required to pay the visa fee directly through E-Visa secure payment portal.

Tourist Visa Restrictions

As noted above, Multiple Entry Tourist Visas are for tourism, leisure, or medical purposes only. Foreigners cannot earn income, study long-term, or conduct volunteer activities in Thailand if they have entered with a tourist visa.

If you wish to take part in any of the above activities, you will need to look at long-term visa options. You can contact your local Thai embassy to discuss options, or seek assistance from a Visa Agent to apply for a long-term visa .

Arriving in Thailand

When you arrive in Thailand, you will need to provide the following documents at Passport Control:

• Passport with approved visa attached (if you applied at an Embassy)
• Confirmation letter of visa approval (if you applied online)
• Confirmed exit flight from the country no later than 60 days
• Confirmed accommodation (at least for the first night in the country)
• Current financial or bank statement showing funds available (200,000 Thai Baht equivalent)

A good practice is to print copies of these documents. Entry approval is at the discretion of immigration officers and presenting hard copies of these documents will speed your processing through Passport Control and help ease congestion at the airport.

Extending your Tourist Visa

If you decide you would like to stay for longer than 60 days before visiting somewhere else, it is possible to extend your stay in Thailand. Visitors with a Multi-Entry Tourist visa can extend their time in the country by 30 days by visiting a local Thai Immigration Office. An extension of stay will cost 1900 Thai Baht and must be paid in cash (Thai Baht) when applying for the extension. 

When you extend your stay, a new stamp will be placed in your passport for 30 days from the date you are at immigration, so it is best to do this towards the end of your 60-day visit.

You need to visit the office before your current stay period expires. Staying in the country past your exit date will cause an “overstay” and you will be fined 500 baht per day after your official exit date. An overstay is noted in your passport and can affect future visa applications. This extension of stay is only available in the country.

It is important to note that Thai Immigration offices are not open on weekends.

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How to Extend Your Tourist Stay in Thailand: Thai Visa Extension Made Simpler

THAI VISA EXTENSION FOR SETV, METV AND VISA WAIVER

By John Belushi last updated on July 9, 2023

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When you are in Thailand, maybe you want to start a meditation retreat. Maybe you think you’ve fallen in love. Maybe you just want to sit around and drink beer while watching the waves crash on the seashore.

Maybe you are planning to find a job in Thailand (for which you would need a Thai work permit ).

And that’s when you realize you want to get a Thai visa extension or extend your visa-exempt entry. So a 30-day visa extension works out if you :

• Entered Thailand with a 60-day visa or SETV.
• Came with a 6-month visa or METV to Thailand.
• Entered with a visa waiver for 30 days (the Thai government has changed this visa waiver to 45 days starting from 1st October 2022 until March 2023). You can enter by land, sea or air.

And should you go for it, it’s really easy to go to the nearest immigration office and get it for 1900 THB. In reality, what you obtain is the extension of stay. You don’t get a visa sticker on your passport or anything. You simply get a stamp.

Table of Contents

How Many Thai Visa Waivers Can I Get & Extend?

There are a lot of conflicting reports online that you are allowed up to six per calendar year and some say only two.

My take is this: a big part of this depends on your personal travel history and stamps in Thailand, and whether the immigration officer had a bad day.

Personally, I think you would be fine since your last entry was a long time ago. But do have an onward ticket.

Which Border is the Best for Visa Run?

While Laos still remains the safest and easiest of all, Malaysia is just fine. Have not heard any bad news about it pretty recently.

You can take the overnight sleeper train to Penang besar. From there you can take another train to penang, if you wish to stay in Malaysia but it is not really required.

And in case you want to try the Myanmar one, the Mae Sot border- what I know is that you’ll be required to wait in the office while your passport is stamped and then asked to return immediately to Thailand.

You can’t stay there overnight. You are only permitted to cross the bridge for the purposes of a border run.

7-day Thai Visa Extension 1. Are you from Sri Lanka,India,Pakistan,Bangladesh, Iran,Nepal,Togo,Nigeria or Uganda? You can get a 7-day Thai visa extension only even if you entered with a SETV or METV. 2. Did you get 15 days visa waiver while entering Thailand? Then you can get a Thai visa extension for 7 days only. 3. Did you enter with a Thai visa on arrival for 15 days? You can get Thai visa on arrival extension for 7 days only for medical reasons.

What to Do about Onward Ticket for Thai Visa Extension?

This is something that a lot of folks have asked about in the comments. The thing about the onward ticket is that, while you do need it while extending the visa, there are a bunch of airlines that would not let you board if you don’t have one.

Been there and done that.

The best solution to this is to simply rent a flight ticket . There are a lot of other solutions that might or might not work for you. Here is a whole post on getting a travel itinerary for visa purposes.

Here is what you do. Rent the ticket a day or two before your original visa waiver or SETV runs out, without taking the extension into account. That means, if your SETV is for 60 days, you rent a ticket to leave Thailand on the 58th or 59th day.

Then once you are in Thailand, and when it is time for the extension, either buy a real ticket if you are gonna fly out or a bus/train ticket to Laos or some other country or rent a flight ticket again.

Do You Need Insurance for Thai Visa Extension?

No, for the extension itself, you don’t need insurance, although you would have gotten it in the first place for entering Thailand.

That being said, we always recommend to our readers that they are fully insured when they are traveling. And for what it’s worth, we believe at close to 10 USDs per week and covering almost everything including COVID, SafetyWing is one of the best providers.

This is something that we have already used ourselves. And if you are having doubts, here are 18 backpackers who could throw some light on why backpacker travel insurance is super important.

When to Get Thai Visa Extension

You must apply for a visa extension before your stay permit or visa expires!

I recommend planning to get your extension a week earlier. It is better to not wait until the last minute.

Where to Extend Thailand Tourist Visa

Each province has at least one immigration office. You can find the list of branches on the official website of Thailand Immigration . The office and its outbuildings act as a one-stop shop for the process.

You can also refer to this map for Thailand Immigration Offices, however, please note that sometimes the locations can change. Please do some homework before you show up.

You must visit in person to apply for the extension. The extension gives you an additional 30 days on your current entry.

New Location for Extension on Visa Waivers in Bangkok

There is a new location (because of Covid) for the extension of Visa Waivers in Bangkok: IT Square Laksi Plaza, 3rd Floor ( 8.30 am – 4.30 pm)

If you came with SETV to Thailand, then the location to get the visa extension is Chaeng Watthana.

Immigration offices are open Monday-Friday and closed on local holidays.

These locations in Bangkok have changed in the recent past. So make sure to confirm before showing up.

Here is Billy’s experience with Visa Extension in Ayutthaya .

It went quickly (11am Friday). Can do photocopies (3 baht/page) and pictures across the street at a small shop with a camera sticker on the window.

The receptionist at immigration called my hostel, but not sure if actually checking that I was staying or just if it existed.

Then a desk to fill out a few forms – one worker was very helpful and spoke some English. (And had white-out for things like when it said “date” but then the next line had month and year)

Then the office, where I was seen immediately. Around 10 minutes of her doing paperwork, a webcam pic, then you pay and another officer signs off on your passport. Takes up about 1/3 of a page.

(Oh and no problem not having a collar in my photo, I’d read that elsewhere)

Required Documents for Thai Visa Extension

To extend your stay, you will need:

• TM7 Extension of Temporary Stay form -Must include the complete address of your hotel or apartment
• A copy of your passport ID page
• A copy of your entry stamp or a copy of your visa, if you entered with one.
• Thai visa extension photo requirements:- 1 passport photo, 4x6cm
• 1,900฿ fee for extension paid in cash

Some immigration offices can ask for TM30 optionally. Usually they don’t since the hotel has the responsibility to get it for you, although you can do it as well. This can be done online or by visiting the local immigration office. There have been cases where people dug up a screenshot of the filing done by the property manager from phone and business card, and that worked. But don’t count on luck.

All copies must be signed. There’s always a photocopier and a photoshop on-premise or nearby where these can be arranged for a small fee. 

Steps of Getting Thai Visa Extension

The whole procedure to extend Thailand visa is straightforward but it can be time-consuming. Expect to spend 1-2 hours at the immigration office. The fastest I’ve completed an extension was in 30 minutes. 

Grab the TM.7 application form for Thai visa extension. It’s a 2-page form. You can also download TM.7 form here .

Complete the form. You will need to fill in your personal information, no. of requested days, the reason for the extension, address in Thailand etc. Then gather the necessary copies and a photo. Attach your photo to the designated area in the form and sign it.

Hand over your passport and paperwork to receive a queue number.

When your number is called you’ll approach the indicated desk and your photo will be taken. Pay the 1900 THBs at that time- cash only. You’ll be sent away and approximately 5-10 minutes later you’ll be called by your name.

This is when your passport is handed back to you with an extra stamp permitting an additional 30 days of stay. 

Whether you need 3, 13, or all 30 days; the process and the fee remain the same.

Important: Follow The Law

Now some people might be thinking, “Wow! 1900฿,  I only need 2 or 3 more days before I fly out. What if I don’t take the time and pay the money for an extension?”

There is an overstay penalty. Every day past your permission to stay is a 500฿ fine. This is usually discovered at departure. People get caught up, forget, change a flight, etc. You will get a stamp in your passport indicating you overstayed and how much you paid. In the past, if this is an honest mistake and you’ve overstayed a few hours to less than a day, the immigration officials at the airport may waive the fine. How does that happen? Maybe you’ve got a late night or early morning “red-eye” flight.

You arrive at the airport at 23:00 for your 1:30 flight. By the time you check-in and get processed by immigration, it could be after midnight. In this scenario, they are likely to waive the fine.

If you only call it an overstay fine, maybe it doesn’t sound so bad. The truth is you have broken the law. You are illegally staying in Thailand. This is no joke.

So, I would recommend you to get a Thai visa extension if you plan to stay longer.

How was your experience extending your Thai visa?

Let me know in the comments if you have any questions about Thai visa extension. If you want to add something that you experienced, do let me know. Please share if you think it’s useful.

Read More Thai Visa Experiences

• Thailand non-immigrant visa
• 60 Day Thailand Tourist Visa
• Thailand Work Permit Visa
• Thai Visa on Arrival
• 90 Days Report in Thailand
• Thailand Visa in Nepal

Disclaimer: This article may contain affiliate links. Please see my  disclaimer policy  here. The Visa Project would by no means be liable for any purchase of tours, tickets, and any other online reservations that are made with any third-party provider.

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Reader Interactions

April 19, 2021 at 11:43 pm

How many times can a visa exempt traveler (flying in) extend? For example, Thailand is currently allowing a 45 day stay for visa exempt travelers. After that 45 days, one has the option to stay 30 more days. Beyond that, can this same tourist continue to extend without needing a border run, or how would that work?

April 20, 2021 at 4:19 pm

Hi Aaron, After the first 30 day extension, you would need to make a border run. In some situations, you can get 7 more days, but that’s it really.

April 23, 2021 at 4:30 am

Hi again Deb,

Does the exentsion clock begin the day the extension is granted or received?

I have understood that with 15 days remaining, the extension would begin at the end of those 15 days to start the 30 anew (for a total of 45 days remaining). Is this true?

April 23, 2021 at 4:44 pm

Hi Aaron, The regular extension is added to the expiration date of your current stamp so that you wouldn’t lose any days. I you look at the extension pic in the article, you can see the date granted was 27 Mar but the date on the extension is 15 May. So it is a 30 day extension that means, it would actually be counted from 15th April.

October 28, 2021 at 5:17 pm

Hello, Is the limit to only one time 30 days extension for exempt holders still in place? Or can I extend twice 30 days now? In case of a border run, which one is the most convenient at the moment?

October 28, 2021 at 5:40 pm

Hi, You can extend for 30 days only once if you have a SETV. Not happening with exemption these days. The best option is to get a visa.

July 22, 2022 at 5:34 pm

Thanks for this topic hope you can help me. I just extended my visa to onother 30 days . Can i stay for 7 more . Because the reason my flight ticket is more than the i extend.please advice.

July 25, 2022 at 3:46 am

Hi Maricel, You can try the Covid extension for 60 days.

April 6, 2023 at 4:46 am

Hi.. after my 30 day extension visa last March, Ive done a visa run and got another 45 days. Can I have an extension again?

April 6, 2023 at 8:27 pm

Hi Nessa, I don’t see why not.

January 8, 2024 at 7:38 pm

Can you advise me I have a 30 day exempt visa from uk I want another 30 days so I apply at immigration making 60

I then leave for Laos for 30 Can I come back in again on another 30 day exemption. Even though I’m not starting from uk

How many times can I do this in a year?

January 30, 2024 at 3:57 pm

Hi Liz, Yes you can come back and stay and extend for 30 days again. That is fine. As per how many times, that’s always subjective. I would not recommend you to do it more than 4 times in a year but people have done it more than that in the past. Please feel free to read some comments.

Happy travels, Deb

January 2, 2022 at 10:27 am

I’m here in Thailand on a 30 day visa exemption from Australia and my girlfriend’s arrival from the Philippines has been delayed for a month until the 19th Jan. What are my best options? My visa exemption expires on 20th Jan. Also, can “visa agents” in Thailand be trusted? I’ve found some places in Bangkok that come and collect your passport and get your extension for you. Are they to be trusted?

January 22, 2022 at 4:25 pm

Personally, unless I know its a Gov official, NEVER hand over your passport to anyone. Not for a deposit hold, and certainly not for them to run off to do something for you. Go to immigration office yourself and hand them your passport.

July 18, 2022 at 9:57 am

Thank you for the article. Are the Covid extensions for BKK still being done at the Chaengwattana Immigration office or has the location moved to IT Square Laksi? I keep finding conflicting information online and haven’t been able to successfully get through when I call either office. Thank you!

January 27, 2023 at 5:01 am

If I enter before March 31 st…will I get 45 days exemption ?or is it back to 30 days from then

January 27, 2023 at 9:07 pm

Hi Paul, You should get 45 days ideally if you enter before 31st March.

March 16, 2023 at 4:49 am

Hello…is there a limit to the number of times you can apply for a 30 day visa extension at immigration office (arrival by 45 day tourist visa exemption).

May 6, 2021 at 6:03 am

Is it possible to extend into the STV if you came in on a 45 visa exemption?

Great article, really easy to follow.

May 6, 2021 at 4:21 pm

Hi Tom, Yes, you can extend for 30 more days after the 45 days of visa exemption.

May 23, 2021 at 12:50 pm

Hi Deb, is there an official website where inmigration show this information? I am not able to find it.

Just landed on your site looking for quick info, but it seems you provide consistent support. So great, thank you so much.

