Extending your Visa on Arrival in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Whether you came into Thailand with or without a visa, you might be thinking of trying to get more time and are now wondering how to go about it. I am here to let you know, you are in the right place!
In most cases, it is more than acceptable for you to request an extension to stay in the country a little longer without having to leave. In order to make such a request, you will want to head to a Thai Immigration Center.
The one I frequent most runs parallel to the Chiang Mai International Airport but there is also another in the central festival mall located in the northeast side of Chiang Mai.
When you arrive to the immigration office, be prepared with your
Passport photo
TM 30 (provided by your landlord/hotel)
Copy of Visa
Visa
You can get photos taken (100 baht) and photocopies printed (2 Baht) for a small fee in the back of the immigration office next to the airport.
Get a ticket number in the first building in front of the actual immigration office and proceed to the outdoor waiting area to gather and fill out your extension forms. If you need help filling the forms out or with where to get them, there should be employees there for guidance.
Once you fill out your forms and turn them in, you will walk into the office where you will then turn in your ticket number for a new ticket number specific to the window that will be helping you file your extension.
You will wait for your number to be called and show up on the screen. When it is your turn, you will turnover your documents and forms and pay your extension fee of 1900 baht and sit back down.
After some time, they will call you to the window to receive everything back including your newly stamped and updated departure date and send you on out your merry way.
Some things to note:
The office opens at 8:30am and they shut everything down at lunch for an hour regardless of what is going on inside
Make sure to bring cash and get there as early as possible to avoid a long wait
Double check the day you are going is not a Thai Holiday, they will be closed and if you wait last minute, you might run into the problem of having an overstay fee you were not planning to pay
Have all your documents (TM30, passport and copies, passport photo, visa and copies) ready to go for a seamless visit
