If you plan to stay in Thailand for a while, chances are you’ll become quite familiar with your local immigration office. Of the many services offered there, getting an infamous visa extension is one of them. In this post, we touch on what you need to know about where and how to extend a Thai tourist visa in Chiang Mai. This process will extend your visa for an extra 30 days if you are staying in or traveling through Chiang Mai Province.
LOCATION UPDATE: The Chiang Mai Immigration Office at Promenada Mall no longer offers Thai tourist visas extensions. As of the end of September 2018, the new Chiang Mai Immigration Office is near the Chiang Mai International Airport.
A Note About Thai Tourist Visas
A single-entry Thai tourist visa conveniently provides visitors 60 days in Thailand. To be crystal clear (and to help you with future travel arrangements) the first day you arrive in Thailand and the last day in Thailand are counted towards those 60 days.
This 60 days can be then extended for 30 extra days for a total of 90 days inside Thailand before having to leave the country. Keep in mind though that this entry can only be extended once.Â
| NOTE:Â As of November 2015, Royal Thai Embassies and Consulate-Generals no longer issue double or triple entry Thai tourist visas. Every entry on the new Multiple Entry Tourist Visa (METV) is eligible for one 30-day extension. |
You can apply for a Thai tourist visa extension up until the day it expires. However, you cannot extend your visa once an entry has expired, so be mindful of the date.
To be safe, we recommend giving yourself a few days before your entry expires to apply for an extension. That way, if your expiration date unexpectedly lands on a weekend or a Thai holiday (during which the offices are closed), you won’t be SOL. It’s been known to happen!
Applying a day or two in advance also gives you a bit of wiggle room if there is a hang-up in the application process. We’ve heard tales of people trying to apply only to be turned away because there were too many people in the queue or because the officer handling extensions was not there that day.
| TIP: You can also apply for a 30-day extension on a visa-exempt stamp. It costs the same and has the same requirements as listed below. |
What to Bring for a Thai Tourist Visa Extension
To apply for an extension, make sure to apply in person and bring the following to the Provincial Immigration Office:
- Passport with a valid Thai tourist visa (to confirm authenticity)
- Photocopies of the main passport photo page, current Thai tourist visa page, TM.6 departure card, and latest entry stamp (sign all photocopies, too)
- Application for Extension of Temporary Stay in the Kingdom (form TM.7)
- One 4 cm x 6 cm passport photo (NOT 2 in x 2 in)
- An application fee of 1,900 baht cash (roughly equal to 60 USD)
Make sure you copy down your current address and your Thai phone number (if you have one). This information is needed to fill out the TM.7 application form.
The TM.7 forms are available at the immigration office. It is not necessary that you print one out and fill it out ahead of time.
Also, bring a black or blue pen just in case the office has run out!
| NOTE: No matter when you apply for a Thai tourist visa extension, the 30 days are tacked on to the day after the last (60th) day of your entry. Whether you apply for an extension one week before your visa entry expires or on the last possible day, you will still receive a full 90 days (60 days for original entry + 30 days for extension) in Thailand. |
Where to Extend a Thai Tourist Visa in Chiang Mai
The Chiang Mai Immigration Office has MOVED as of September 2018. The office at Promenada Mall (above) is closed and no longer issues visa extensions for Thai Tourists Visas, Visa Exempt Stamps, and Non Immigrant Visas.
Visitors can extend a Thai tourist visa in Chiang Mai at the new Provincial Immigration Office, which is located just before the Chiang Mai International Airport. It’s open from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday excluding Saturday, Sunday, and Thai holidays.
New Address: 71 Moo 3 Sanambin Road, Suthep, Muang Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai 50200
GPS Coordinates: 18.771430, 98.970973
Phone: (053) 201-755
The office is located less than a 5-minutes’ drive southwest of Chiang Mai’s Old City. Exit the Old City on the southwest corner and drive as if you are going to the airport by driving south on Rt 1141 or Thipanet Road (they run parallel with each other) and then turn right onto Airport Road (Sanambin Road). Drive approximately 500 meters and turn left at the large black and yellow sign that reads, “CHIANGMAI IMMIGRATION,” just across the street from an LPG gas station. The office is in a large white and grey three-story building surrounded by a parking area.