May 23, 2021 at 4:30 pm

Hi Toño, Unfortunately, the document that contained info was in Thai and the link to that document is not working right now. But you can still refer to the US embassy update on this: https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/covid-19-information/ . Go to Entry and Exit requirements. US embassy updates the info frequently.

And thank you for your kind words.

April 21, 2022 at 2:45 pm

Hello. Is it possible to get a 60 day extension on my 30 VOA ( from UK); paying 1,900 baht?

Additionally, am correct in thinking this will finish near the end of May. Thanks.

April 24, 2022 at 6:33 am

Hi John, You can get the 30-day and then the 60-day extension. As per the current updates, yes, it is supposed to run until May.

July 9, 2021 at 7:49 pm

Where did you get the information that you can extend a visa exemption for 45 days (rather than 30)? – I can find this nowhere other than your website

July 10, 2021 at 8:29 am

Hi Roy, Thank you for pointing it out. The 45 days applies to stay and not extension. I have rectified it. You can look at the info on 45 days stay on the website of the Thai embassy in the US .

May 16, 2023 at 3:26 pm

I have a friend who went to Thailand on January 25, 2023. He continues to extend his stay every month for 30 + days. Can you tell me what Visa does he has in place.

May 26, 2023 at 10:35 am

Wish I knew. Why wouldn’t your friend tell you? 🙂

May 18, 2021 at 10:54 pm

Is the COVID extension policy still in effect (60 day extension) ? I came to Thailand on exemption visa from US (45 days) but like to use the COVID 19 extension to get additional 60 days, is that possible? Thanks

May 19, 2021 at 5:51 am

Hi Gilbert, Yes, the 60-day extension for the COVID program is now valid until May 29th. So if your stamp runs out before May 29th, you can apply for a 60-day extension. Although I must mention that in some immigration offices, they would ask you to apply for the 30 days extension first. In some, they would allow you to take the 60-days COVID extension straightaway.

August 31, 2021 at 9:48 am

If i applied for the 60 days extension after the 45 days visa exemption, is that mean that i need to apply for a new insurance also for another 60days?

May 27, 2021 at 5:01 am

Thanks, Rolando Ngabidj for thevisaproject.com

May 28, 2021 at 9:48 pm

Hi Deb, Why is it that people from the countries you listed have to extend only for 7 days despite the fact that the normal is 30-days.? In case if the covid 19 extension is extended after 29th may, is everyone eligible to get that? I am Nigerian planning to come with SETV for tourism. I also learnt that there is this special tourist visa (STV) which gives permission to stay up to 90-days with possible extension of another 90-days if the traveler enter thailand before 01 July, 2021. As a Nigerian, am I eligible to apply for the STV? Thank you for your nice article

May 30, 2021 at 2:18 pm

Hi Ameer, Unfortunately, that’s how it is. The rules are different for different nationalities. I would say yes, everyone would be eligible for the COVID extension.

And Nigerians are not eligible to apply Thai STV as of now.

April 17, 2022 at 6:12 pm

Hi, as per my information you can get a covid extention cisa till 26th May, 2022. Are Pakistani citizens also eligible to get this extention? If yes, what is the procedure? Thanks in advance.

April 20, 2022 at 4:33 am

Hi Zia, I am not sure if Pakistani citizens can get it. If they can, the process will be the same. You can give it a try and update us. It would be helpful to others.

February 2, 2024 at 2:30 pm

Hi Deb I have received a 60 day SETV commencing at the end of this month February. My return flight is for 89 later. I do plan on visiting Cambodia (flight) for 7 or 10 days as part of my trip. Do I need to go to an immigration office to extend my visa by 30 days or will having my visa stamped on reentry suffice? How would you recommend timing my visit to Cambodia in relation to the 60 day SETV? Thanks in advance.

February 6, 2024 at 1:54 pm

Hi Kevin, Yes, you do need to visit the immigration office for the extension. The best time to leave and visit Cambodia would be when the end of your extension is close. I always recommend to leave at least 4 or 5 days before it ends.

All the best, Deba

June 2, 2021 at 4:13 pm

Hi, I like to stay a year or two if when I go meet girl and maybe stay while K1 visa is processing am US retired military 20 years and disabled rated veteran not that, that matters some countries off retire plan.

June 15, 2021 at 12:13 pm

When i have a flight date on my departure card and i get my visa extention. Do they issue a new departure card with a new flight date or will i still keep the old card and just change my flight? Will there be a problem when my flight date is not the same like the one on my departure card?

June 15, 2021 at 3:19 pm

Hi Tom, You can keep the old card and simply change the flight. No issues.

June 29, 2021 at 7:36 am

there is no 45 day extension , your terminology is also completely incorrect (arrive on a waiver then extend your visa , also there are NO BORDER runs , land borders are closed)

July 1, 2021 at 12:53 pm

I would disagree with you. Do you have any sources to back it up?

You can look at the info on 45 days extension on the website of the Thai embassy in the US .

July 10, 2021 at 4:16 pm

Sorry about my earlier comment Darren. I actually meant 45 days stay, not a 45-day extension. The article has been rectified.

June 30, 2021 at 6:54 am

Hi Deb.I need your help some information I have a stamp visa and it has been renewed covid visa and it will expire on 25th August after this what can I do next? Can I still extend the time? Or do I have to run of boarders and exit to neighbouring countries?I need your advice Appreciated

July 1, 2021 at 12:46 pm

Hi Za, If you have only had the COVID extension, then you will still be eligible for the normal extension without making a border run.

July 4, 2021 at 11:04 pm

Hi am from Tanzania , Am asking my Visa Expires 11 August, I came with 60 days Tourist Visa, is it possible to extend 45 days or is just 30 only?

July 5, 2021 at 11:10 am

Hi Mussa, You will be able to extend for 30 days since you came with a visa.

July 8, 2021 at 8:47 pm

Thanks for your article. 2 Questions:

– How can one do a border run when it seems most (if not all) nearby borders are closed?

– After extending a tourist visa for 30 days, can it be extended again for another 30 days, and then another after that?

July 9, 2021 at 1:06 pm

Hi Patrick, Yes, most borders are closed. But why do you need to make one now, considering the fact that you can get the COVID extension?

– You can get only one 30-day extension (which is 45 now if you entered visa-exempt) but more than one COVID extension as long as they are giving them out. In a pre-Covid world, you could get only one 30-day extension and make border runs.

July 12, 2021 at 3:43 pm

If I enter Thailand with the visa exemption program (no visa), I can extend it twice for a total of 90 days I believe. My question is how do I stay in the country longer? I want to stay for nine months, but the STV is proving painfully annoying to get. Can I enter Thailand on the visa exemption program and then apply for a new visa in-country? Or is there a way I can renew with the COVID extension over and over again? Probably not right?

Hoping you can shed some light on this.

July 13, 2021 at 8:34 am

Hi Oliver, I understand your frustration over the STV. If you plan to stay longer, you can enter as visa-exempt, then get the COVID extensions as long as they are in place and then get regular extensions. So that way, you get 75 days for sure(45 days when you enter and 30 when you extend). And you can get more than one COVID extension. People have received multiple COVID extensions. With every COVID extension you get, you add 60 days.

July 12, 2021 at 7:41 pm

Dear Deb, your site is the most informative one that I have browsed about Thailand visa. I have a question I wish you could help. I came in Thailand with a visa exempt entry ( US passport holder). Could I apply for a tourist visa inside Thailand? Appreciate very much your reply. Thanks again.

July 13, 2021 at 5:08 am

Hi GZ, Thank you for your kind words. Since you have entered visa-exempt, you can get the extensions(regular and Covid) while you are inside Thailand. But in order to get a tourist visa like SETV/METV, you would need to go to a Thai embassy. You can’t get it inside Thailand.

July 13, 2021 at 4:57 pm

Thanks deb for your reply. Understand now. Really appreciate your help.

July 16, 2021 at 8:56 am

How long do you think the 60-Day Covid-19 Extensions might be available to people?

The latest I’ve found online is “probably until late September”, but who knows? Not me!

I’m NOT trying to “trap” you into making a promise about the future, that you of course have no power over. You’re not in charge of Thai immigration law, and I’m not trying to “trick” you into pretending that you are.

But still, I’m very curious as to what you’re EXPECTING will happen, especially in the context of this “Covid Delta strain” situation that Thailand (and many other countries) appears to definitely be in today (middle July 2021).

(I’m not in Thailand yet, but thinking about coming, as a regular nobody-special USA tourist, through the 14-day ASQ quarantine thing, and hopefully for as much stay-time as I can get.)

July 16, 2021 at 4:30 pm

Hi Rocco, My gut feeling is that it would probably be in place until the end of this year and definitely until the end of September. Things are evolving with the Delta strain.

I sometimes wonder if there is anyone in charge of Thai immigration laws. Maybe many of us do. 🙂

July 26, 2021 at 6:25 am

Hi for covid – 19 extension visa can apply online or should go at the Thai immigration in person as the cases right now is a lot!

July 27, 2021 at 4:49 pm

Hi Joan, In some of the immigration offices, they are already accepting limited applicants. And in some places, they are asking you to contact them before coming down. But there is no online application process till now.

August 5, 2021 at 12:14 pm

How far in advance of your visa expiration date can you apply for the 60 day covid extension?

August 6, 2021 at 3:25 pm

Hi Tony, While different immigration offices interpret things differently, the consensus is that if you are getting the COVID extension for the first time, it would start the day you apply. So if you apply too soon, you would lose a few days. But I guess you should apply at least a week before.

From the second time onwards, the 60 days would be added to your existing extension of stay.

August 18, 2021 at 7:50 am

Which office in Bangkok deals with 30 day extension to the 45 day visa? and I assume I can download the forms so I can fill out my paperwork before I go to save time?

August 18, 2021 at 3:31 pm

The immigration office in Bangkok. You can find the exact address from the link in Where to extend section. Yes, you can download the form .

August 25, 2021 at 6:31 am

I read all comments and answers.

US Passport holder still in America. 36yrs old. Wanna stay in Thailand for 6 months. Should I go Visa Exempt and do the standard extension and Covid extension OR Apply for a Visa here in Los Angeles and then go for extensions in Thailand. If Yes to Visa what other visas are good options besides the 60 days tourist visa ? Thx a lot.

August 25, 2021 at 3:01 pm

Hi Weekii, The first option is pretty popular these days. Even if you manage to get one COVID extension, you can get 135 days, like 4 and half months. And maybe you could get more than one COVID extension which means definitely more than 6 months.

August 29, 2021 at 6:08 am

Sorry to bother you again. I called the Thai embassy here in Los Angeles and I was told by the person on the phone If I go to Thailand without any tourist visa just my US Visa exempt passport the immigration office in Thailand can’t give me the standard extension since I have no visa to extend. What do you think ?

August 30, 2021 at 4:18 pm

Hi Weekii, If they have stopped giving them out, in that case, you could come with a SETV or METV.

September 4, 2021 at 7:26 am

Questions about the 60 days Covid extension:

1) My immigration office is Jomtien Pattaya. They gave me a TM 7 and few other docs to fill in, but no TM 30. Is it normal? Do I need to fill in a TM 30 online?

2) My current tourist visa ends on september 15th. My lease agreement from my condo ends on september 13th. I may move from my condo. Is it a problem ? I will fill the documents for the 60 days covid extension this week and put my current address on them. But if I move, that would mean that technically, I wouldn’t be living at the address I notified to immigration after september 13th. Is it then safer to stay at my current place?

Thank you so much

September 5, 2021 at 2:58 pm

Hi Aurélien, 1. It is totally normal. TM30 is a requirement for the 90 days report. 2. It would definitely be a safer option to continue in your current place. But it is possible to do what you are saying, especially when it is in the same province. People have done it.

September 5, 2021 at 10:22 pm

Thank you so much for this piece, very informative!

Is there any news about the grant of Covid extension beyond September 27th? Can we expect that it would be forthcoming?

September 7, 2021 at 10:04 am

Hi Karen, We can definitely expect it. 🙂 Will update the article the moment I know.

September 9, 2021 at 4:19 pm

Hi Deb, Great website, thx a lot for all the info! I have a few questions if you don’t mind. At the moment the visa waiver of 45 days is planned to come back to 30 days at the end of the month, do you think it will be prolonged seeing the current situation? And if yes, when should we expect an official announcement? I’ve read that foreigners entering Thailand under the visa exemption category must provide at the port of entry proof of onward travel to leave Thailand within 30 days of the arrival date (or 45 if prolonged). Now, I’m planning to extend my stay once there but can I buy a ticket with a return date that already includes my extended stay (so after 60 or 75 days)? May I tell them I intend to extend my stay of another 30 days and this is the reason of the return date or they are not flexible on this? Thx a lot!

September 10, 2021 at 11:58 am

Hi Masha, It might get prolonged. We never know what kind of surprises the pandemic has for us. Hard to guess.

I believe you should always have an onward ticket in Asia. And yes, people have been in trouble for this in Thailand. You don’t need to buy one really. You can rent one easily, for as low as 10-15$. And I would recommend buying it within 30 days of your arrival date. Much safer.

Here is my article on the onward ticket: https://thevisaproject.com/blog/tips/10-ways-for-onward-travel-proof/ And the website if you want to jump there directly: https://thevisaproject.com/recommends/visa-reservation/

September 10, 2021 at 6:38 am

Hi Deb, the info on this website is so helpful and you have put in a lot of effort to reply people who really want to get back to Thailand. Thank you so much. I would like to confirm that a Singapore passport visa exemption (45days) can be issued with an extension of 30days. Because I called up the Thai embassy in Singapore and the person told me that visa exemption cannot be extended.

How true is this? Thanks!

September 11, 2021 at 5:25 am

Hi Del, Thank you for your kind words. I have been recently hearing the same from a few sources. However, there is no confirmed report whether they have stopped giving these 30-day extensions to everyone forever or to some nationalities. So I think a SETV would be a better idea for getting an extension. I would add a note in the article on this.

September 13, 2021 at 9:34 am

Hi Deb, i have question about the exemption visa, i will go Thailand in october with exemption visa, it will be only for 30 days in october😓. Do you know if it will be possible to extend for 30 more days in immigration there? With all the new things with covid i m not sure 😅. Thank you very much 🙏

September 13, 2021 at 12:28 pm

Hi Jo, I doubt it. Have been hearing reports that it is not a thing anymore, although we don’t know if it is for all the nationalities. So a visa would be better if you want the 30-day extension.

