How to Extend a Tourist Stay in Chiang Mai (2026)
A visa-exempt visitor can ask for an extension of up to 30 days. Apply before the permitted stay ends; approval is at the immigration officer's discretion. The extra days count from the date your current stay ends, up to 30. File on form TM.7 with a photo, the passport and a signed overstay-penalty acknowledgement. The fee is THB 1,900.
On this page
An extension must be applied for before the permitted stay ends. This guide covers a stay that began under the visa exemption, which is for tourism only and runs up to 30 days. Related rules sit in Thailand visa exemption guide and Thailand visa changes guide.
What the extension covers and what it costs
The timing rule and who decides:
The period of stay can be extended at the discretion of the immigration officer and those who wish to extend their stay in Thailand are required to apply for an extension before the end of the permitted period of stay. Royal Thai Embassy, Doha, “Visa exemption conditions”
Who can ask
- Visa-exempt visitors can request an extension of up to 30 days. An entrant with a visa exemption of no more than 30 days on tourism purpose qualifies for the in-person extension.
- The extension is granted once, for no more than 30 days counted from the date the permitted period has expired. The current criteria, Immigration Bureau Order 12/2568, say the same.
- Nationals of Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Nepal, Togo, Nigeria and Uganda get no more than 7 days.
- Visitors admitted before 15 September 2026 under the previous measures may stay until the period granted to them ends.
- Visa on Arrival holders generally cannot file for an extension, except in special cases of illness that prevent them from travelling.
Papers to bring
- The passport: the original and one copy.
- Form TM.7 with a photo attached.
- The signed Acknowledgement of Penalties for a Visa Overstay.
The photo must have been taken within the last 6 months. No photo size is stated for this application. The handbook lists the overstay acknowledgement as one original and does not say where to get it, so ask at the counter. At the first step an officer also records the details in the immigration system with a photo taken.
What it costs
The fee for a tourist extension is THB 1,900. Two other official pages confirm it. Fees are not refunded under any circumstances.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tourist extension of stay, in person | THB 1,900 |
| e-Extension (Jan 2024 notice), regular: visa fee plus service fee, result in 7 business days | THB 1,900 + THB 500 = THB 2,400 |
| e-Extension (Jan 2024 notice), express: visa fee plus service fee, result in 3 business days | THB 1,900 + THB 1,500 = THB 3,400 |
| e-Extension (Jan 2024 notice), urgent: visa fee plus service fee, result the next business day | THB 1,900 + THB 5,000 = THB 6,900 |
The e-Extension totals are from a January 2024 notice, current status unconfirmed. The three e-Extension service fees come from the office’s January 2024 notice, which lists them beside the THB 1,900 government fee. The notice dates from January 2024, and whether it still applies is not confirmed. Re-entry permit and overstay fees are in Thailand immigration fees.
If you leave Thailand or run late
Leaving Thailand without a re-entry permit cancels the permitted stay. A single-entry permit costs THB 1,000 and a multiple-entry permit THB 3,800. Staying past the end date costs THB 500 per day, up to THB 20,000 for overstays of 40 days or longer.
Steps to file in person
- Check the date and file before the permitted stay ends.
- Fill in form TM.7 and attach a photo.
- Gather the passport with one copy and the signed overstay-penalty acknowledgement.
- Go to the immigration office for your address on a weekday.
- An officer checks the documents and records your details.
- Pay THB 1,900 and keep the receipt.
- An officer stamps the visa and signs, then the passport is returned. The new end date is your old end date plus up to 30 days, not the day you file.
The handbook gives a service time of 40 minutes. The clock starts after an officer has checked that all the documents are complete. It does not cover the wait for a counter before that.
While the officer decides, and if it is refused
While an extension is being considered you can stay in the meantime. Officers stamp appointments to hear the result, up to 30 days in total from the day your permission ended. If you do not meet the criteria, the officer issues a refusal and you must leave within 7 days of the day your permission ended. The fee is not refunded.
Where to file and when it is open
The office is at 71 Moo 3, Sanam Bin (Airport) Road, Suthep, Mueang, Chiang Mai 50200. Show a driver the Thai address (เลขที่ 71 หมู่ที่ 3 ถ.สนามบิน ต.สุเทพ อ.เมือง จ.เชียงใหม่ 50200). The English homepage gives the same address. The phone number is 053 201 755.
71 ถนนสนามบิน Suthep, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand · Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)
No opening hours are posted on the office site. The Immigration Bureau handbook of November 2019 sets service from Monday to Friday except official holidays, with a lunch break. The same line sets counter hours at 08.30 to 16.30.
Google Maps, checked on 13 October 2026, shows the office open 08:30–12:00 and 13:00–16:30 on weekdays and closed on Saturday and Sunday.
Second counter at Central Festival
A second service point, Chiangmai Immigration, is on the 2nd floor of Central Festival Chiangmai. It is open 09:00 to 17:00 and lists extensions of short-term tourist visas. The phone is 065-765-7029. The directory does not say which counter takes a tourist extension on a given day, so call before you go.
Details of the building, what each service handles and what to bring are in Chiang Mai Immigration Office. The full fee schedule is in Thailand immigration fees.
Filing online with e-Extension
The office homepage offers e-Extension for select visa categories only. The January 2024 notice does not say whether visa-exempt entrants qualify, so the counter route above is the sure one. More in Thailand e-Extension online. The office points applicants to the e-Extension site.
A January 2024 notice from the office, headed “E-Extension for tourism”, says applicants pay fees online, book queues and receive stamps faster at the immigration checkpoint. There are four steps:
- Open the online on-boarding page and give your email, phone number and nationality.
- Enter the application details and upload the required documents.
- Book a queue and pay online.
- Wait for approval, then receive the E-Extension visa stamp at the immigration checkpoint.
Visa fees are THB 1,900. On top come a regular service fee of THB 500, an express fee of THB 1,500 and an urgent fee of THB 5,000.
Related guides
- Thailand visa exemption guide
- Thailand visa changes guide
- Chiang Mai Immigration Office
- Thailand immigration fees
- Retirement extension of stay in Chiang Mai
- Thailand DTV visa
Photo credits
- Photos and clips uploaded to Google Maps (Chiang Mai Immigration Office on Google Maps (opens in a new tab)) by Seline, Peter Miller (WHY THAI).
Step by step
- Check the date and the formApply before the permitted stay ends. Fill in form TM.7 and attach a photo.
- Gather the papersBring the passport with one copy, the TM.7 form and the signed Acknowledgement of Penalties for a Visa Overstay.
- File at Chiang Mai ImmigrationGo on a weekday to the office at 71 Moo 3, Airport Road, or to the Central Festival counter. An officer checks the papers and records your details with a photo taken.
- Pay and collectPay THB 1,900 and keep the receipt. An officer stamps the visa and returns the passport.
Not confirmed: Whether e-Extension takes visa-exempt entrants at Chiang Mai today. Check the e-Extension site before you go, or file in person. Whether the Central Festival counter or the Airport Road office takes your extension that day. Call ahead.
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Common questions
Can I extend a Visa on Arrival stay?
Generally not. Visa on Arrival holders cannot file for an extension, except in special cases of illness that prevent them from travelling.
Is the fee refunded if the officer refuses?
The Immigration Bureau fee schedule says fees are not refunded under any circumstances. Approval is at the immigration officer's discretion.
How long does the counter take?
The handbook gives 40 minutes. The time starts after an officer has checked that the documents are complete.
Do I need a re-entry permit if I leave Thailand?
Leaving Thailand without a re-entry permit cancels the permitted stay. A single-entry permit costs THB 1,000 and a multiple-entry permit THB 3,800.
What does an overstay cost?
The fine is THB 500 per day, up to THB 20,000 for overstays of 40 days or longer.
Which immigration office do I use?
The one in the area where you live. For an address in Chiang Mai that is the office at 71 Moo 3, Airport Road.
What applies if I entered before the new exemption rules started?
Visitors admitted under the previous measures before 15 September 2026 may stay until the period granted to them ends. An extension request still goes to the immigration office for your address.
Read next
General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.
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