Thanks, Google.
If you are taking public transportation, tell your songthaew, taxi, or tuk-tuk driver, “immigration” or “saw dtaw maw,” which is the Thai acronym for immigration (ส.ต.ม.). Or, book a Grab Taxi (first time users can get 100 baht off by signing up here) and put in your destination using the drag-and-drop pin function (see our map at the bottom of this post).
Passport Photo and Photocopy Services
If you need photocopies of your passport and/or a photograph of yourself, these services are available on-site. Photocopies cost 2 baht per copy. A packet of six passport photos cost 200 baht. Although the office will not issue only one photo, hold on to the remaining five photos for future responsibilities involving a passport photo, legalities. because they will be useful for future visa extensions or applications for re-entry permits or residence certificates.
The bathroom facilities are also quite nice. They are amply stocked with toilet paper and hand soap.
Tourist Visa Extension Application Process
Once you’ve arrived at the Chiang Mai Immigration Office, go to the Information Desk and grab a TM.7 form. Sit at any of the dozen outdoor tables and fill out the form. If you need to, now’s the time to get photocopies of your passport or a passport photo from the shop nearby.
With passport, completed application, single photo, signed photocopies, and cash in hand, go back to the Information Desk and hand everything over to the representative. They will clip the documents together along with a queue number.
On a slow day, the immigration worker may take your packet the Thai tourist visa extension desk themselves. Otherwise, take your packet and hand it to the officer at the desk with the “Tourist Visa Extension” sign above it.
Relax in a chair and enjoy some air conditioning. Listen for your name to be called over the announcing speaker.
Go up to the center desk and have your photo taken. Sit back down. At this point, you will only have to wait another few minutes for your name to be called for a second time. This is when an immigration officer will return a receipt of payment, any change, and your passport with an extension ink stamp inside. Double check that you received an extra 30 days before heading out, and that’s it!
There is no need to arrive at 5 am or 6 am to get a good spot in line to extend your Thai tourist visa in Chiang Mai. However, processing times do vary. During one of our visits, there were hardly any people there. We arrived in the afternoon around 2 pm and saw only two applicants and it took us roughly 30 minutes to extend a Thai tourist visa in Chiang Mai. On another visit there there many people and it took around two hours.
What’s your experience extending your tourist visa at the Chiang Mai Immigration Office? How much better (or worse) was it than other locations?
Thanks for the great guide! Just got my 30 day Airport visa extended for another 30 days. In and out in 1 hour. Really easy!
Here is a question. Let’s say I have a 180 day tourist visa that says “enter by November 22.” And I am on the third entry. If I extend the third entry, now the stamp on that expires on December 22. Which one takes precedence? The date on the original visa or the date on the entry stamp?
The date on the entry stamp.
Thanks so much for your detailed and informative description and the posts. I could extend my 30 days visa which I got at the airport immigration for another 30 days. Without your posts I would haven’t known that this is possible. I arrived today at 1pm and left on 5:45pm. Today the network was slow at the immigration (which could happen sometimes after weekend) and the immigration officers informed about that and asked for understanding and asked those who didn’t need the extension urgently to come the next or at another day. I highly appreciate that the immigration staff was… Read more »
Spot on information. I was there recently and the dress code is information worth following. I was #6 in line with slacks, freshly shaved and a black shirt (post death of the King). The first five people did not cross all the t’s or dot all the i’s. I had all of my info prepared ahead of time (well worth it) but did not sign all my documents thus leaving a t uncrossed. The first five people in tank tops etc. we’re sent to the back of the line. I was politely asked to sign all the copies and became… Read more »
Thanks So much Chris & Angela, your article was an amazing reference to help us through the process. We linked it up on our just released vlog, it’s a visual walkthrough of the day, showing key sites, landmarks and providing a visual experience. We hope may be able to help others out :)
https://youtu.be/HwG0p-g6zCg
Just checked out your video – nice clips! That was a great walk-through. Thanks for sharing :)
Hi guys. love reading and learning so much from your experiences. Moving to CM has me feeling overwhelmed just with paperwork more than anything else. Coming on a 30 day visa on arrival tourist visa which I will get a 30 day extension on before making a border holiday run. Hopefully on time my retirement visa comes together and I settle in. Keep up the excellent work. Thanks again.
