What is the Process for Extending a Visa in Thailand?
You must go in person to a Thailand immigration office to extend a visa; it cannot be done online because your passport needs an official stamp.
The Specifics
- Applications for extension cannot be made on Saturdays, Sundays, or Thai holidays.
- You complete TM7 (application form for visa extension) and SMT2 (acknowledgment of extension conditions).
- You must bring a TM30 from your landlord as proof of legal accommodation.
- You need to show you are aware of the penalties for overstaying.
- Most required forms are available at the immigration office.
- Some visas require extra documents, for example a copy of a work permit and employment contract for a Non-Immigrant B Visa extension.
- A single-entry visa allows a stay of up to 60 days from entry and can usually be extended once for another 30 days, giving a maximum of 90 days.
- A tourist visa can usually be extended once in Thailand for another 30 days at a local immigration office.
- If your short-term visa has already expired you can still apply after paying a fine; the number of days since expiry is subtracted from the extension period.
- To avoid any fine, submit the extension application by the next working day after expiry.
Expert Tips from Thai Kru Visa Agency
Thai Kru Visa Agency assists with visa extensions from start to finish. Once you pay the invoice we send you a secure link to upload the necessary documents: first page of your passport, Thailand entry stamp, TM30 notification of residence, and your e-Visa page if you have one.
We then tell you exactly which immigration office to visit and on which date. For a Non-O Retirement Visa extension our service fee is ฿8,500 plus the immigration fee of approximately $80 USD. Processing normally takes 10–15 business days.
Retirement visa rules are strict. The ฿800,000 must sit in a Thai bank account for at least two months after you arrive and open the account before you can extend a 90-day stay to a one-year visa. If you are applying for the Retirement Visa from outside Thailand the funds must have been in the account for three months before submission. We can help you open the right Thai bank account (you need a Non-O, Non-OA or Non-B visa to do so) and we can also help locate suitable property.
Read our detailed checklist of documents required for a visa extension or application in Thailand. If your current visa is about to run out, see exactly what to do when your retirement visa expires in 30 days.
We also support other routes such as converting a visa exemption to an ED visa through a Thai language course or assisting with a DTV visa for remote work, culinary courses or medical stays. In every case we make the process straightforward and keep you informed at each step.
Contact Thai Kru Visa Agency today for clear guidance and full support with your visa extension in Thailand.