September 20, 2021 at 10:46 pm

This isn’t supposed to be negative but I felt there was a little bit of incorrect information here advising others…. whenever I have had the 30 day extension at immigration, the date never runs on from your sate of expiry but commences from the day you attend.

ie…. If you attend the immigration office 7 days before your visa expires then you lose the 7 days, as the commence date is from the date you attend. So I usually go there 2 days before the visa end date, as generally unless there’s been changes, I am aware of what I need to take, being my pport, copy of pport page, copy of visa page showing the TM6, both copies signed and a pport sized photo with 1900 Baht.

Visa runs ‘did’ give an additional 60 days upon entering back in to Thailand NOT 7 days as previously mentioned on this thread by somebody.

Anyway just wanted to put this out there to avoid misinformation to others etc. 🙂👍

I have a 60 day tourist visa and yesterday went to get an extension and rather than a 30 day, I was given a ‘Covid’ 60 day extension.

Hope this info might be of interest to some peeps… Have an awesome day!

November 19, 2021 at 6:11 am

This is definitely also what I was told today. As soon as you get that extension, you lose the remaining days that you would originally have had!

November 20, 2021 at 8:31 am

I was today at the temporary center , counter K, to renew my visa waiver (=visa exemption, w 30) and I requested 30 days more. The 30 days they stamped started from when the visa waiver will end. Smooth procedure, now (as of 20 nov. 2021) they are also open on Saturdays and I was there just after lunch break (1 pm), no queue at all.

Here the link https://bangkok.immigration.go.th/en/ตม-1-เปิดจุดให้บริการเพิ-2/

Super friendly!I read on google maps some bad reviews and was prepared for the worse but my experience was perfect. As a reason I just put I wanted to do more traveling in Thailand.

August 11, 2022 at 9:30 am

The link is not working anymore, but the new location is at the IT Square Mall in Lak Si (3rd floor)

September 21, 2021 at 5:06 pm

Hi, i’ll be going to bangkok by Visa exemption this November and I’m wondering if i could apply for a visa extension of 60 days once i arrive in bangkok?

September 22, 2021 at 4:42 pm

Hi Val, I don’t think so. I would recommend you to come with a visa.

October 15, 2021 at 7:19 pm

Hi Deb, After dealing with a Thai based travel agency while planning my visit this site and comment section has been very helpful. It seems you ard advising against the visa exempt and instead go with a TR visa which can then be extended for a total of 90 days. I am interested in staying longer and possibly applying for an Education visa. Can I apply for an Education visa if I arrive on a TR visa? I am looking to travel from Mexico City early November with a US passport. Or, what would you recommend if I want to stay for 6-12 months? Thank you for any suggestions.

October 23, 2021 at 6:05 pm

Hi Tom, I would recommend coming on a tourist visa and then extending it in Thailand. If you can get one Covid extension and a regular one, that will give you more or less 6 months. To Convert the tourist visa to an education visa, you need to make a visa run. Probably get an ed visa before coming down?

October 26, 2021 at 11:58 am

I was contacting phuket language school with this question and they said because of the pandemic situation, I can convert tourists visa to ED visas without leaving the country.

October 26, 2021 at 5:51 pm

Thanks for updating Martin. Hope everything goes well.

October 15, 2021 at 7:38 pm

Hi Deb, If I arrive on a TR visa and extend for a total of 90 days can I apply for a longer term visa? I am thinking about an Education or other long term visa if possible. My plan is to arrive in BKK in early November from Mexico City on my US passport. Any rumors about border immigration offices opening for ‘visa runs’ in the near future? Thank you for any suggestions or recommrndations.

October 23, 2021 at 6:06 pm

No such rumors yet. Thai immigration loves surprising people. 🙂

October 18, 2021 at 7:22 am

Hi Darren. Great article. Thank you very much. I am fully vaccinated against covid-19 British citizen currently in Turkey on a visit for a month. I would like to travel from Istanbul to Bangkok early November 2021. The PM of Thailand announced that there will be no quarantine from fully vaccinated visitors from low risk countries. I am not clear whether I need to quarantine or not? With the visa exempt program am I allowed to stay 30 or 45 days? Can I apply for visa extension on arrival? Many thanks for your help

October 19, 2021 at 12:25 pm

Hi there I am fully vaccinated against covid-19 British citizen currently in Turkey on a visit for a month. I would like to travel from Istanbul to Bangkok early November 2021. The PM of Thailand announced that there will be no quarantine from fully vaccinated visitors from low risk countries. I am not clear whether I need to quarantine or not? With the visa exempt program am I allowed to stay 30 or 45 days? Can I apply for visa extension on arrival? Many thanks for your help

October 23, 2021 at 6:12 pm

Hi Dr Saleh, You have not mentioned your nationality. Can not really say unless I know that.

October 20, 2021 at 12:55 pm

I have a return ticket to Thailand departing Spain 15 Dec 21 returning 9 March 22. I am a UK citizen resident in Spain. I want to enter Thailand on a Visa Exempt for 30 days and then change to one or two 30 days tourist visas or one of 60. Can you advise me of easiest options. Thanks David

October 23, 2021 at 6:10 pm

Hi David, I would recommend getting a single entry or multiple entry visa and not coming as visa-exempt if you want to stay longer.

October 21, 2021 at 1:39 am

Hi Deb First of all, your site is off tremendous value. Thank you so much for that. My question is about the return flight, the flight number we need to show on the TM6. Do I show the return flight # I currently have, (that departure date was based on my first 30 days), when applying for an extension or do I need to change my onward flight first, based on expecting another 30 days? The answer to this question is very important to me, as it is costly to actually change the plane ticket before I really know when my actual departure date will be after applying for the extension. Thanks in advance

October 23, 2021 at 5:58 pm

Hi Christian, Thank you for your kind words. I believe here is the answer you are looking for: https://thevisaproject.com/experience/thailand/thai-visa-extension/#comment-1647

October 24, 2021 at 1:34 am

Thanks and yeah, I saw that, yet not totally sure on how to proceed. Basically, I should leave my current real return ticket back to Toronto (am Canadian), based on the first 30 days, alone for now, and get a cheap onward ticket that shows me leaving after 30 or 60 days of extension? I hope to get this Covid extension, so I just go for 60 days and see what happens? Would that be the way to go, even if they give me only 30 days extension?

October 26, 2021 at 5:56 pm

They will give you 30 days even if you get the Covid extension. You can get a cheap ticket or rent one. Ideally, the date on the ticket should be before your visa ends, not the extension.

July 4, 2022 at 9:32 pm

Hi Christian I’m coming in from the United States so I get the free 30 days is it possible to extend another 30 days with A TM 7 form i thailand??

October 31, 2021 at 12:10 am

Great article! Thank you for providing so much information on the Visa process for Thailand.

My partner and I (both British Nationals) have been on a working holiday visa in New Zealand (not official residents) for the past 20 months and are planning on flying to Thailand at the end of November.

We’re currently stuck between two visa options:-

1) Is it possible to arrive in Thailand for 30 days on a Visa-exempt entry, and then apply for the 30 day extension once in the country. We already have both flights booked in and out of Thailand (for the duration of the 60 days), and were planning on renting a ticket as proof of our outward journey for the 30 day exemption. Do you know if this extension is still available?

2) Our other option is the Single Entry 60 day Tourist Visa (SETV). Do you have any insight into processing times and how easy it is to apply for? We are finding some difficulties in choosing correct documentation- despite being out of the UK for 20 months, we are still citizens and official residents there, whilst our most up to date documentation e.g. bank statements, are from NZ.

What are your thoughts on our options?

Many thanks in advance, keep up the awesome work!

October 31, 2021 at 5:40 pm

Hi James, Thank you for the kind words. I would highly recommend option number 2. You can apply for the SETV in NZ. It is pretty fast. Here is the info: https://wellington.thaiembassy.org/th/publicservice/17614-applying-for-a-visa . Do check out the doc checklist.

This is what you would need for sure: a valid letter of recommendation from your educational institute or employer with the application.

November 8, 2021 at 8:33 am

Hi Deb Your highlighted section “Many expats have recently reported …” scared the hell out of me, as that was about to destroy my plans. I googled and googled, but couldn’t find anything to support that. I think you should remove that, unless you got details of why that happened to those. It is needlessly very worrisome! And here is why: Am Canadian and arrived Phuket Oct.14 with the Visa Waiver and got a stamp for Nov.12 (29 days only for some reason). I was there today in Bangkok, Nov.08, and got a new stamp for Dec.12. I talked to the handful of people there, while waiting, but none had any worries of getting the extension. By the way. The link for the Immigration Devision 1 in Bangkok you are showing is only good for real visas. There is a new location (because of Covid) for extension of Visa Waivers, where I was today. See this link: https://bangkok.immigration.go.th/en/courses/counter-k-limited-at-300-queues-per-day/

Question: If the 60 day Covid Extension stays as it is until November 26, then I must go there before that (in about 16 to 18 days from now), right? Haha, basically just answered my own question, but it is always good to hear you confirming that.

Thanks a lot

November 8, 2021 at 4:19 pm

Hi Christian, Thank you very much for the update. I guess that the Thai embassies in various countries are being ambiguous about the whole thing. I will update the article with your comment.

Coming to your question, you can surely apply for the COVID extension before 26 Nov. Usually people go a week before the extension expires. I guess the COVID extension thing will continue after this, but who knows!!

March 14, 2022 at 9:16 am

Fino al 24 marzo

July 8, 2022 at 1:44 pm

Hi Deb, I went to the immigration in Bangkok to apply for the 60 day covid extend but was told I had to get the normal 30 day extension first. I plan to return before the 25th when the covid extension May expire but I was told I need a letter from embassy to get the covid extension. I looked on the US embassy website and it states thai immigration doesn’t need a letter and the US embassy does not issue such letters. Do you know anything about this? Also I want to stay in Thailand as long as I can. Can you give me any information on how to do border runs? Thanks so much.

July 10, 2022 at 9:06 am

Hi Lance, yes, you need to get the normal extension first. As per the letter, you can show the screenshot from US embassy website or even email them and get a response that they don’t provide any such letters. That would be good enough in most cases. Stay longer in Thailand: https://thevisaproject.com/experience/thailand/thailand-long-stay-visa-and-restrictions/

October 12, 2022 at 9:14 am

Hi guys, I’m arriving in Thailand on Oct 25th. If you do the visa on arrival do you know the maximum time you can stay? Its very unclear. Thanks

October 12, 2022 at 2:30 pm

Hi Chris, What’s your nationality? Visa on arrival is for 30 days now, but visa-free entry is for 45 days. It all depends on where you are from.

May 6, 2023 at 10:22 pm

And of course that link doesn’t exist!

November 12, 2021 at 12:18 pm

Thanks a lot for your information, just wanted to share my recent experience that may help answering recent comments. I have a French passport so i guess my experience may apply to EU citizens at least.

I entered Thailand on the 26th of September with a 45 days visa exemption using the Koh Samui sandbox program (back then you could get 45 days, but quarantine was 7 days strict + 7 days relax , with possibility to visit the island)

I then moved to Phuket and on the 4th of November (4 days before my visa exemption last day), I went to the main immigration office and applied for a Covid extension (TM7 + 2 other forms+1 document from hotel where I stay – TM-30 I think) The process is a described except that I was told to come back 1 week later to get my final stamp. I went back on the 11th and got a 60 days extension.

At least for Phuket (there were dozens of foreigners inside and outside the immigration office), I think it’s very easy to get an extension, from exemption or actual visa. Just block a day to do the first part (took me 5 hours).

November 16, 2021 at 9:22 am

thai embassy london has lost my application forms.say not time to do again.i come thailand for 45 days from 29 november.can i fly in for 30 days then get 15 days extra at thai immigration.thank you and hope to hear from you soon.

November 17, 2021 at 2:56 am

Based on the two stories (comments) before yours, your question has already been answered 🙂

November 19, 2021 at 6:09 am

Hi everyone,

I would like to share my personal experience with immigration regarding the ”Special 60-Day Covid Extension on a Thai Visa”. [Apologies if some of these things have already been mentioned by others.]

The first thing that immigration told me that this is NOT an extension of an existing visa – in my case a student visa – but an entirely new visa, i.e. the ”Covid visa”. Since you cannot hold two visas simultaneously, the first thing I had to do was to cancel my student visa. I assume this is relevant knowledge for those with a student and work visa….

I am not going to get into detail about the documents I needed to cancel my student visa, because this is a whole different story. But many of the documents overlapped with those required for my Covid visa.

Anyways, for the Covid visa I was asked to show:

-TM7 form -passport -copy of passport pages: main/first page, visa page, first + last entry page. (Hence, I just copied every single page of my passport that had anything Thai on it. Immigration liked that.) -TM6 (arrival/departure card) -copy of TM6 -rental contract that is no less than the 60 days that you are applying for. For example, if Immigration sees that your rental contract is about to end in a couple of days or weeks, they will most likely not give you the Covid visa for 60 days. Some may not give you a Covid visa at all. -copy of rental contract -copy of tabien baan of your landlord -copy of Thai ID of your landlord -1 photo

[I always suggest to make double or even triple coloured copies of all your documents before going to Immigration, because you never know…]

I don’t know how this is for those of you who live far away from Bangkok, but since I am based next door in Nakhon Pathom, I was informed that my Covid visa application would be sent to Chaeng Watthana in Bangkok. Huge bummer, because the people working there are something else, as I’m sure some of you may have already experienced.

I wish all of you the best of luck and success in getting the chance to stay in Thailand a bit longer.

Bless you all and stay safe!

November 20, 2021 at 6:15 am

Thank you, J very much for sharing the details for people with student/work visas.

June 15, 2022 at 6:46 am

Hello and thank you so much for your comment. I arrived without Visa and extended one time already. So after reading this I suppose it’s possible to get the covid visa to stay even longer? I would love to stay 30 more days.

June 16, 2022 at 5:50 am

Yes it is possible Torge.

November 21, 2021 at 12:16 pm

Me and my partner are on different visas (60 day tourist visa and 30 day visa exempt) can both be extended one time prior to the covid extensions.

Basically we both are a bit ill and will miss the covid deadline for extending, so will extend at the beginning of the month – both our first time to be extended and only want a one time 30 day extension and just wondering if thats possible?

November 22, 2021 at 1:17 pm

Hi Natalia, Yes, it is possible.

November 23, 2021 at 3:11 am

Hi Deb As mentioned earlier, I got my 30 day extension on my 30 day Visa Waiver at the new location north of Immigration Division 1. Reading the comment from J on November 19, would you happen to know at which location the Covid Visa extension, which I want to get this week before that special expires, is available? If I understood J’s comment right, the new location seems to be just for the 30 day extension on Visa waivers, correct? As always, your reply means a lot. Thanks in a advance Chris

November 23, 2021 at 5:24 pm

Hi Christian, Great to know. Yes, J is right about that. All the best.

November 25, 2021 at 7:35 am

Actually, we misunderstood J’s comment or it is different for other Visas than Visa Waivers. I went to Immigration Division 1 today, only to be send once again to Counter K in the new location. Got the 60 day Covid Visa extension – so happy. Would have not been possible without your website here, which is so very helpful.

November 28, 2021 at 7:34 am

Hi Christian, I am also looking to get a 30 day extension on my 30 day visa waiver. Could you help me please, did they ask you to show proof of accommodation for the 30 extended days? Like a hotel booking or rental contract? Also could you share the immigration office location please? Thank you, George

December 5, 2021 at 2:50 pm

Hi George. Very sorry for super late reply. Since I got all my extensions, I had no reason to check this site and just happen to see your questions now. Please look at my earlier comment, where you can see the link for the new location for Visa Waiver extensions. And they do not need a proof of your hotel booking. I just made sure that I do have a reservation (not yet paid for) with my hotel to cover the extended time, just in case they check (I don’t know if they do or not). The only documents you need are listed at the top of this webpage.

November 23, 2021 at 11:19 pm

Hi there I have booked up for 6th December and will be coming on 30 day visa when I arrive. My return flight is 27th January 22 days after my 30 days are up. Can I go straight to a visa shop and get an extension to that date? Amd also is it better to wait 1 week befour I want to extend or can I go and extend it the day after I arrive thanks very much.

November 28, 2021 at 10:19 am

Hi Tom, I think you are coming with a visa-exempt entry. You would need to apply for the extension a few days before your exit date, ideally a week.

December 23, 2021 at 5:16 am

You don’t need to wait to apply for the 30 day extension. I’ve always done it early whenever it was convenient.

November 25, 2021 at 7:56 am

HI, all good Info thank you and all understood, I will be going for 1 month from 1 Dec and hope to get a 60 day extension.

I have one question I have bought a return ticket for 1 month it is a changeable ticket (paid extra) will the Authorities accept that I will I have to show a defined date as proof ? thank’s in advance for any answer.

November 28, 2021 at 10:23 am

Hi Roy, They would accept it I believe.

November 26, 2021 at 4:56 am

Hi Deb If anyone is in Krabi Town , I just extended my stay today and it was the easiest and quickest extension I have done in thailand I was in and out within 15 minutes.

December 1, 2021 at 6:48 am

Hi Kyle, I arrived on 17th Nov on 30 days visa exemption (UK passport). I wish to extend my visa for 30 days- when I came under Test & Go scheme they asked for insurance, hotel laccomodation and what not. Do I have to provide these for extension also? -Sonny

November 30, 2021 at 11:36 am

Hello. I have EU passport and I’ve arrived with VISA exepmtion for 30 days. For extension, apart from passport pic, passport copy and TM30 form, do I need something else?

December 1, 2021 at 5:27 am

Hi, yes I also am wondering the same as Ray. Do they ask you to show proof of accommodation for the 30/60 extended days? Like a hotel booking or rental contract? Also could you share the immigration office location please? Thank you, George

December 6, 2021 at 3:25 am

Hi, I entered Thailand from Germany on October 1st with a 60 day Tourist Visa and extended it for 30 days to december 30th. I will exit Thailand to Cambodia on December 11. On January 11. I want to go back to Thailand again, without a Visa. How long will I be allowed to stay? 30 days again or less, since I already spent so much time in Thailand in the year 2021. Thx

December 14, 2021 at 3:27 am

Hi Peter, Yes you should get 30 days again.

December 7, 2021 at 7:51 am

Thanks for all the info. My understanding is that the Covid extension application has been extended until 25 Jan 2022. I entered with visa exemption on 21 Nov. Can I extend first for 30 days (til 21 Jan), then apply for the 60 days (so taking me up until roughly 21 March)?

December 14, 2021 at 3:21 am

Hi Denise, Yes, it has been extended. You surely can do that.

December 7, 2021 at 10:48 pm

Hi Deb – Thank you so much for your article and for addressing all of the comments, it is truly very helpful.

I am a US citizen and am planning to get a SETV. I am leaving in January and ideally would like to stay in Thailand for 4 months (120 days). It sounds like the SETV grants a stay for 60 days and then I can go to an immigration office for a 30 day extension but I am wondering the best option, if possible, to get another 30 days. Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

December 14, 2021 at 3:20 am

Hi Olivia, Thanks for your kind words. If you manage to get a COVID extension, you would surely get more than 4 months with the SETV. But since that is not totally sure, you would need to do a border run.

December 8, 2021 at 4:55 pm

Hi, I extended my visa from Chiang mai immigration today. The office is close to the airport. The process was simple but few things I would want to mention: – Make sure you have the photos with you. Photocopies can be done there for 1 THB each. You will also need your TM6 form which you got from immigration when you arrived. – The process should take an hour. But only if you arrive before 10:30 or after 2. If you arrive around 11, then you may have to wait like me as they break for lunch around 1. So if you are late you might well come around 2 when all morning applications have been processed. Fee is 1900 THB. You will get 30 days extension. I arrived from UK on 17th November and got 30 days visa on arrival. That is now extended till 15th Jan. Documents needed: – Copy of passport, TM6 slip, Visa. One photo required. Forms are available there so you need to fill three forms, not one. Ask for all three forms.

December 9, 2021 at 3:50 am

I will be arriving December 15th from the USA. Am I limited to 30 days or 45 days? If it is 30 days then where can I get an extention near Sukhumvit? Thanks in advance.

December 9, 2021 at 5:05 am

If arrival thailand 30 days visa exemption ,can extend one time. how about change to another visa? e.g working visa or student visa this is possible?

December 12, 2021 at 2:58 am

Hi Guys, I will arrive to Thailand on the 18th of December on a single-entry tourist visa. The longest I am allowed to stay is 60, so I will leave on the 9th of February. Am i allowed to extend my visa once in Thailand? And can I extend it like during the first two weeks of my stay? Or should I wait to last days? Thank you

December 13, 2021 at 6:28 pm

Hi Daniel, You can do it a week or two before the visa expires. The days are added to your current stamp, not from the date you apply for an extension. So, you won’t be losing any days. If you go during the first 2 weeks of your stay, it is possible that they’ll ask you to come back later. But you can give it a try.

December 20, 2021 at 1:36 am

I’m planning on getting a 60 day tourist visa and to convert it to an ed visa. But technically you just pay to extend the 60 day 30 days, then after 90 days is up you can currently extend again and again for 60 days each time due to covid for the year? Am I correct?

December 21, 2021 at 2:52 am

Hi David, Yes, you are correct.

December 30, 2021 at 4:30 am

Hi, Where and how do you apply for a COVID extension? Also, how long is the extension? Thanks.

December 22, 2021 at 8:44 am

Do children who are 12 and under need to apply to get the 30 day and the 60 day extension? Or are the automatically ok if the parents only?

December 24, 2021 at 7:23 pm

Good evening, we just got our visa on arrival (visa exemption) 30-day stamp extended for another 30 days. Easy peasy process in Bangkok, in and out in an hour with the right documents (thank you so much for all your information!!!). Do you know if it is still possible to get another extension after this one or if it’s wise to try it? Should we rather try the COVID extension? We were planning on going to Singapore or Malaysia after this but with the current situation we may be stuck here a while and are not sure what the best way is to stay in the country. Change the visa? (here with the whole family and 2 little kids, so not sure if a change in visa makes sense?).

December 25, 2021 at 11:29 pm

Hi Anna, You would need to try and get the COVID extension, as you have already received the normal extension. No need to change the visa which might not even be possible. 🙂

December 26, 2021 at 2:31 am

I arrived on December 18th on a visa waiver, so up to Jan 17th. I’d like to stay as long as possible – I’m wondering if I should get the normal extension or a Covid extension. If I get the normal one, that should see me through to Feb 16th or so, but the covid extension might be over by then.

I wonder if I have to get the normal one first, or if I can get the covid one first, can I get the normal one later. I’m also wondering if I get the normal, could I get the covid one right away? I’m in Chiang Mai, but I could travel if it helps to get a longer stay.

December 26, 2021 at 5:11 am

Thanks for all the great information on your website, very grateful to have a resource like this. I came here on the 30 day visa waiver. Just been to immigration and extended for 30 days.

Can you tell me how many times, I can keep extending by 30 days?

Thanks Grant

December 27, 2021 at 4:50 pm

Hi Grant, The 30-day extension is one time only. The COVID extension can be done more than once.

December 26, 2021 at 2:59 pm

Does it matter what you put as answer in “Reason for extension” section? Would “tourism” suffice for example?

December 27, 2021 at 5:55 pm

Yes, it would.

January 5, 2022 at 7:07 am

I just was told that I need to reapply for my Thai Visa (I am an American citizen, flying from America). I will not receive my Visa in time, my flight leaves for Thailand in less than 14 days and it takes 15 business days to process the visa. I will be in Thailand for 42 days total. Is there a way to still travel to Thailand without a visa? Can I get an extension while I’m there? Will they ask to see my departing flight information? Can I just show them my flight information going to Thailand (one-way) and then extend when I get there?

January 5, 2022 at 7:35 pm

My reply is yes to all of your questions, with one caveat. Do buy an onward ticket or rent it here

January 9, 2022 at 6:34 am

Thanks for the article. I came in on a TV and will extend for 30 days soon. I’d like to stay longer but don’t want to fly out and back in as I’d have to do the asq again. Any suggestions as to which other visa I could apply for withinThailand?

January 10, 2022 at 1:22 am

Hi Sophie, You can go for the COVID extension if it is still there. If not, you would need to fly out and come back. While applying for visas inside Thailand is not impossible, the rules vary in different places. I have heard cases where people did it using agents, but you never know.

January 11, 2022 at 7:52 pm

Hi, if I enter Thailand on a 30 day tourist visa and I want to extend it.. would you know what kind of airline ticket I should purchase because I really don’t know when I want to return to the uk..should I purchase an open return ticket..I hope you can answer my question because I am confused..thank you

January 12, 2022 at 12:47 am

Hi John, It is way better and cheaper to rent one, and this is the one I recommend: https://thevisaproject.com/recommends/visa-reservation/

January 13, 2022 at 7:32 am

I came on a 30 days visa exemption. I went for the 30 days extension. Now, to stay longer I need to get the Covid extension. I think that a document called TM30 is necessary. I asked my hotel in Patong to provide it but they were clueless.

Do you now where I can find it ?

January 14, 2022 at 4:14 pm

Hi Jay, They don’t usually ask for it. However, the hotel has the responsibility to get it for you, although you can do it as well. This can be done online or by visiting the local immigration office.

January 13, 2022 at 10:51 am

Hello. I am a Dutch citizen and a resident in Singapore. I am currently in quarantine in Bangkok because of testing positive for covid. My visa will expire on 16 January but I will still be in quarantine then so am not able to leave my hotel and go to immigration. What should I do?

If everything goes well, I will leave quarantine on 18 January. My new flight back to Singapore is on 25 January.

January 14, 2022 at 4:17 pm

Hi Thijs, Ideally, you should get an extension. See if you can get the help of an agent to do so. In the worst case, you would need to pay some overstay fine when you leave.

January 13, 2022 at 1:00 pm

I came to Thailand and got the 14 days visa on Arrival. I wanted to know whether I could extend the visa to stay for one more week, since we will be in Hotel Quarantine for 7 days and have only 7 days to enjoy.

Please let me know if they is an option to extend.

January 14, 2022 at 3:54 pm

Hi Laxmi, Yes, you are allowed to extend it. However, you can get the extension for 7 days only for medical reasons. So it is not that straightforward.

January 15, 2022 at 8:20 am

Hi, so I have just extended my second one , First 30 and now 60, I still want be here for longer 😎, do you know if its possible or I need to a visa run now ? And How does that work

January 18, 2022 at 3:52 am

Hi Isse, Yes, it is totally possible to get more than one COVID extension. The process is very much the same as your first one.

January 18, 2022 at 4:28 pm

Hi Deb Pati,

Getting more than one Covid Visa extension is great for everyone, however we currently don’t know if the Thai government will extend this offer again beyond 25 January, right?

I haven’t heard anything so far – not even rumours, which is a bit weird…

January 18, 2022 at 1:31 pm

Hi Isse, where did you apply ? in BKK ? (MuongThong Thani) – Thanks. Marco

January 15, 2022 at 10:55 pm

Hi, I am in Thailand with a 30 days on arrival visa and I have the mandatory medical insurance for this period. If i make now a visa extension do i also have to get a new medical insurance covering the remaining time? Thanks for your help

January 18, 2022 at 4:13 am

Hi Patrick, No need for a new insurance.

January 20, 2022 at 7:06 am

Hello, I’m a French citizen, came in Thailand with a 30 days exemption stamp on 21/11, extended once, my new stamp goes until 30/01. I would like to do the covid extension. Do I need to wait until the 25/01 or can I go before? Thanks

January 21, 2022 at 2:32 am

I wanted to know if you have heard of this. I went to immigration office for a 30 day visa extension and was told by the officer that I could not apply before I have been in the country for 45 days.

January 21, 2022 at 3:13 am

Never heard of this, William.

January 24, 2022 at 1:06 am

I have a situation where I have entered Thailand on a 60 day visa and I have already gone for a 30 day extension my question is can I get another 30 day extension or is it possible for me to apply for a married visa while I am in Thailand.

January 24, 2022 at 3:43 pm

Hi Larry, You can get a COVID extension for 60 days.

January 26, 2022 at 4:05 pm

Coming into Phuket on the 9th from the uk on 30 day visa exemption, will we be able to go the immigration office that week and get another 30 days?

January 27, 2022 at 2:01 am

I entered Thailand under the tourist exemption scheme for 30 days and have already extended it for 30 days. Does that mean I am not eligible for the Covid Extension myself anymore? I would really appreciate it if you can let me know.

January 27, 2022 at 10:40 pm

Hi John, Yes, you are eligible.

January 31, 2022 at 1:11 am

Hello, I am a indian national came here on 60 days Tourist Sticker Visa. I would like to know if I can get the 60 days covid visa extension?

February 1, 2022 at 9:50 pm

Hi Dheeraj, Ideally, you should be able to.

February 2, 2022 at 7:47 am

Hi, I have a STV that I already extended twice and therefore should leave. Would the COVID extension also work for me?

February 4, 2022 at 2:16 am

Great read. Thanks for doing this.

