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.
And should you go for it, it’s real 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.
COVID-19 Update on Thai Visa
Stay for 45 Days in stead of 30
If you are from a visa-exempt country and entered Thailand on a visa waiver, you can stay for 45 days instead of the usual 30 days, on each visit.
This is in effect until 30 September 2021.
Special 60-day Covid Extension of Thai Visa
Apart from the 30-day extension, you also would be able to get a special 60-day COVID extension. This is in effect until 27th September 2021. I will update the article if this special extension continues beyond 27th September 2021.
You can apply for the 60-day covid extension where you stay. So for example, if you’re staying in Bangkok (and can prove it) you can apply for a covid extension at the Chaengwattana Immigration office.
You might get a 14-day Under Consideration stamp and then go back to the same immigration office to get the COVID extension. In some cases, it can also be for a month.
The under consideration stamp would have the date you’re supposed to return.
You would need to pay the 1900 baht. When you go back on the date given in that stamp with your passport and the blue/green receipt of payment, they will put the covid extension stamp into your passport.
And yes, you can get more than one Thai visa extension for COVID.And should you need it, you need to ask the immigration office to give it to you before your usual 30 days extension.
Some officials might ask you to go for the regular 30 days Thai visa extension first, and then get the special one, while some would be fine with doing it the other way.
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.
Table of Contents
When to Get Thai Visa Extension
You must apply for 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.
The days are added on to your current stamp, not from the date you apply for an extension. So, you won’t be losing any days.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 must visit in person to apply for the extension. The extension gives you an additional 30 days on your current entry.
Immigration offices are open Monday-Friday and closed on local holidays.
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.
- A copy of your Thailand departure card or TM.6
- Thai visa extension photo requirements:- 1 passport photo, 4x6cm
- 1,900฿ fee for extension paid in cash
All copies must be signed. There’s always a photocopier and a photo shop 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.
Step 1
Grab the TM.7 application form for Thai visa extension. It’s a 2-page form.
Step 2
Complete the form. You will need to fill in your personal information, no. of requested days, reason of extension, address in Thailand etc. Then gather necessary copies and a photo. Attach your photo to the designated area in the form and sign it.
Step 3
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.
The maximum fine is 20,000฿ and you may face jail time. You can even be banned from re-entering Thailand in the future.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.
How to Get Japan Temporary Visitor Visa for 15 Days Anywhere?
How to Get 3 Month Tourist Visa to Thailand at the Thai Embassy in Vietnam?
How to Get 60 Day Thailand Tourist Visa in Laos Simplified
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?
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.
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?
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.
Is it possible to extend into the STV if you came in on a 45 visa exemption?
Great article, really easy to follow.
Hi Tom,
Yes, you can extend for 30 more days after the 45 days of visa exemption.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
Thanks, Rolando Ngabidj for thevisaproject.com
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
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.
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.
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?
Hi Tom,
You can keep the old card and simply change the flight. No issues.
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)
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.
Sorry about my earlier comment Darren. I actually meant 45 days stay, not a 45-day extension. The article has been rectified.
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
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.
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?
Hi Mussa,
You will be able to extend for 30 days since you came with a visa.
Hi Deb,
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?
Thank you
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.
Hi Deb,
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.
Thanks!
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.
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.
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.
Thanks deb for your reply. Understand now. Really appreciate your help.
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.)
Thank you!
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. 🙂
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!
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.