Amazing description. Very helpful. Went today around 9am to extend 30 day (the tourist exempt visa). When I arrived, I was shocked about the long waiting lines outside of the office (about 20-50 Meters).
However, everything ran smooth as written above. I was in and out within 1 hour.
Very helpful guide, thanks very much. Was in and out in 1 hour which included pictures and photocopies being taken, form filling and waiting time. Thanks again!
Hi, I read just now about here in this page, about the immigration office enforcing the reported address. I had no idea about this. I arrived in Thailand in end of November, and have been borrowing a thai friend’s condo in Chiang Mai. But on the arrival card I entered their Mae Rim address, becuse I didn’t know the condo’s address. I have not reported the changed address, and my thai friend has not sent in any paper whatsoever about having an alien staying at their place (neigher their house in Mae Rim nor their condo in Chiang Mai). Will… Read more »
You probably have nothing to worry about. We were there just a few weeks ago and no one requested those forms from us. We haven’t even heard a single specific case where this happened at the Chiang Mai Immigration Office… just that it happened “somewhere”. We think you’ll be fine :)
DUE TO THE OVERWHELMING NUMBER OF REQUESTS FOR HELP REGARDING INDIVIDUAL VISA SCENARIOS, WE ARE NO LONGER APPROVING COMMENTS ON THIS POST.
HOWEVER, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO FIND YOUR ANSWER IN THE COMMENTS BELOW. IF YOU WOULD LIKE PERSONALIZED ASSISTANCE, PLEASE BOOK A COACHING SESSION WITH US.
Very useful information, do you know what’s up in this start of the year about tourist visa 30 days extension? are there so many people? my mother needs to extend her visa before Jan. 11 next Monday
Thanks!!
No problem. There are quite a bit of people. We went at 1:30pm and waited about 2.5 hours for our extension to be processed. Remember, the office is closed on weekends and all Thai holidays.
Hi Chris and Angela! I have been digging around your blog for a bit now and am incredibly impressed and thankful for the plethora of information you have provided everyone in the digital world with. I am wondering, can you apply for an extension on a Visa Exempt stamp?
Thanks for saying thanks :) Yes, you can apply for a 30 day extension on a visa-exempt stamp. It costs the same and has the same requirements as if you were to extend a tourist visa. Good luck!
Good point. Thanks so much for such great information, in any case.
HI, I have a VOA and extended it for 30 days in Hua Hin. I need anothe 30 day extension. Other then flying out of Thailand and returning the same day and getting another VOA stamp, what other options are their? Thanks!
Rather than fly, you can go the cheaper route and take a van ride to the nearest border (Ranong). You should be able to book a ticket through a travel agent in Hua Hin. There is no option to do a second extension; only one is allowed. Good luck!
Thanks for a fairly comprehensive list and set of procedures. But please amend the section above in which you say the whole process should take only 30 minutes. We spent literally the entire day at immigration today, waiting in line over 2 hours just to get a number (which we were lucky to get right at noon), then waiting till nearly 4:00 p.m to be called up to have the photo taken and then the passport returned all stamped. Lots of people were complaining that they read online it would only take 30 minutes. I’m sure there are good days… Read more »
Some days, like Mondays and Fridays, are very busy and have much longer waiting times. Same goes with just before or after a Thai holiday. We shared our experience extending a tourist visa (not a retirement or medical visa or a 30 day visa-exempt stamp) at Promenada so there may be different waiting times for different visas. We continually hear that mornings are very busy, which is why we went in the afternoon in the middle of the week and suggest other people to do the same.
Hey, this was really useful for me as I was dreading going to the visa office but I went and did it this morning. Got there around 8.45 and there was already a hug queue, got out around 11.30. A good note for anyone who is going to the visa office from now until the 3rd of January, there’s a free shuttle service currently running for christmas by the promenada mall. It doesn’t start till 11.30 so if you’re going early it’s no use but I used it to get back today. There’s 2 routes, 1 starts at the promenada… Read more »
Great info, thanks for sharing about the bus routes!
The issue is not what you are trying to do at the immigration office. The issue is that there is a law that says you need to report if you change your address from the one you gave on your arrival card. It’s not a new law, but it hasn’t been enforced in the past. Now that the system is computerised they are able to enforce it if they want to, and issue fines for failure to comply. If you are staying in a hotel or guesthouse you don’t need to worry – the hotel will submit an online TM30… Read more »
Hey gigs, thanks a lot for this useful post! Another quest for. About the 30-day visa issued on arrival at the airport: if I want to extend my stay with this kind of visa, would I also need to bring the TM28 – 30 forms? Thanks a lot!
They would know that no TM30 for that address had been submitted. Guesthouses and hotels do them online. If you check into a guesthouse they will submit an online TM30 which will match up with the address you put on your visa extension application and everybody should be happy. Alternatively you could ask your hosts to do a paper TM30 showing that you very recently moved in (and then you submit a TM28) – a receipt for the TM28 goes in your passport so again, it will all match up. But when my landlady went to do the TM30 yesterday… Read more »
And if I use my friend’s address how would they know it is not a guesthouse? Would it be because it is not on their computer database? I have never heard of this TM30 until i read about it online. No mention of it when i got my visa or when i go through immigration’s passport control at the borders and airport.
Yes, it appears I may have to chance it… or like you said, check-in to a guesthouse. Oh…the joys of being abroad. :)
Both you and your host COULD be fined – it seems that things are now getting more computerised and joined up. If you are in a hotel it seems it’s not an issue – the hotel does the TM30 online and the guest isn’t expected to report. It appears it’s when you rent or stay with friends that they are getting picky sometimes. Depends what mood they’re in I think! You could consider checking into a guesthouse a couple of days before you do your extension and use that address in your application.
Anyone else have to do this? What is up with these TM forms?
Hey, what is with this TM28/30 requirement? I am here on a tourist visa, but stay with a Thai friend and family. I want to extend my visa but never did a TM anything. What will happen?
For starters you can find the TM.28 and TM.30 forms on this immigration bureau page. The consensus is that the rule (generally speaking, you and your hotel manager/landlord must report to police station within 24 hours of your arrival, every time you change location, including when you first come to Thailand) isn’t regularly enforced, so when it is people get really confused and upset.
Hi guys, A word of thanks for making this helpful page about visa extension in Chiang Mai. We followed your advice and had one of the most pleasant visa renewal trips in any country, ever – kudos also to the Thai immigration authorities for making it a good experience! For reference, we’re from the UK and renewed our visas about the middle of November 2015, in advance of when they actually ran out in end-Nov. Special mention of what makes the exercise easier – there is a photography shop for taking the required 4cm x 6cm photos with a blue… Read more »
Although the Promenada mall is farther for us than the old immigration office location near the airport, we like that there are clean restrooms, several good coffee shops nearby, and shopping to pass the time. Yes, and the photograph and copy room right there is super convenient, too. Glad to hear you had a smooth extension! Too bad that this new location will have a steep drop in extensions now that the new METV is in effect.
