Bangkok

Visa extension guide

All Thailand visa’s can be extended relatively easily for a short period for Tourist Visas or for longer periods in the case of Non-Immigrant Visa’s. The length of extension depends on the type of your visa and if you continue to meet the criteria for extension. You can apply for an extension of a Tourist Visa at any Immigration Office Checkpoint, but to extend a Non-Immigration Visa you must apply at the Immigration Office that has jurisdiction over the area in which you live*. Below is a breakdown of the visa extension rules for each type of visa.

Visa on Arrival

The Visa on Arrival or Visa Exempt stamp that you get in your passport upon arrival in Thailand can be extended in two ways. You can either extend your stay by 7 days by going to an Immigration Office and apply for an extension or you can cross a border and re-enter Thailand for an extension of either 15 days (land border) or 30 days (arriving by air).

Required Documents:

• 2 Recent Photos (Available across the street from the Immigration Office)
• 2 Photocopies of Your Passport (Also available across the street)
• 1,900 Baht Application Fee (Will not be returned if denied)
• Proof of Onward Travel (Airline Ticket)

This extension is primarily meant for tourists who for one reason or another cannot leave the country at the time. You actually need to prove that you intend to leave the country within 7 days, but as usual with Thai immigration and Visa laws, nothing is set in stone as long as you are dressed well and polite.

Tourist Visa

A Tourist Visa can be extended by 30 days very easily by going to any Immigration Office and applying. The whole process should not take more than a few hours provided you fill out the forms correctly.

Simply go to an Immigration Office and fill out the forms. You will need:

• 1 Recent Photo (Available across the street of the Immigration Office)
• 2 Photocopies of Your Passport (Also available across the street)
• 1,900 Baht Application Fee (Will not be returned if denied)

Non-Immigrant ‘B’ Visa

A Non-Immigrant ‘B’ Visa is necessary to work or do business legally in Thailand and is issued for a valid stay of 90 days in Thailand. After the 90 days are up, you can apply for an extension of one year, provided you meet the requirements. The requirements are basically the same as when you first applied. You must continue to be able to prove that your stay in Thailand is work related (work permit) or that your company is continuing to do business in Thailand. For an extension you need to go to an Immigration Office.

Required Documents:

• Application Form T.M. 7 (for extension of an alien who enters the Kingdom for not more than 90 days)
• A copy of the passport (main page, visa page, entry stamp page) or substitute document
• One 4 x 6 cm. color photo
• 1900 baht fee is required for an extension
• A recommendation letter from the company showing the positions of the applicant as well as the position of all foreigners working in the company and for what reasons these aliens must be employed
• Work permit or the receipt showing the alien has applied for such a permit from the Ministry of labor and Social welfare
• The alien’s personal tax details including: balance, profit and loss, entity income tax, Vat records for the past year
• Certificate of entity registration, company registration certificate of limited company or commercial registration or VAT registration and list of partnerships
• Export companies must submit document of export transactions, i.e. bank or company transactions
• The officials reserve the right to require more documentation for further investigation to verify the company’s viability

As long as you really are in Thailand for business or work, you should have no problems getting your visa extended.

Non-Immigrant ‘O’ Visa

The dependent visa or marriage visa Non-Immigrant ‘O’ is probably the easiest visa to extend. You can extend your marriage/dependent visa for one year at any Immigration Office. In order to extend your Non-Immigrant ‘O’ visa for a year you will need to bring the following documents.

Required Documents:

• A copy of the passport (main page, visa page, entry stamp page) or substitute document
• One 4 x 6 cm. color photo
• 1900 baht fee is required for an extension
• Proof of Relations (Marriage Certificate, House Residence (Blue Book), Birth Certificate
• Proof of Income (Either minimum 40,000 Baht monthly in income from Thai company or proof that you and your wife’s monthly income equals at least 40,000 Baht)

If you apply for a one year extension for the first time, the immigration officers may want to talk with your wife and any children. If that is not possible, pictures of you and your family in front of the house will do. They may also request a map with directions to your home.

Non-Immigrant ‘O-A’ Visa

The retirement visa, Non-Immigrant ‘O-A’, is easy to extend at any Immigration Office. In order to extend your Non-Immigrant ‘O’ visa for a year you will need to bring the following documents.

• Copies of passport pertinent pages (picture page, original visa page, entry date page, stamped pages, etc)
• Copies of bank passbook pages showing up-to-date entries for the last 90 days to show balance has not dropped below 800,000 baht and
• Bank letter showing minimum balance of 800,000 baht at least 90 days prior to renewal application or-
• Letter from embassy showing proof of at least 65,000 baht monthly income
• Fee of 1900 baht payable in cash
• One 4 x 6 cm. color photo

Non-Immigrant ‘ED’ Visa

Student visas are easy to extend if you study at a university. Language classes and such are subject to different rules, but many language schools offer 1 year ‘ED’ Visas to students. Once your initial 3-month ‘ED’ Visa is about to expire, you will have to go to the Immigration Office again to extend your stay.

Required Documents:

• A copy of the passport (main page, visa page, entry stamp page) or substitute document
• One 4 x 6 cm. color photo
• 1900 baht fee is required for an extension
• Letter from your university/school that you continue to meet requirements for study

Education visas are usually always extended and should be done in no more than a day.

Important Notes:

*To find out which Immigration Office you belong to, contact your closest office and ask for advice.

Main Immigration Office, Chaeng Wattana, Bangkok:

Immigration Office
Government Center
No. 120 Mu 3
Chaeng Watthana Soi 7
Thung Song Hong, Laksi
Bangkok 10210

Phone: 0-2141-9889, Fax: 0-2143-8228

List of phone numbers for Thai Immigration Offices: