Refusals, Overstay & Re-applying

Visitors who entered on visa exemption or a tourist visa can generally file form TM.7 at an immigration office to request a further period for tourism, paying the published application fee. The length granted and the approval itself are at the officer's discretion. File before your permitted-until date to avoid overstaying.

Frequent back-to-back short-stay entries may lead to additional questioning or refusal of entry, because the pattern suggests continuous residence on tourist rights. Anyone needing to live in Thailand long term should use a category matching the real purpose, such as Non-B for employment or Non-ED for study, rather than repeating short extensions.

If the application is not approved, the officer sets a short period to settle your affairs and leave Thailand. Depart within that period to avoid an overstay record. You may then prepare a complete document set and apply again through the appropriate route; a clear written explanation with supporting evidence reduces the chance of a repeat refusal.

Frequent causes are financial evidence inconsistent with declared income, large unexplained deposits shortly before filing, an implausible travel plan, weak ties to the country of residence, incomplete supporting documents or translations that do not match the originals, and failing to disclose previous refusals or overstays.

Overstay carries a daily fine at the statutory rate up to a maximum, and re-entry bans apply for periods based on the length of the overstay. Being arrested carries heavier consequences than voluntarily reporting and departing. Anyone in overstay should seek advice and resolve the situation as quickly as possible.

Generally as soon as you can genuinely fix the issue that caused the refusal. Re-filing the same documents usually produces the same result. Read the decision letter closely, identify the officer's concerns, strengthen evidence on those specific points, and disclose the earlier application truthfully in the new form.

Yes, whenever the application form asks. Withholding the information is a false declaration, which is treated far more seriously than a past refusal and can affect applications for years. Many countries share data, so disclosing the history with an explanation and evidence of what has changed is the safer approach.

No. Application centres appointed by embassies collect documents and biometrics and forward the file. The decision to approve or refuse rests with the consular officers of that country. Paying for additional services at the centre does not improve the chance of approval, only the convenience of submission.

In-country changes of visa category are possible in some cases and remain at Immigration's discretion. DTV holders hired by a Thai company are usually advised to apply for a fresh Non-B at an embassy abroad to avoid refusal risk. For LTR you can apply for BOI endorsement while in Thailand and then collect the stamp at Immigration or an embassy as BOI directs.

There is no mandatory waiting period, but reapply only once something has genuinely changed — stable employment, a more consistent financial history, or a direct fix to the reason stated in the refusal letter. Refiling the same pack usually produces the same outcome and adds another refusal to your record.

The frequent causes are financial evidence inconsistent with the declared occupation, weak ties to Thailand, an implausible itinerary, and too little travel history to assess risk. Adding prior travel records, an employment letter stating approved leave dates, and matching hotel and flight bookings materially improves the odds.

In practice you can file about 30-45 days before your current permitted stay ends, and you must always file before the expiry date — filing one day late already counts as overstay. Bring form TM.7, photos, copies of every stamped passport page, the TM30 residence notification receipt, and the supporting documents for your extension category. The fee is THB 1,900. We pre-check the whole bundle so you are not sent away to re-do paperwork.

For those who surrender voluntarily the general framework is: over 90 days overstay means a 1-year ban, over 1 year a 3-year ban, over 3 years a 5-year ban, and over 5 years a 10-year ban. Those arrested face longer bans starting at 5 years. A fine of THB 500 per day applies up to THB 20,000. If you already have an overstay, get advice before flying out, because the order of steps affects what is recorded in the system.