When entering with visa-exemption you are required to have proof of a flight back after 30 days with set a date. What kind of flight is the smartest to get for that reason? Open ended? Is that allowed? I’m not sure if regular flight dates can be changed?

February 7, 2022 at 3:45 am

Just wanted to say thank you so much for writing this! We came perfectly prepared because of you and got in and out within 1 hour. Would have been even faster if we went to the correct office immediately, so if I may add: to extend a visa exemption or tourist visa, people should go to office 101 on the left side of the entrance. We assumed we would get the 15 day visa waiver but instead they gave us a 30 day visa extension for the same price (1.900THB).

February 8, 2022 at 1:52 am

I’m japanese and planning to go for a 4 month stay if possible Will go with the single entry visa. Then apply for extension For normal extension I can apply just once, right? Can I get the covid one even before my visa expires? I’m going to go at the end of the month so by the time the covid visa extension ends (if not extended too) I will still be in the 60 days of my visa, so I cannot apply? Or can I apply in advance? Will that change the dates?

Also, how to get proof for it? It mentions about the “cannot go back” or “embassy letter”, but not sure I can get either of them. How is everyone getting the proof?

Thanks in advance!!

February 11, 2022 at 3:03 am

Hi Maru, You can get the normal extension just once. That’s right. They usually give you the Covid extension after the normal one. As per the proof, you can simply write a letter yourself but they don’t ask for the letter always.

February 12, 2022 at 2:09 am

Thank you very much for your promptly reply! 🙂 Was worried about that letter

Last question, how much in advance can you ask for the covid extension? I’m traveling on the 22th February and have tickets until 23 of April, but since the covid extension can be done until March 26 (if not extended), can I apply in March 25 for example even though my single entry visa will still have a little less than a month left?

(Also, do you know how much in advance do they mention if there will be an extension of the covid extension after March 26?)

February 15, 2022 at 11:07 pm

Hi Maru, They will ask you to get the normal extension first.

February 10, 2022 at 9:15 pm

hello Deb, thank you so much for all your efforts in providing this extremely helpful information!

I’m an Irish citizen who arrived in thailand on a visa exemption and has already extended for 30 days.

When I went to extend at the K counter in bangkok in mid January I was seeking the 60 day Covid extension but all the officials there were telling everyone that they were no longer issuing any Covid extensions and refused to give any information about it. I wonder if anyone else experienced this?

Now I want to try to request the 60 day Covid extension again next week. What are the list of documents for the Covid extension and where can I find them? What precise reasons due to covid will they issue the extension for? my parents live in Thailand and I am staying at their house, what kind of document would the officials need as proof of my residence? And lastly – if they refuse to give a Covid extension would they let me in again if I do a border run?

Thanks so much and sorry for the many questions!

February 11, 2022 at 7:08 pm

Hello Deb, Firstly, thank you so much for making the effort to put this extremely helpful resource you’ve put together!

I’m an Irish citizen who arrived in Thailand via test&go with visa waiver in December. on 18th january I went to K counter in Bangkok to apply for a 60 day covid extension but they told everyone there that no covid extensions would be issued. Therefore, they only gave me a 30 day extension. This coming week I am planning to try again to extend via the 60 day covid extension but after the last experience, am worried they will say again that they are not issuing those…I’m not sure if anyone else has experienced this.

A couple of questions: – What are the documents needed for the 60 day covid extension? – What reasons do they accept for the covid-19 extension? I have prepared a letter (in Thai) arguing that covid cases are very bad in my country of residence and provided proof, would this suffice? – My parents live in Bangkok and I’m staying with them. Therefore, I cannot prove my accommodation via hotel booking and my name isn’t on their rental contract. What sort of proof could I offer instead? Copy of their passports with residency permits in it and a letter they signed confirming I stay with them? -Do I need to show a ticket leaving Thailand within the 60 day covid extension period? – if all fails, is it still possible to do visa runs at the moment? could they reject me at the border if I try to come back into the country within a few days of leaving if they see I’ve already been here and extended once before?

Sorry for all the questions!!! but hopefully it will also be of use to others 🙂 thank you so much!

February 15, 2022 at 7:57 pm

Hi Vee, Thank you for the kind words.

– Documents needed: https://thevisaproject.com/experience/thailand/thai-visa-extension/#comment-1984

https://thevisaproject.com/experience/thailand/thai-visa-extension/#comment-1961 – Yes, the reason you have mentioned would be fine. People have even provided the reason as tourism: https://thevisaproject.com/experience/thailand/thai-visa-extension/#comment-1993 .

– Believe the accommodation proof would work.

– It is not necessary to show a ticket, but it always helps. You can event rent tickets: https://visareservation.com/?ref=160

-It is possible to do visa runs. Believe they are already giving out Thai visas in Cambodia.

February 14, 2022 at 6:27 am

arrived here under the Sandbox to Phuket, now moved to Pattaya can I get a 30 day extension at Jomtien Immigration, I arrived from the UK on a 30 day waiver Thank you

February 15, 2022 at 10:36 am

Hi! First of all thnx alot for all the information. I wanna make sure some question if you know well. I came with TR visa and 60days over in few days. I know i can extension 30days. But is it possible to get covid 60 days visa instead of 30days?? Please could you tell me any info??

February 17, 2022 at 2:15 am

I am UK passport holder who arrived on 30th Dec 2021 with a 60 day visa. The stamp runs out 28th Feb 2022 so I am going to renew it for 30 days. I have lost my TM6 arrivals/departure slip. What happens now???

February 17, 2022 at 6:40 pm

These things happen. There are usually two possible scenarios for this depending on which immigration office is responsible for you:

(1) Just go to your local immigration office and ask them to replace the TM6 for you. Most immigration offices will do this immediately without any issues; (2) Go to the local police office and file a report about your lost TM6. You then take that report to your immigration office as proof.

You’ve got enough time, so even if you have to go to the police first you will be fine. If immigration is not too far from you I would head over and ask them. Or you can have someone who speaks Thai call them.

February 18, 2022 at 11:16 am

I recently heard from various sources including Thaiger and Richard Barrow’s Twitter page that it is now way more difficult to get a Covid Visa extension.

Apparently, only tourists can get this visa. If you have a Visa On Arrival or a Non-Immigrant Visa (such as my student visa, ouch!), you’re basically screwed.

Just wanted to throw this out there. Maybe our little online community can help each other come up with some sort of solution. 🙂

February 19, 2022 at 9:20 pm

Hello. Thanks for this information. If you come in on a visa free can you get the extension still? Also if you come in on a visa free with the purpose of getting the 30 day extension, does your original ticket need to still leave before the 30 days or can you have a round trip ticket in and out for 60 days(visa free+ext.)This would be for both USA passport traveling from Philippines and Filipino passport holder.

March 10, 2022 at 4:01 pm

Hello, we are entering Phuket via the sandbox scheme on the 24th March and are planning on staying in Thailand for around 50 days going to various places, we will be entering on a visa exemption on UK passports. Is it still easy to get a visa extension on this type of entry?

March 13, 2022 at 9:03 pm

Hi Maisie, Yes, it is.

March 14, 2022 at 9:55 am

Sono arrivato a Bangkok 8 dicembre test and go partito da Malpensa/ Francoforte non volevano farmi partire lista e gli ho spiegato che dopo 2 anni brutali per il Covid se avevo tutti i requisiti per entrare in Thailandia a loro cosa importasse alche ho detto di mandare le valigie a Francoforte e le avrei reimbarcate comunque una notte di quarantena avanti hotel pattaya 5 stelle peso di aver pagato 80 euro una notte con pcr limousine fino all’hotel 10 ore per l’esito stavo impazzendo dopodiché ho chiamato il manager e gli ho detto stiamo spendendo una marea di bath per room service o ci fai uno sconto del 50% altrimenti esco è arrivato subito esito negativo esenzione visto timbrato al 6 gennaio nel frattempo sono a Koh phangan mi danno una prim estensione di 30 giorni 6 febbraio poi covid extension fino Al 24 marzo probabilmente sono andato troppo presto adesso sono tornato a pattaya e la polizia die un mese o due!dopò apriranno Cambodia Laos Vietnam Filippine Malesia andrò consolato per fare Ed visa studiare lingua thai visto un anno oppure turistico 60 + 30 vedremo comunque sia i love thailand anche se riaprirà senza restrizioni il 1 luglio ma pochi turisti chiusure a dicembre 21 adesso 23/24 comunque è sempre magnifica amo Koh phangan e Phuket 2 isole thai completamente diverse!!! Sole mare natura yoga tramonti e party più occidentali con musica con dj famosi Phuket puoi vivere una realtà più thailandese con più scelta

March 14, 2022 at 5:52 pm

Hola Marco, No hablo Italiano, pero si hablo Español y entiendo lo que dijiste. Me gusta saber que te gusta Tailandia tanto. Si quieres, puedes escribir un articulo sobre como conseguir la visa de educacion para estudiar el idioma de Tailandia. 🙂

Buena suerte, Deb

March 21, 2022 at 6:12 am

Hi Deb Pati, I am a US Citizen and I was once got a Covid Visa Extension for 60 days, now that’s about to expire I need to apply for another extension. But I went to Immigration Division 1 and they told me I need to go to US Embassy to get a Letter if Extension is that correct?

Questions: can I get a second Covid extension without exiting Thailand?

What do I need from US immigration to give me the extension?

Please I appreciate your quick response my visa will expire March 26 plssss help. Thank you

March 22, 2022 at 5:45 pm

Hello April, Yes, you can get the second Covid extension without exiting Thailand.

As per the letter, you can simply take the screenshot from here: https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/acsappointment/ as the US embassy doesn’t provide any such letter. And provide a printout of the same when you apply. As a backup, you can write a letter yourself telling them that you can’t go back and the embassy doesn’t provide any letters and attest it.

March 24, 2022 at 9:08 am

I arrived in Thailand in January, and I had a 60 day tourist visa, where I paid 1900 THB to extend for the 30 days, giving me to mid April. Today I went to extend my visa for the additional 60 days due to Covid, all before the the expiring March 25th cut-off date. I was given 2 options:

Option 1 : Pay 1900 THB, and get a 15 day extension stamp, where I would then have to return to immigration to then get a stamp for an additional 45 days.

Option 2: pay 3000 THB, where I would get an instant 60 days stamp there and then today, and I would not have to return to an immigration office drying my stay, until departing airport immigration.

Before I went through to the immigration officers, the people at the front desk said I would only have to pay 1500 THB for the 60 day covid extension, as I had already paid 1900 THB prior for my first 30 day extension.

I paid the 3000 THB as I did not want to return to immigration office again during my stay, all including travelling and time getting there etc.

I did not receive a receipt or proof of payment when I handed over the cash, I just got told that’s it I was free to go and visa was extended.

Did anyone have a similar experience/cost?

March 25, 2022 at 7:32 am

Hi Neo, Those are two very interesting options you got and I am glad to hear that you took the second option. Hope that you got the extension stamp and all to make sure that you got 60 more days.

Maybe others can pitch in if they had a similar experience.

March 25, 2022 at 11:23 am

Hi, I’m looking into the possibility of staying in Thailand for 2-3 months without going through the hassle of booking a tourist visa.

As a result, I was considering using the 30 day exemption to begin with, then extending this by another 30 days in the country.

After those 60 days if I decide I would like to stay longer I would just do a border run and get a new 30 day exemption from my understanding?

I just wanted to clarify if this would be the case? and that my possibility of getting a new exemption wouldn’t be affected by me having extended the previous one?

March 25, 2022 at 6:26 pm

Hi Tom, Not really. You should be fine. Here is an article to help clear out things: https://thevisaproject.com/experience/thailand/thailand-long-stay-visa-and-restrictions/

March 26, 2022 at 9:34 pm

Hello Team,

Thank you for offering this amazing service.

I am 40 and a U.S. citizen living in Pattaya.

My first Covid extension will expire this Thursday on 3/31.

I am going through a complicated orthodontic procedure and the hospital has issued a letter and 2 certifications already stating that I need to stay in the country for another 6 months. What are my chances to get a 1 year or even 6 months medical visa? what are the requirements?

If that fails? Do you think I have a good chance to get a second covid Extention for 60days if I go there 3 days ahead of time? The first time, they charged me 1900 BHT give me 30 days, had to return after 30 days to get the second stamp.

Thank you for your time

March 29, 2022 at 12:53 pm

I arrived from the US via my passport. I went to immigration and did an extension. I now have 1 week left, but I would love to find a way I could stay longer. Are there any options outside of doing a boarder run, or paying for an elite visa? I made a number of contacts / friends here so they would not mind leveraging their resources, such as a Thai business, if necessary.

March 29, 2022 at 1:25 pm

Hi, This article has all the info you need.

https://thevisaproject.com/experience/thailand/thailand-long-stay-visa-and-restrictions/

March 31, 2022 at 7:29 am

Hi Deb, thank you for this helpful post!

After reading tons of reviews and helpful blog posts like this ( https://mikethemeanderthal.com/easy-chiang-mai-visa-extension-guide is another one), it seems that while the convoluted process of visa application is a given.. whether the whole thing go smoothly is hit or miss. I’m glad to say that my visa extension experience yesterday was definitely a hit, so I wanna pay it forward and share the latest updates.

I arrived in Chiangmai by plane on 8th March through the Test n Go Scheme, using a Singapore passport with 30-days visa exemption. Upon entering the immigration area, remember to take a queue number from the screening booth located at the center of the compound.

Proceed to the tents on the left side of the compound. Your queue number will be for the ‘form verification process’ here. Fill up all the necessary forms according to the many English signs there. If you need to photocopy or take photo, you can proceed to the back of the building. Wait for your queue number to be called after filling out the forms. When your number is called, you can direct all your enquiries to the person attending to you. Mine speaks good English and answers all my questions well. After confirming that my forms/copies are in order, I’m given a number and directed to the main aircon office building.

Give the number to the information window directly opposite the entrance and they’ll give you another queue number to wait for your turn at one of the window stations inside. Watch the tv screen and go to the station indicated when your number is up, pay the 1900 baht then go back to your seat to wait again. Someone will call your name for you to take a photo in front, then it’s time to wait some more before you’re called to collect your passport with a freshly stamped visa extension!

Remember to get a screenshot of the ‘tenant registration’ from your current landlord at least the day before. That will be your critical TM30 copy. My landlord forgot to register for me when I arrived but did it online just the day before my application, so it’s pretty fast to do. To play it safe, I went to print out this TM30 screenshot at a copy center in the morning before I went to immigration. You can download and print the TM7 form online too, but it seems the two acknowledgement forms can only be filled in at the office. While filling out the forms there, I realized that the SPM.2 form is actually just a second acknowledgment form, the first being the penalties acknowledgement form.

