Tourist Visa Extension

[Tippaporn]

When applying for a tourist visa extension in Bangkok how close to the expiration date of the visa can on get? My visa expires 5-Aug. I have only Friday to get an extension as tomorrow is a Thai holiday. Any worries?

[lopburi3]

Friday is also a holiday so do today if you can - if not go Monday and you will not be charged overstay if you get that day..

[Tippaporn]

Thanks, lopburi.

[Fiozaks]

When applying for tourist visa extension in Bangkok can one do it 2 weeks before the expiration of visa?

Also is it true that Nigerians can only get 7 days extension on their tourist visa?

[lopburi3]

You can do early and nothing lost as will start at end of current stay.

7 days to depart would be a non approved extension of stay application.

[Fiozaks]

Thanks a lot. I am Nigerian. My friend says she applied a week to the expiration of her visa but got only 7 days extension, she still paid the full fee of 1,999 baht for it.

[ubonjoe]

The 30 day extension is not available for nationals of some countries. It sounds like Nigeria is one of those.

All extensions cost 1900 baht no matter the length of extension.

[Fiozaks]

Thanks Ubonjoe

[lopburi3]

And seven day to depart is supplied in such a case - the application is accepted so fee is required and the 7 days are provided to wrap things up.

[anon21]

I hope that Tippaporn doesn't mind if I piggyback onto his thread, rather than starting a fresh one. My queries sort of follow on from his original post.

I live in the UK. I have already obtained my single entry visa. I am flying to Thailand on 19th August. I shall fly back to UK on 16th November, so I shall be in Thailand for 90 days.

Before 60 days are up I shall apply for a 30 day extension, somewhere in Thailand. I'm not sure exactly where I shall be. Much depends on the weather at that time.

Could you clarify the following points please:

1: What is the name of the form that I must complete for the 30 day extension?

2: Do I go into an immigration office in Thailand and ask for a blank copy of the form?

3: Or can I print it off from the computer here in the UK? If so, please could you provide a link to the relevant site.

Thanks for your help

Greetings from over the Silver Sea

Edited August 1, 2012 by Silver sea

[Lite Beer]

TM7 Form. Print on one piece of paper. Front and back.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/files/category/6-thai-immigration-application-forms/

[anon21]

TM7 Form. Print on one piece of paper. Front and back.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/files/category/6-thai-immigration-application-forms/

Thank you Lite Beer. Much appreciated

Greetings from over the Silver Sea

[lopburi3]

And if you lose it you can fill out from supply at any immigration office in a few minutes - the only thing you will need extra is the 4x6cm photo(s). Not sure but some places may require two copies be provided. You will also need photo copies of passport data page/visa/arrival stamp and departure card but most office locations have copy places nearby to make for reasonable fee if you do not have access to copier.

[anon21]

And if you lose it you can fill out from supply at any immigration office in a few minutes - the only thing you will need extra is the 4x6cm photo(s). Not sure but some places may require two copies be provided. You will also need photo copies of passport data page/visa/arrival stamp and departure card but most office locations have copy places nearby to make for reasonable fee if you do not have access to copier.

Thanks lopburi3 for the extra information.

You say that I need 4 photos. Is that because as you say "Not sure, but some places may require two copies be provided." ? So 2 photos for each copy?

Or are you saying: You need 4 photos for one form. "Not sure but some places may require two copies be provided" and therefore, by implication, I shall need 8 photos for the two forms?

Forgive my pedantic mind

Also you say I shall "need photocopies of passport data page/visa/arrival stamp and departure card" (my emphasis). What is this "departure card" please?

Finally, what do places charge, roughly, for photocopies per sheet? it"s probably cheaper, and easier, to wait until I get to Thailand rather than faffing around with the photocopying here in the UK.

Greetings from over the Silver Sea

Edited August 2, 2012 by Silver sea

[lopburi3]

I said 4 by 6 cm size photos. You will need one but if extra TM.7 required then you would need two. It is the official size that is 4x6cm but they normally accept anything close.

The departure card is the rear part of the arrival card you filled out when entering Thailand and was placed in your passport for return on exit.

[ubonjoe]

The 4X6 is the size of the photos. Only one photo per application form.

[anon21]

I said 4 by 6 cm size photos. You will need one but if extra TM.7 required then you would need two. It is the official size that is 4x6cm but they normally accept anything close.

The departure card is the rear part of the arrival card you filled out when entering Thailand and was placed in your passport for return on exit.

Thanks for the clarification (and also thanks to ubonjoe)

Greetings from over the Silver Sea

[Tippaporn]

Friday is also a holiday so do today if you can - if not go Monday and you will not be charged overstay if you get that day..

Just wanted to give you my feedback, lopburi. You were correct in the above. I had zero issues with getting my extension today and I was not charged with an overstay. Thanks very much for your spot on advice.