We went today, a Monday at 8:15. We paid 100 baht for a songthaw from the old city (Chiang Mai gate). There are four signs with the different services they offer (apart from tourist visa extension there is 90 day reporting etc.) which all had a line of about 35 persons behind them. The one for tourist visa extension is closest to the building. A little bit chaotic which led to some queue jumping (mostly by Chinese). The information desks hands out TM7, just go there and get one, do not queue for it, and that’s where the line for… Read more »
Thanks for sharing your experience! Not too shabby for the morning queue. Yeah, the new location offers four services: extensions for tourist, retirement, and medical visa holders and visa-exempt stamp; re-entry permits; 90 day check ins; and residency certificates.
As of December 2015 they are apparently enforcing the TM28/TM30 address reporting requirements when people apply for tourist visa extensions (or do 90 day reports). So if you rent an apartment make sure your landlord does the TM30 and you submit a TM28 (supposed to be within 24 hours!), or you could be fined up to 2000 baht when you apply for your visa extension!
Thanks for that bit of info! So much (unnecessary) paperwork :/
Hey guys do u know which form i would need to print out if i were to get it before i arrive at the chang mai visa office ….i know they do the form there but i imagine its gonna be busy with the holidays overbthe weekend and monday and id like to have it done before i get there .. so an extension on the w30 visa i got at the airport for 30 days which form do i need to print out. Im gonna have my five year old daughter with me so id like to get it… Read more »
We linked to the form in the post :)
Hey again its the 30 day on arrival visa class w30 issued 9th nov admitted untill 8 dec 2015 the one u get at the airport on arrival i got a month extension last time i came to thailand on the same w30 visa in changmai …. ive bee back to australia and came to thaikand again 6 weeks later and am wanting to do the same thinb of extending it or a month but just wondering can u do it on the day it sayy admitted until on the entry stamp…. thanks for your replies and patience guys .
Yes, you can extend your Visa On Arrival up to the same day it expires (in your case, Dec 8th). Please plan accordingly as you can only extend it if an Immigration Office is open, which are Mondays through Fridays. Offices are closed on weekends and all Thai holidays.
No i meant canni renew the visa on then8th the same day my visa passport runs out in my passport
Yes. Be careful though, some visas such as a tourist visa cannot be renewed. You can either extend an entry on your tourist visa entry or apply for a new one completely. It’s hard to give the correct answer without knowing which visa you are on.
If my visa runs out on the 8th of December can I get it renewed on that day as the King’s birthday is observed on the 7th of December this year
Immigration Offices and Thai Embassies and Consulates will be closed on his birthday. If you need to do a border run, van companies will still be open.
Hi Chris and Angela, You guys are doing some very good work! I read through all the letters trying to find relevant information for my wife and I , but am finding it difficult. We have tickets that give us 98 days after arrival in Bangkok. We were planning on spending 60 days in Thailand and then going to Cambodia for 30 days and then returning to thailand for our final days and then flying out from Bangkok back to Europe again. Any ideas about how to make this work?? Hope to buy you guys a drink in Chiang Mai!… Read more »
When you come back into Thailand for a second time (after your time in Cambodia), get the free visa exempt stamp. Depending what country you are from, you can either get 90, 30, or 15 days upon arrival which will hold you over until to fly back to Europe. They give this type of stamp automatically at the immigration checkpoint after you’ve flown in unless you have an official visa. Have a great trip!
Hi
I am super confused..despite your incredibly comprehensive post! I have a 60day 2 entry tourist visa. I have to enter before the 9th feb – no probs as my flight arrives on the 30th November. I will definately want to extend my stay in thailand. How does this work with having the 2 entry type? If I extend by 30 days then leave the country after that (so 90 days from first entering) will the 2nd entry still be valid? Also for how long? Any info would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks
Abi
You are allowed to extend each entry one time, so in the case for a double entry visa you can apply for one 30 day extension before your first entry expires and then for another 30 day extension after you’ve activated your second entry. In both instances you must apply for an extension before the entry expires (at the 60 day mark). If you choose to extend your first entry, your second entry is still valid as long as you enter Thailand before your “Enter Before” date of Feb 9th. Then you activate your second entry upon re-entering Thailand (good… Read more »
Hey this is great and I really appreciate the updated info.