I wanted to get a 60 days visa extension if I could, so I enquired about the Covid Visa and was told that my ‘visa exempt’ case is classified under Tourist Visa (TR) and therefore I cannot apply for covid visa now. However, the covid visa is extended to May 24 so before my upcoming extension ends on 6th May, I can apply for that then.

I arrived at about 11am on Wednesday morning and there were very few people around. Finished my forms and photo-taking at almost 12pm so I was told to wait till their lunchtime is over at 1pm. In the aircon-office, I note that the wait time for each number seems to be only abt 5min so that’s quite fast. Left happy at about 2pm. Everyone I met was helpful and polite, making the whole experience a breeze.

All in all, I feel that the system could be better – e.g. the TM7 and two acknowledgement forms could be combined into one form for simplicity’s sake. However, seeing the many signs in English and the staff insistence on adhering to the queue system (which mysteriously skipped over the two guys beside me waiting in the office, much to their consternation), I feel like the people on the ground are doing all they can to make things better.

Or maybe I’m just lucky to come on a day with minimal crowd!

April 4, 2022 at 1:09 pm

Hi Yanxin, Thank you very much for your comment. Hope it helps the others.

April 19, 2022 at 4:42 am

where I can get a visa extension on Phuket island?

April 19, 2022 at 5:46 pm

Hi, I am from India. I will visit thailand in 2 days from now. I have return ticket after 15 days. Can I extend it to another 15 days to make it 30 days? I booked my flight for 30 days but I found out that visa on arrival allows max 15 days. So I changed flight but I really want to go for 30 days. I heard somewhere I can extend only for 7 days one time only. Hope you have some answer for my query. Thanks

April 20, 2022 at 4:36 am

Hi Nishant, You can extend it for 7 days only, and that too in very specific scenarios such as medical reasons. You are better off coming with a SETV if you want to stay for 30 days.

April 21, 2022 at 5:57 am

Thanks for the help but I would like to check, I flew from singapore to thai and my visa free is expiring on 27th april. Im aware that the tm7 needs a reason and what reason do people usually write for 30 visa extension? And I would like to ask for that can I get a covid visa just because I want to travel more? What reason would I need to write if this is the case, is it still easy to get covid visa too? Thanks for ur reply

April 24, 2022 at 6:31 am

Hi Tim, For the 30-day visa extension, you could simply mention that you want to travel more. But for the Covid extension, they are asking for more proof. You could say tourism as the reason or that you can’t go back to your country now.

April 27, 2022 at 4:53 am

They asked for the letter but Singapore embassy told me to contact them directly for any extensions, what should i do in this case ? thanks again!

April 28, 2022 at 11:51 am

You mean the Singapore emebassy in Thailand? In that case, maybe you can reach the embassy and see if they can provide a letter. If not, you can write one yourself mentioning that the embassy doesn’t provide any letters.

May 2, 2022 at 7:40 pm

Yes thats right, but they replied me that they do not issue “covid visa letter” so should i just print this email reply out and show the immigration? thank you!

May 6, 2022 at 12:57 pm

Yes, that is exactly what you can do.

May 16, 2022 at 10:51 am

Hi, I am in Chiang Mai and will be applying for a covid visa extension. When filling out the form I noticed that I have to specify the reason why I am making the request. Can I write that the reason is because covid cases are increasing in my region of origin? Do I need to bring evidence? Or possibly what motivation do you suggest to write?

June 6, 2022 at 3:40 am

My 30 day visa extension is about to end. Do I need a letter from the Australian embassy to apply for Covid 60 day extension? Will immigration ask? Thank you

June 7, 2022 at 7:15 am

Hi Jade, They surely can ask. Either get a letter or an email where they state they either don’t provide any such letter.

June 15, 2022 at 7:58 am

Hi I need to extend visa actually my visa expires today but I don’t know where is immigration office and I extend visa

June 16, 2022 at 4:45 pm

Hello, to be granted access into thailand i need proof of my flight leaving the country. Once i am in thailand i wish to extend my visa. Do i therefore book the flight for what would be my departure date if they grant me an extension or do i book it for the original 60 days and then change my flight when the extension is granted?

June 18, 2022 at 7:40 am

If you are flying to Thailand, it is always advisable to carry proof of your onward journey. We recommend visa reservation to rent: https://thevisaproject.com/recommends/visa-reservation/

Now, coming to the dates, you can plan to get a new one once you are in Thailand which can include the 30 days extension.

So effectively, you could rent it twice.

June 20, 2022 at 4:38 am

Hello! Like many others of the commenters, I landed on this site after looking for information on how to extend and I think that this is the most easy-to-understand info I have found so far so thank you for that.

I’m heading to immigration for an extension this week. Aside from the documents you list here, will I need to show a ticket for onward travel and a confirmed hotel-reservation as well or can I skip those? I don’t know where I’m going next yet (so if I indeed need an onward ticket, I was going to rent one, but I’d rather save that money and spend it on something more fun) and I’m frankly too paranoid to book my next accommodation before I have that stamp in my passport so I’m sitting here now trying to decide if I should get those ready anyway or if I’ll be fine anyway. I have never applied for an extension in Thailand so I don’t know if they’re as grumpy and strict as in other countries or what I should expect, haha.

Anyway, thank you again for the great information!

June 22, 2022 at 5:04 pm

Hi Nicole, They can sometimes ask for the onward ticket. So it is always better to carry one. Or you can simply show up without it and bring it with you the next time if they ask for it.

Accommodation proof is pretty far-fetched.

June 22, 2022 at 8:29 pm

Hello! We just discovered that the 60 day Thailand Tourist Visa which we were able to apply for via e-visa back in December 2021 is no longer available as an e-visa. You have to apply in person at a Royal Thai consulate or embassy. So, now we are considering a 30 day visa free entry as US passport holders and then extending for another 30 days at an Immigration office. Information on the internet is very confusing. Some say only 15 day extensions for air travelers is given, and your site says 30 days. And of course the Royal Thai Embassy website doesn’t appear to provide ANY info about extending visa free. We are coming in August 12 and staying 60 days through Oct 10. Are you still confident the 30 day visa free will extend for 30 days? Thanks in advance for your reply.

June 25, 2022 at 11:53 am

Hi, You should get 30 days. Have not heard of anyone getting 15 days in the recent past.

July 5, 2022 at 11:49 pm

According to people I talked in Thailand they will not give you 30 days you have to do it in your own country

July 7, 2022 at 11:59 pm

Please help. Its July 8 2022. Planning to enter in 10 days on US passport visa exemption no visa required. IS IT STILL POSSIBLE TO EXTEND THE STAY? HOW MANY DAYS WILL IT GET EXTENDED? Thanks…

July 10, 2022 at 9:03 am

Yes it is. 30.

July 11, 2022 at 4:08 am

Hello! I am Canadian flying to Thailand in two weeks time. I know I can get a tourist visa/visa upon arrival if my stay is limited to 30 days but i want to extend my stay just by a few days – probably just by 3-5 days.

A) If I arrive at the airport and my return ticket is over the 30 day limit, will I be refused entry into the country? Or would they still let me in? B) If they do let me in, would I just be able to extend that 30 day stay visa before it expires?

Thank you in advance! I’ve tried calling the Thai embassy but no one seems to be answering!

July 20, 2022 at 3:03 am

Sorry about the late reply Stephanie. A) No you should not be refused entry over this. B) You can file for the extension for 30 days before the initial entry date allowed.

July 18, 2022 at 4:01 pm

Thanks for all the info but my head is exploding! Decades ago when I went to Thailand twice for a total of 3 months, none of this was necessary.

American arriving October 2022 and I want to be in Thailand for at least 2 months. Can I do the 30 day non Visa requirement as a tourist for free and THEN apply for then apply for the 90 day single entry the tourist Visa that you can use for 60 days, while I’m already in the country?

How long do I have to wait before before coming in again for another either free 29 days or applying for the 90 day Visa?

Can I show a bus or train ticket for an exit to a neighboring country because I don’t plan to fly?

I keep reading conflicting info on $ requirements for this Visa and when they ask an amount, is that per week, per month or total $ for whatever length of stay?

Sorry for so many questions but I’m traveling to many countries and I’m tired of spending endless hours on trying to get clear, precise, current info.

July 22, 2022 at 10:24 am

1. You can get 30 days visa-exempt entry. You can extend this inside Thailand.

2. You can not get a tourist visa when you are inside Thailand. You need to make a border run. There are multiple articles on the website on that. https://thevisaproject.com/experience/thailand/60-day-thailand-tourist-visa-in-laos/

3. Train/ bus tickets are accepted.

4. The cost of the tourist visa would vary depending on where you apply.

Here is another article that would be useful : https://thevisaproject.com/experience/thailand/thailand-long-stay-visa-and-restrictions/

January 8, 2023 at 9:37 am

I’m from the Netherlands and I’m cycling around South-East Asia. I’ll extend my visa-exempt entry of 45 days tomorrow, for another 30 days, but I might need another 15-30 days after that.

My question is whether a border run gives me 15 or 30 more days? I read conflicting things about that.

I’ll be in the North of Thailand then, so the Laos is the obvious choice. How long should I stay there before coming back?

Also, my first 45 days expire today (Sunday) already. I was in Kaeng Krachan and realized too late that immigrant offices are closed in the weekends. I’ll go to the office tomorrow morning. Will the overstay of one day give me a problem now or later on?

Kind regards,

January 9, 2023 at 8:38 pm

Hi Michael, If you end up doing the extension 1 day late, most probably you would need to pay the 500B fine nothing else.

If you do the border run, you should get 45 days as it would be a visa-exempt entry. Earlier the land border runs gave you 15 days only. Laos is surely a great choice. 1 or 2 days in Laos would do the trick.

Please update us on how it goes. Would help others a lot.

Cheers, Deb

July 29, 2022 at 6:56 pm

Hi I’m American and have a flight for the 3rd of August, I signed up for a tourist visa a week ago but I don’t think it’s going to be finished before I leave, so I have a question and it’s a but of an emergency situation now

A) can I just land at the airport and get the visa exemption, then extend it there?

B) can I keep my flight return date still showing 2 months later on the 3rd of October? My accommodation are on the same days as well.

All together my time there is 63 days, but I can Push back my departure date if necessary. I’ve gotten so much mixed up info on all of this. Thanks for the help

July 31, 2022 at 8:52 am

Hi Chuck, A) Yes, you can do it. B) I would recommend keeping it within 60 days so that you can reason with them. There is always someone who is not having a good day.

August 11, 2022 at 3:09 am

Just to give everyone a heads-up (since the link posted here now doesn’t work any longer), I had my visa exemption (30 days) extended with another 30 days yesterday.

The new location is at the IT Square Mall in Lak Si (3rd floor). The process went quite smooth. Prepared everything as was explained here, but still had to fill in two additional documents, which were provided at the location. Took me a little longer than 1 hour, but beware that there’s only 300 queue tickets given out each day. I arrived at 15:00 and had queue number 220, btw.

August 11, 2022 at 1:52 pm

Hi Zero, Thank you for the update. Would you mind sharing which additional documents were you needed to fill in?

August 18, 2022 at 2:31 am

I am SO happy I found this website !! So I have never been to Thailand, but I had got my tickets already. I’m leaving Nov 2nd 2022 and coming back May2nd 2023. So 6 months. I am Canadian, coming from Canada. I am waiting for my SETV online application to be approved. I know I can do 90 days with the extension. Do I have other options of extensions ? Without having to leave ?.. and if I do have to do a run, would I come on my 30 day no visa, and extend for another 30… then have to do another run ? Any help is sooo appreciated. Thank you so much.!!

August 19, 2022 at 6:40 am

Hi Aly, This article will help you in understanding all those details : https://thevisaproject.com/experience/thailand/thailand-long-stay-visa-and-restrictions/

August 29, 2022 at 10:55 pm

Is it possible to stay 90 days on a british passport,I know I can extend by 30 days,but what can I do for the last 30 days.will I have to do a border run. Thanks

August 31, 2022 at 7:48 am

Hi Stuart, You can surely do a border run, however it would be better to get a SETV if you are planning to stay in Thailand for a longer time. Cheers, Deb

August 31, 2022 at 5:36 am

Hi, I read the covid extensions will no longer be given again and again. is this correct?

August 31, 2022 at 7:43 am

That is right Ron. They have discontinued it for now.

August 31, 2022 at 7:58 pm

Hi buddy , I was curious , I’m American and came on a visa free and they gave me 30 days, Which ends September 9th, next week. When do you think I should go for the visa extension. Also after that extension I can apply for another one? Also if I can’t , can I make a border run get 30 days and then get another extension . And repeat this process over and over? Last thing, you say you can get visa free 45 days , but I only received 30 days. Thankyou

September 3, 2022 at 2:42 pm

Hi Cody, You get visa-exempt entry for 30 days now. During Covid times, they had temporarily extended it to 45 days. Not anymore. You can apply for the extension 1 week before the 30-day limit is over.

Give this article a read to get an idea on the border runs and other things in general: https://thevisaproject.com/experience/thailand/thailand-long-stay-visa-and-restrictions/

September 10, 2022 at 7:39 am

Hi, I am travelling to thailand from Australia on a 90 days volunteer visa. At the end of that 90 days I would like to travel as a tourist for another 15 days. Can I request an extension of my volunteer visa or do I need to reapply for a tourist visa?

September 16, 2022 at 6:39 am

Hi Amber, I believe it is a Non-O volunteer visa? You can surely extend it. In order to get a tourist visa, you would need to leave Thailand.

September 19, 2022 at 2:24 pm

Hi, can anyone advise me? we are flying out to Thailand on 27th september for 34 days. We know the Thai government are extending the visa to 45 days stay from 1st October, We return home on the 1st November. can we travel without an E visa? sorry if this sounds confusing. john

September 23, 2022 at 6:59 am

Hi Austin, As of October 1st citizens from 53 countries can enter Thailand without visa for 45 days (up from 30). Since you are entering before that, you would get 30 days, and then you would need to extend it for 30 more.