Cheers,

Tip

[348GTS]

Apologies for piggy backing this thread... just a couple of quick related questions... how long does it take to get a tourist visa extension? I have never attempted this before. Should I expect to be queuing and waiting all day or can it I get in and out of there in a short period of time? What time do they open in Suan Plu and what time should I aim to be there? And to make sure I am prepared, do I need a photograph and photocopies of visa pages, passport etc or is this not required for a simple 30 day extension to an existing 60 day visa?? Finally, is it acceptable to apply for the extension on the day the visa expires or should I really do this beforehand? Thanks a lot... any info appreciated!

[Mario2008]

Should not take to long, but you cannot apply at Suan Plu anymore. You have to go to Cheang Wattana road.

You can apply apply in advance or on the last day, the extension will always start when you current permission ends, so by applying early you don't lose any days.

[lopburi3]

And you will need copies of passport data page/visa/entry stamp and departure card plus 4x6cm photo to attach to the normal extension of stay TM.7 form and 1,900 baht for payment. Suspect an hour wait (or perhaps less/longer). They close from 12-1300 but there is a large shopping/eating area on ground floor (one floor down). Very clean and modern building.

[ubonjoe]

You will need photo, copy of passport photo page, visa, arrival/permit to stay stamps and TM6 departure card.

Fill out TM7 application form. Down load here and do a 2 sided print: http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/download/pdf/tm7.pdf

Map for immigration office:http://bangkok.immigration.go.th/en/location1.html

[348GTS]

Thanks a lot for all the replies... lucky I asked first or I would have gone to Sathorn and wasted a trip! I have been to the place in Chaeng Wattana once before but on that occasion it turned out that I needed to be at Suan Plu! Does anyone know of an easy way to get there? Does anyone know if there are vans from around Mochit BTS or outside Chatujak that go there?

[Prudent_rabbit]

Literally just got back from there, did BTS and Taxi to get there (fare was 109 baht for taxi), joined the q for opening and got issued ticket at 13:09, filled out my form ( they will not issue a ticket untill the form has been filled in) and was walking out with extension in my passport at 13:40, bumped into sombody i knew, split the taxi back to Mo Chit (125 baht), the downstairs area or food and coffee very good, all in all a major improvement over the old place

[348GTS]

Great to hear Prudent_rabbit! Thanks for the info. So hopefully I won't need to spend more than an hour there. Excellent. My visa expires on Monday but I might just go in tomorrow and get it over with!

[348GTS]

Just to update and advise future TV'ers, my experience matched Prudent's - I went early and was in and out of there with the extension in about 30 min. Word of warning if you going to take a taxi there though, some taxi drivers don't know this building and drop you outside another government building on the main road a little further down. This happened to me on both occasions I have been there but yesterday I made him go back to the correct building. Luckily there is another entrance further down that goes down and around the other side of the complex. The new place is not really signposted apart from a big sign at the entrance that says "Government Building" or something along those lines, and also a sign for the court so look out for that. But the Immigration building is very far from the main road so if you are going by taxi make sure he turns into the complex and takes you all the way to the end or you will have quite a walk on your hands (or feet in this case ;-))

[lopburi3]

The key is to go onto Soi 7 and drive to the end and turn right and enter building on the up ramp entry. Soi 7 is adjacent to CAT compound on east side and court on west side and is a six lane divided road (but even that wide entry is a bit hard to see if you do not use CAT as reference). Suspect the building you were dropped was passport/legalization office of MFA directly on Chiang Watanna Road which also has a lot of foreigners using and has been open for about 15 years so more drivers know about that.

[crespo]

The key is to go onto Soi 7 and drive to the end and turn right and enter building on the up ramp entry. Soi 7 is adjacent to CAT compound on east side and court on west side and is a six lane divided road (but even that wide entry is a bit hard to see if you do not use CAT as reference). Suspect the building you were dropped was passport/legalization office of MFA directly on Chiang Watanna Road which also has a lot of foreigners using and has been open for about 15 years so more drivers know about that.

Took my first trip there on Monday, and this advice was incredibly helpful. From Mo Chit, I took a taxi and just said Chaeng Wattana Soi 7. Sounds easy, but as we start getting closer to where Soi 7 should be, it was becoming evident that the taxi driver didn't really know where it was. I had no idea, so just kept an eye out for CAT as was advised.

Very helpful. thank you.

For the record, I arrived at about 11:15 and was had my tourist visa extension as they were closing at 12. very efficient and the people in the first room where you pick up the forms were extremely helpful and polite.

[Litha]

Hey all,

I am new to this site and I am piggybagging on here, sorry!

I have the 60 day (single entry) TV that I got from the Thai Embassy in Vientiane. I plan to renew for another 30 days and I read on here that it is in Chaeng Wattana and not Sathorn anymore, so this is my question now :- I am a Malaysian citizen/passport holder and I didn't pay anything for my TV in Laos, and I have been reading on here that a fee of 1,900B is required for the 30 day extension. Does it apply to ASEAN passport holders as well?

Thanks heaps!

[Mario2008]

Not 100% sure, but would say yes. The 60 day visa is free for you, but for an extension you would have to pay the normal fee of 1,900 baht.