I do have a question regarding when the extension becomes active. You mentioned how with a tourist visa the 30 days are tacked on the the day after the 60 days. I have a 30 day voa. Does it work the same way or are there different rules when it comes to voa’s?
Any help is appreciated, thanks!
If you have a Visa on Arrival (applicable to these 19 countries), then you are also currently eligible for a 30 day extension for 1,900 baht. The same list of required documents is needed to apply. Hope this helps!
Hey thanks for the response. I’m aware I can get an extension but my question is more based around whether or not the additional 30 days is tacked the day after the initial 30 days like it would be with a tourist visa, or if there is a different stipulation with voa’s. Any help or insight is appreciated. Thanks!
It’s tacked on after the original 30 days (as it would be after the first 60 days for a tourist visa).
Sweet thanks you two!
Hey guys, thanks for putting together such a comprehensive piece! I’m just on my way to get an extension (later this afternoon) and it dawned on me — If I came in on a 30-day exempt stamp, will I need to show proof of exit in order to get an extension (ie do I need to book a flight out)? I was originally planning to book one in advance and thought maybe it might be premature if I don’t have an extension yet. Realize this is really short notice but if you could confirm that would be awesome!
No, just the things listed in this post :)
is it possible to extend your stay on a 30 day Visa Exempt stamp in your passport in Thailand, or do you need to make a “Visa run”?
Yes, if you received a visa exempt stamp when you entered Thailand, you can extend it for an additional 30 days at any immigration office.
Chris and Angela, Glad to hear you don’t have to show up so early anymore. I still daydream about living over in CM, but I was hearing horror stories of having to show up in the middle of the night and possibly still not getting in the same day. Just a couple quick questions: 1. I hear that there’s a requirement for 90-day reporting of your address. Does that apply to those living there on tourist visas? 2. Jumping through visa hoops is definitely one thing that keeps me from thinking about heading over there. Is the bureaucracy really that… Read more »
1) Nope, a 90 day reporting only applies to Non Immigrant Visas. If you are on a tourist visa, you must leave Thailand after a certain amount of time, that being a maximum of 90 days. Therefore, even if you reach the 90 day mark of your tourist visa, you should be leaving Thailand that day. No need for reporting. When you come back into Thailand, it “resets the clock” back to 0 days. 2) There’s a trade off – we no longer have to get emissions tests for our cars, buy mandatory parking permits, file state taxes, file insurance… Read more »
This post reminded me that I should really extend my visa while I’m here in Chiang Mai! I went today and it was suuuuuuuch an easy experience, especially as after reading this I understood what was going on. Thank you for this post!
You’re very welcome :) Glad to hear it was a breeze!
All good and all correct – except for the misconception about extending a Visa. I dont want to be pedantic (but will) because so many people get this matter confused (and sometimes get into trouble). You cannot extend a Visa – period. What you can extend is your ‘permission to stay’. What you can do is re-new a Visa – that is a whole different matter and a lot more complex. To example the trouble some people have got into with the misunderstanding about their Visa being ‘extended’. Lets say I have a multiple entry Visa that expires in November,… Read more »
The big sign at the immigration office says “visa extension” but the TM.7 form says “extension of stay.” It’s confusing when the immigration office calls it two different things. But let’s agree to disagree – even Google likes “visa extension” better :)
What about when the tourist visa switches to 6 months in November, assuming that goes as planned. Any word on that yet? Just curious because I have relatives that want to visit me and stay awhile where I now live in BKK.
We’re waiting on word for that, too. We just saw this article but it does not clearly say whether holders of this type of visa will be eligible for an an extension after the 60 day mark (rather than having to do a border run) or how many days the extension will be. We’re keeping our eyes peeled, too.