September 30, 2022 at 7:41 pm

Hi Deb, as all the others trippers I am so grateful for your skilled help! It is nice to read how may people would stay in this amazing country long as possible, “fighting”against every kind of administrative difficulties! Arrived to Bangkok from Paris on the 18 of September with a non visa 30 days limited stay, I am preparing my documents to go to the IT Square Lakes Plaza for the extension. – If I have to include the T6 form I don’t have ? I don’t remember if they didn’t give me ( is it possible?) or if I’ve lost it…it is not a form that I can download isn’t? -If I’ve understood correctly, I will not benefit of 45 days because I arrived before the 1 of October, right? – at the moment of my demand I still have an hotel address, but not for longtime as I wish go outside Bkk.The authority is asking an address covering all the extension stay? Thank you so much, Faustina

October 4, 2022 at 1:16 pm

Hi Faustina, Thank you for the kind words. Yes, let’s hope they get better. 🙂 – It is possible that you didn’t get one. Rarely happens but possible. See J’s very helpful comment on this: https://thevisaproject.com/experience/thailand/thai-visa-extension/#comment-2509

– You wouldn’t get 45 days since you arrived before 1st October

– It is better that you get the TM7 mentioning the hotel where you would be staying at. You should already have it. A little less hassle. Then once you get the extension, you can go outside Bangkok.

October 4, 2022 at 7:45 pm

Hi there, I am a NZ citizen arriving in Bangkok on 17 October, i want to stay 85 days in Thailand, i will get the 45 day Visa Exemption on arrival, can i do a visa run to Cambodia/Malaysia 45 days later, and re-enter and get another 45 day visa exemption? thanks a lot!

October 5, 2022 at 5:50 pm

Hi Don, I believe yes you would.

October 4, 2022 at 9:58 pm

Do you have any infos about the Special 60-day Covid Extension of Thai Visa… for end 2022 and begining 2023? Thanks!

October 5, 2022 at 5:51 pm

Right now it is not happening Phillipe. I doubt they will go back to Covid extensions.

October 8, 2022 at 9:22 am

Hi Ded, I’m wondering if a land border visa extension run (post 60-days visa ) cab be also done in Myanmar/laos? Txs

October 12, 2022 at 2:16 pm

Hi Karina, It can definitely be done in Laos. Don’t think Myanmar is an option right now since the borders with Myanmar are closed( Last checked in September).

October 16, 2022 at 9:00 pm

Hi Deb We entered Thailand with a STV on 19 august and need to extend by November 16,2022. I have heard that some with this visa were not granted extensions. We are in Bangkok so we were just wanting to verify that it’s still possible to get extensions for the STV ? Otherwise we would need to do a border run seeing we can’t change to another visa type here. Thank you

October 17, 2022 at 12:19 pm

Hi Glynn, Have not heard of anyone who got denied the visa extension with STV. As long as you have everything they need, you can count on getting it.

November 21, 2022 at 4:52 am

I just got denied the STV visa renewal. they say it finished by 30th September

November 21, 2022 at 6:59 am

Hi Josh, Sorry to hear that. Do you mean, they denied you a 30-day extension on your STV?

October 18, 2022 at 6:11 am

Hi Deb I will be re-entering Thailand on the 4th of November on the 45 day visa exemption. I plan to extend my visa for a further 30 days during my stay. A few days after I arrive will be flying to Krabi and I have heard the visa office there is a very relaxed and quick process compared to Bangkok. My question is will I be able to extend my visa in Krabi a couple of days after arrival in the country or do I have to wait until a week or so before the visa runs out in December. Thanks for your help!

October 19, 2022 at 11:19 am

Hi Conor, Yes, you can do it a couple of days after you arrive. No need to wait for the week before the visa expires.

October 18, 2022 at 3:34 pm

Hello, Thanks again for your information! Do you know if it’s possible to extend 30 days after the 45 days visa exemption on arrival? And is there 45 days for landborder crossing?

October 19, 2022 at 11:14 am

Yes to both.

October 19, 2022 at 8:26 am

Is it possible to get an extension on the day of expiration. Say my stay expires on the 27 but I am asking for an extension on the 27 will that work?

October 19, 2022 at 11:16 am

I believe it is possible, but why take the risk? You have time to do it beforehand.

October 21, 2022 at 1:55 pm

Hello, we are coming to BKK Thailand from Canada November 4 and getting the 45 day visa exception with plans to extend for an additional 30 days. Then we are leaving for about 6 weeks to travel elsewhere, and then would like to return again for another 45 day visa exception and fly home on March 30 2023. Can we use the 45 day exception 2 times within our 5 month travel plan? Thanks for any information you can provide.

October 23, 2022 at 5:54 am

Hi Sandra, Yes, this is totally doable.

October 23, 2022 at 12:47 pm

I wonder if it’s then possible to extend for a second time the 45 days for another 30 days… I am canadian who will arrive november 15 2022

Visa waiver end december 29; make extension until january 28 Going to Laos until february 25 2023 Back in Thailand february 25 with visa waiver 45 days Make a second 30 days extension until until I go back in canada may 9 2023??? Thanks a lot for your infos, it is very appreciate…

October 25, 2022 at 7:00 am

Technically speaking, it should be possible although no one has done this yet. Worth a try, and do let us know if you succeed.

October 27, 2022 at 8:11 am

Hi Deb, Super helpful blog and advice. We’re wondering if we book flights for longer than 45 days apart (30 Dec 22 until 15 March 23) will we still be able to get the 45 day visa upon arrival (UK and Swedish citizens) and then extend it for 30days to cover us for our full stay? Or do our flights need to be less than 45 days apart to start with? Thanks for your advice and help!!

October 28, 2022 at 8:59 am

Hi Alex, Appreciate your kind words. Please book the flights for less than 45 days. In fact, I highly recommend renting a ticket or buying a 24-hour cancellable one ( totally free). I recommend doing this before the 45-day limit runs out. The date ideally should be on the 43rd/44th day. Refer to the section: https://thevisaproject.com/experience/thailand/thai-visa-extension/#What_to_Do_about_Onward_Ticket_for_Thai_Visa_Extension

I have a whole article on this: https://thevisaproject.com/blog/tips/10-ways-for-onward-travel-proof/

October 30, 2022 at 3:54 am

Hi Deb, Great info, and thanks for your willingness to advise all of us! My 90 day non-imm O visa (Thai wife, I’m American) will expire in a couple weeks, yet we are planning to stay in Thailand for a couple more months. As I didn’t create a Thai bank account when I arrived (stupid me), an item that seems to be needed to extend the non-imm O, what are my options for continuing my stay here? Thanks!

November 1, 2022 at 7:14 am

Hi Seattlite, I would not recommend a visa conversion inside Thailand since that is always a slippery slope. The easiest option would be to make a border run and come as visa-exempt, and then do the extension on that. That gives you 75 days easily. In the meanwhile, you can open a bank account and have that option ready.

Hope it works out for you, Deb

November 13, 2022 at 1:43 pm

Hello I am traveling to Thailand for 85 days, I will get 45 days visa free. If I take a a day trip over to Laos , will I get 45 more days when I return through the border on the same day or do I have to spend a specific time out of Thailand ?

November 15, 2022 at 6:50 am

Hi Mel, Try to stay at least one full day in Laos, and then enter Thailand. Technically speaking, you should get 45 days. Request to update us. Would be really helpful to others.

November 15, 2022 at 2:55 am

They did’nt give me a TM6 CARD when I come in… can I do extension without this card?… or I should find one and if so how where I can get one?

November 18, 2022 at 9:07 am

Hi Philippe, Yes, you can get a new one or file a Police report for this. See this: https://thevisaproject.com/experience/thailand/thai-visa-extension/#comment-2509

November 19, 2022 at 11:41 am

Actually it’s a new procedure… they do not give TM6 card when you come in Thailand… I wonder if I should ask for one…

November 21, 2022 at 9:52 am

I did not see where the immigration office locations are shared on the immigration.go.th website. Can you help me find such? I am staying in CBD area and will try to go tomorrow to extend m 45 day tourist visa. Then I will do a visa run in January.

I may eventually re-enroll in Thai classes and get an Education visa again, as I did during Covid (they were online and pretty spotty back then, so I could use more classes anyway).

November 23, 2022 at 8:04 am

Hi Chris, I have added a map that you can refer to for the location.

All the best in your endeavors.

November 23, 2022 at 5:33 pm

November 22, 2022 at 11:36 am

Can can visa free entry in thailand be extended by another 30 days? So I come in with a 45 visa exemption and then once in Thailand I extend that by another 30 days for a full 75 days?

I think if I understand this article right it is possible, but I want to be sure.

Thanks for this site. Nowhere in the internet I found such detailled info about all this.

November 24, 2022 at 10:11 am

Hey Johannes, Yes, this is possible.

And thank you for the kind words.

November 24, 2022 at 2:56 pm

Hi Deb, Regarding the 45 day plus 30 day extension for 75 days total: Would I book a return flight now for 45 days or at 75 days? thanks

November 25, 2022 at 6:37 am

Hi Nick, You need to get two in reality. One let’s say on the 43rd day and the other, say, 28 days after that. Please refer to the section on onward tickets as well.

December 2, 2022 at 9:32 am

Yes, this is correct.

I was given a 45 day exemption on arrival and this afternoon I went to the Immigration office and paid THB1900 for an additional 30 days.

November 22, 2022 at 4:30 pm

I did not find a list of Bangkok Immigration/Visa offices on the link above. I have the form to extend my 45 day tourist visa, but do you know where I can go to file it in Bankgok?

November 27, 2022 at 10:26 pm

Hi Deb, I intend to fly in from the states on January 1st, 2022 on the 45 day visa exempt option. i am going to transfer 800,000 Baht to my Thai bank account in early December. Do you know if I would qualify for the 12 month “extension of stay” visa if I enter with the 45 day exempt option, and not the 60 day tourist visa?

November 30, 2022 at 5:55 am

Hi Steve, I don’t think this is possible with the 45-day visa-exempt option or with the 60-day tourist visa.

December 1, 2022 at 4:34 am

Firstly, thanks in advance for any help you may give me.

I’m a little bit stuck on what exactly to do.

I have a 45 day visa waiver, I’d like to extend another 30 days.

My question is to do with the address I have to supply on the TM7.

My visa waiver expires on the 31/12/22. So when I apply, do I need to book a hotel for the 31/12 only and put this on the form? Does it need to be longer?

I’m travelling around the country just now, so all a bit ad hoc at the moment.

Thanks again mate

December 2, 2022 at 11:05 am

Hi Ian, Yes, booking a hotel for a night can do the trick. Not really needed for much longer.

December 2, 2022 at 6:45 am

Hi Deb, I mistakenly believed I had a 90 day visa and have already stayed past the expiry of my actual 30 day visa. I will be flying out next week near but not over the 90 day limit; should I go to the Immigration Bureau and self-report? Is there any chance to extend my visa now it’s already expired? Would I be arrested and taken to IDC?

December 4, 2022 at 11:12 am

Hi Tom, Sorry to hear about this. If you’re stopped by the police you could be arrested. Let’s hope it does not come to that. Try to leave asap and pay your 500 baht/day fine on exit. You will probably receive an overstay stamp on your passport.

Please update us on how it goes.

December 2, 2022 at 3:45 pm

Hi Deb, Indian who received an e-visa for 30 days, got the VOA stamp when I arrived. If I go to the IT Plaza, will they only give me 7 days extension? Thanks!

December 4, 2022 at 11:18 am

Hi Salo, It’s possible to extend your visa on arrival by 7 days only in case you are ill and unable to travel. It is not straightforward for Indians as far as I know.

And from what I have heard from other expats, the 7 days you are offered is in actual fact a denial to approve an extension and they give you 7 days to leave. It is better not to take this option because they will put a stamp saying so and this could become an issue in the future.

If you areally want to travel longer in Thailand, get a Thai STV.

December 5, 2022 at 3:39 am

It seems you can get visa extension via Thai government e-visa service. https://online.vfsevisa.com/ Do you have comment on this process?

December 5, 2022 at 10:48 am

Hi Jo, I don’t think that is possible.

December 8, 2022 at 1:18 pm

Does anyone know if they now require a TM30 at Chang Wattana when doing a 30 day extension on a 45 day Visa waiver?

Thanks in advance for any help.

January 6, 2023 at 8:38 am

So this 45-day visa expires on March 31, 2023.

What if I arrive on March 1, 2023? Would that mean my date to leave would be April 14, 2023? And if I wanted to extend this date by another 30 days, I would need to go to apply for an extension at least about a week before April 14th?

Does that sound right?

January 9, 2023 at 10:49 am

Hello there 75 days. Yes, that is true. And depending on where you apply for the extension, you can also apply much earlier.

January 23, 2023 at 4:38 am

I was wondering if you know the limit to how many visa free waivers you are allowed per year when entering by air to Thailand.

I have used a two month visa (June – Aug 22′) then two visa waivers (extending them both) with visa runs in between.

I am about to come back to Thailand in Feb and am a bit worried they are going to question me at the airport or refuse entry.

I’ve seen conflicting reports online that you are allowed up to six per calendar year and some say only two.

If you or anyone else can answer my question I would greatly appreciate it.

January 24, 2023 at 8:33 pm

Hi Conor, There are indeed conflicting reports about this. Some say a maximum of 4 times as well, and a big part of this depends on your personal travel history and stamps in Thailand, and whether the immigration officer had a bad day.

All the best, Deb

February 23, 2023 at 1:51 am

Hello Deb, May be you have information about land border with Malaysia and Myanmar… I would like to do visa run before end of march so I guess I could have an other 45 days waiver (I am canadian)? 1- wondering about Padang Besar (Malaysia) it’s use to be easy there… is it still the same? With night train to Bangkok… or I have to go to Hat Yai for catch this train? Do I need to stay one night in Malaysia? 2-wondering about Myanmar… Ranong and Mae Sot border… I heard that Mae Sot bridge is open but is this okay for visa run?… it’s you use to be…. Could I go Myanmar and come back Thailand in the same day? Thank you very much for all the infos you give! Philip

February 25, 2023 at 8:59 pm

Hi Philippe, While Laos still remains the safest and easiest of all, Malaysia is just fine. Have not heard any bad news about it pretty recently. You can take the overnight sleeper train to Penang besar. From there you can take an other train to penang, if you wish to stay in Malaysia but it is not really required.

Coming to the Mae Sot border in Myanmar, what I know is that you’ll be required to wait in the office while your passport is stamped and then asked to return immediately to Thailand. You can’t stay there overnight. You are only permitted to cross the bridge for the purposes of a border run.

Please update once you do it so that the others can benefit.

February 24, 2023 at 9:52 am

1st, many thanks for all helpful informations provided here.

I would like to ask for your kind confirmations on following 2 questions, please :

1) Got a first 45 days’ exemption (arrival by plane) expiring on March 4th. According to some others experiences here, a 30 days’ extension at Gvt Complex next week should then be no problem, yes ?

2) If exiting Thailand to Laos on March 30th then crossing back by land on the next day March 31st, could I normally still get another 45 days’ exemption ? And, if so, would that one be regularly elligible to an additional 30 days’ extension again ?

With great thanks and brgds.

February 25, 2023 at 9:02 pm

Hi J, Yes to the first question, and technically yes to the second one. Why wait until the last day to do this? 🙂

February 26, 2023 at 10:12 am

Hey Deb, Thanks for reply. To answer your question : just with the intention of bringing my stay in Thailand as far as it can go. ) By the way, did you have any actual report of that kind of border run by land getting a renewed 45 days’ exemption yet ?

February 26, 2023 at 11:49 am

Hi J, Yes, I surely do.

February 28, 2023 at 6:41 am

Hey Deb, Some update to whom it may be of some use : I can confirm that, in Bkk, visa extensions (at least for Tourist and 45 days waiver) are not processed at the Gvt Complex anymore but at IT Square (awful shabby place…) Surprisingly very few people there. So, except for the gloomy ambience, it went smooth and fast. Didn’t even take 15mns altogether to get my 30 days extension.

March 19, 2023 at 3:28 pm

Hi Deb, great article, but I’m still struggling to figure out what is my best option. I just wanted to explain my situation and hope you can offer the best advice! I am going to Thailand from England on 23rd May 2023 and I booked a return ticket back on the 20th August. I was planning to apply for a 60 day tourist visa and then extend for another 30 days. I now realise that it’s not great to assume that I will get the extension. Will this cause an issue that my return flight is already longer than the initial 60 days I will be offered? Will I need to book something else? Also is the 60 day tourist visa the best option? Or could I possibly arrive and get 45 days, leave the country briefly and then get another 45? Finally if I apply for an extension on the 60 day visa on say day 45, will the extension apply immediately, or be effective from the end of the 60 days? thanks so much if you can take the time to reply.

March 24, 2023 at 9:35 am

Hi Hollie, I believe you can do both but to me getting the SETV for 60 days and extending it would always be a better option, just because you could stay in the country for 90 days continuously. And the extension kicks in only when your 60 days expire, not from your date of application. So you are fine in that regard.

How to plan the flight tickets: https://thevisaproject.com/experience/thailand/thai-visa-extension/#What_to_Do_about_Onward_Ticket_for_Thai_Visa_Extension

Hope you have a good time in Thailand.

April 19, 2023 at 10:29 am

Hi Deb, Thanks for all the advice given on this page, it’s very useful. My situation is: I will return to Thailand on the 25th May after a two week trip to India. I have read various reports that people entering Thailand from India or China require medical insurance and a negative PCR test. Is this true and should I be buying insurance and getting tested beforehand? I cant find much info on this online. I am just worried I will be denied access if i don’t have these things. I am a British citizen and will be using the 30 day visa waiver if that makes a difference. Thanks again

May 2, 2023 at 10:19 am

Hi Conor, Sorry about the late reply. You do need travel insurance. This insurance must cover the duration of your stay in Thailand plus an additional 7 days from their planned date of departure. It should be of at least USD 10,000 and include treatment for COVID‑19 related costs.

There is no need for negative PCR test as far as I know.

Thanks, Deb

May 26, 2023 at 5:57 am

Thanks for the detailed guide! Didn’t realize there were so many offices outside of Bangkok. Just extended 30 days to my visa-exempt stay.

FYI for others in Ayutthaya: It went quickly (11am Friday). Can do photocopies (3 baht/page) and pictures across the street at a small shop with a camera sticker on the window.

Then a desk to fill out a few forms – one worker was very helpful and spoke some English. (And had white-out for things like when it said “date” but then the next line had month and year)

(Oh and no problem not having a collar in my photo, I’d read that elsewhere)

May 28, 2023 at 8:04 pm

Thanks a lot for the update Billy. Hope it helps everyone.

June 2, 2023 at 9:00 am

Thank you for all the advice up to this point, it is incredibly helpful.

I am going to explain my current situation and hope that I can get your advice on how to proceed. I am arriving in Thailand as a UK national on the 24th July 2023, and will be using the visa waiver for 30 days to travel the South of Thailand. I will then be travelling to Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos (staying 30 days in each place). I then want to re-enter North of Thailand and stay for another 30 days before flying back to the UK.

1. The re-entry permits online are not backpacking friendly as they ask where I am staying and I do not know this information, only the first 3 days usually. How do I get around this?

2. Should I apply for a re-entry permit and extension when I am in Thailand the first time, or go to the Thai Embassy in Laos and apply for re-entry and extension there?

3. Do you think this trip is risky trying to re-enter and extend the visa? Or do you think it will be simple to do?

Many thanks, Paige

June 7, 2023 at 10:55 am

Hi Paige, I believe in your case, it would be quite simple since you are using the visa waiver to enter both the times, and you are not really exceeding the limit or getting an extension.

I don’t think you would need re-entry permit. As per the hotel reservations, you can always do refundable reservations and then cancel them.

July 21, 2023 at 4:09 pm

I just need an advice, regarding risking a visa extension in IT Square Laksi, or to go on a border run to Cambodia. We (with my parents who are senior citizens) arrived in BKK from MNL last July 5 and will end Aug 3 (a 30 day visa exemption) to visit relatives and friends as well as tour and of course, go shopping. Our return ticket to MNL will be on Aug 20MN, to have enough rest for the elderly between travels and visits, thus the requirement to have a visa extension.

My great concern is, we are not staying in a hotel/resort but with my Aunt’s (my mom’s sister, with a non-immigrant O visa) house in Bangkok. This is where it goes possibly deep for the immigration with TM30 besides the TM7. I am not sure what or where TM30 further dives in to with regards to document requirements, but it will entirely be complicated. Some says it is simple, but my Aunt’s house is named under my uncle, and they are no longer together. Thus the complication deepens if we talk about TM30.

With our situation, I am not sure how the Thai immigration treats elderly aliens who just wants to visit and stay with relatives in Thailand, tour great sites with relative and friends, and do shopping for souvenirs to bring back home.

So my two options are: 1. Easy 30min – 1hr but risky visa extension in IT Square Laksi with a non refundable fee of thb1900 if denied because of TM30 concern and would have to rebook our tickets to go back home. 2. An assuring but tiring whole day border run to Cambodia with a elderly parents worth thb2500.

Any advice will be great for a Thai visa extension.

July 23, 2023 at 9:27 pm

Hi GB, I get your concern. Here is the thing. You do not really need proof of a TM30 to extend a tourist visa or visa exempt entry (though someone still needs to have submitted it for you). So the assumption here is that your uncle, the owner in this case, should have submitted this.

I would say that give it a try a week or so before so that in case it does not work out for any reason or a moody official, you still have time and energy to do a border run.

Hope it works out. My heart says it will. Please keep us updated.

August 7, 2023 at 4:18 am

Hello Deb, Great site and advice. My question re a scenario – Entered Thailand with a US passport for 60 days, then extended for 30 days whilst awaiting decision for a 5 year Elite Visa (with rules for Elite extension to 10 or 20 years). Then Thailand Elite announced a complete revamp of Elite visa and a discontinuation of a 5 year Elite but provided people a short time to pay more to upgrade to 10 or 20 years. A five year can still be granted, but the extension ability ceases so upgrade would have to occur about now. In October 2023 the Elite visa is likely to be much more expensive and possibly have less incentives. Therefore, although the 5 year elite is still awaiting approval, the changes required a backup plan to apply for an O-X long stay retired pensioner option application, now also submitted. Therefore, there are now two options awaiting approval by officials, and the current extension of 30 days is about to end. As it is changes by authorities that have created the unknown situation eith no indication when approvals or denials will occur, would officials be inclined to grant a second 30 day extension? I understand that your answer will be speculation based on experience, but your opinion is valued and may be used as a guide as to whether an attempt should be made to put the case forward. Otherwise, there will be added expense of moving out for a border run flight and return. Kind regards.

August 15, 2023 at 10:34 pm

Hi Mark, Yes, this is quite a situation. I understand your concern. In most countries in the world, if your visa application is under process, you don’t have to worry even if your current visa expires. I personally have been in this situation more than a few times and this is totally fine.

Thailand being Thailand, you can’t predict these things. If all your documents for the O-X are in order, they have no reason to deny it. I would say that be positive and wait for the approval. If I were in your shoes, I would have done that and faced the consequences in case things did not work out in the end.

But if you want to play it safe, a border run is always an option. Would love if you could update on the final outcome.

August 17, 2023 at 3:08 pm

Hi we was in Thailand for 30 days on the visa waiver stamp we have since left the country and visited Laos and currently we are in Vietnam. We are planning to fly back into Thailand soon. The question I have is can we get another 30 day waiver stamp when we arrive (we would’ve been out of Thailand for 20 days since our last visit) secondly if we can get another waiver stamp is it possible to pay to extend this for a further 30 days for 1900 Bhat? Or do we have to apply for a visa online? Thank you in advance for your reply!

August 19, 2023 at 2:54 pm

Hi Reece, Yes, you should be able to get a waiver and an extension. In case you decide to get an SETV in Vietnam, you can do so as well : https://thevisaproject.com/experience/thailand/tourist-visa-to-thailand-in-vietnam/

September 5, 2023 at 7:40 pm

Uwaga! Nie można przedłużyć wizy w dowolnym urzędzie! Musi być odpowiedni dla twojego adresu!

September 6, 2023 at 2:17 pm

I don’t really understand this comment but I will let it slide.

October 6, 2023 at 1:24 am

Hi, regarding the amount of visa waiver entries you can have per year: Siam Legal (who runs the Thai Embassy website) clarified that under the new rules, you can get up to two (2) entries by land per calendar year (Jan 1 – Dec 31) and up to six (6) by air. People who enter on the visa exemption / waiver can still extend by another 30 days. Thought this might be useful 🙂

Source: https://www.thaiembassy.com/thailand-visa/thailand-visa-latest-update

January 5, 2024 at 7:12 am

I just got a 30 day extension of my ’30 day visa exemption’ on arrival (w/ US passport) at IT Square Laksi. There are 2 photo & print /copy shops next door. They open at 8:30am, close from 12-1 for lunch, and stop taking new people about 3:30pm, closing at 4:30.

In addition to TM-7, there are 2 more forms they want you to fill out with your info but no other supporting docs. Bring your own pen!

Get there early to avoid having to wait through lunch break. After lunch things move slower as there were many ‘agents’ with 4500-5000b clients skipping the cue.

I tried the ‘new’ E-Visa system, but the next appointment was a week away, and then it was going to take 7-12 business days to ‘process’. You get to ‘skip the line’ by submitting your documents online, but you also have to pay another 500b. You can pay more to get faster processing: 1500 for 2-3day, and 5000 for same or overnight processing if my memory is correct.

January 30, 2024 at 3:03 pm

Thanks a lot Greg. This would definitely help the others a lot.

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You Can Travel in These 7 Countries for Less Than $30 a Day — Here’s How

And that includes food, hotels, and fun.

Evie Carrick is a writer and editor who’s lived in five countries and visited well over 50. She now splits her time between Colorado and Paris, ensuring she doesn't have to live without skiing or L'As du Fallafel.

Michael Herm/Getty Images

In case you haven’t noticed, everything from groceries to rent is getting more expensive. Since 2021, the inflation rate has remained at or more than three percent, with the high being a seven percent increase in 2021. It’s no wonder people are choosing to move abroad .

When life feels expensive, it’s good to remember there are places where you can get a room for the cost of a movie ticket and a full meal for the price of a cup of coffee. In fact, once you get past the airfare, you can actually save money by traveling to certain countries for extended periods of time.

Here’s a rundown of how to get by in some of the world’s most affordable countries for less than $30 a day, including lodging, food, and activities.

Wilfried Strang/Getty Images

While Vietnam and Thailand get plenty of attention, Laos is often overlooked. Perhaps it’s because the nation is landlocked in an area known for its beautiful coastlines, but those who visit will be rewarded with mountains, Buddhist monasteries, beautiful rivers, and a low cost of living.

When I visited Luang Prabang , I was able to stay in a place like Phai Guesthouse for $13 a night. The city is full of French colonial architecture and bakeries with delicious treats for less than $4. If you really want to save, buy your meals from roadside vendors who sell foods like noodle soup and sticky rice for around $1.

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I visited Nepal when I was traveling through northern India. Kathmandu, its capital, tends to have some of the most affordable lodging (like Thamel Eco Resort , with rooms for $20 a night, for two people), but if you want to see the Himalayas, you’ll want to hop on a bus to Pokhara, a city west of the capital. The journey costs $11 per person via an air-conditioned bus.

One of the most memorable things I ate in Nepal were momos (dumplings), which cost less than $1 for a plate of around seven.

When I visited Indonesia, I stayed on Bali , which is still relatively affordable, but more expensive than many of the country's other islands. Sumatra and Java have some wonderfully low prices, while on Lombok, an island to the east of Bali, you can stay in a three-star hotel like the Hotel Puri Saron Senggigi for around $22 a night.

If you don’t mind simple meals of rice, meat, and eggs, you can grab local dishes like nasi goreng for around $2.

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Thailand is no longer the affordable darling it once was, but you can still find budget-friendly accommodations and affordable, delicious eats all over the country. For some of the best rates, head north to the cool mountains, rather than south to the islands. For example, in the northern city of Chiang Mai, you can book a private room in a guesthouse for under $20 a night . A nice meal in a restaurant typically costs around $8, while street food is around $2 a meal.

Vithun Khamsong/Getty Images

Vietnam continually ranks high among travelers looking for a deal. But beyond being affordable, the country is beautiful, with more than 2,000 miles of coastline. In the city of Hạ Long, which sits on Hạ Long Bay, visitors have easy access to snorkeling and climbing on the jutting limestone islands.

There are hundreds of hotels, hostels, and homestays in Hạ Long for around $15 a night. After a day of exploring in and along the bay, you can find a banh mi sandwich for around $1 or a bowl of pho for $3.

Philippines

Jacob Marsh/Getty Images

It’s a haul to get to the Philippines, but once you’re there, you’ll enjoy a relatively low cost of living. Even islands like Siargao, known for its surf culture, have rooms for $30 or less .

After a day of riding the waves, you can find a plate loaded with local fare (like chicken adobo) for a few bucks. If you’re craving a Western comfort dish, expect to pay around $10 (a bowl of homemade pasta from La Carinderia , for example).

Anton Aleksenko/Getty Images

I spent more than a month in India and enjoyed the perks of affordable lodging and tasty, cheap eats. A private room in a central hotel in New Delhi will cost you around $15 a night (like in the case of one of my all-time favorite properties, Hotel Hari Piorko ). A meal on the street is around $3, as is a train trip on a lower-tier car.

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