Visa vs Permission to Stay

A visa is issued by a Thai embassy or consulate before you travel and only allows you to request entry. The number of days you may actually stay comes from the entry stamp given by the immigration officer at the border. Staying longer requires a separate application for extension of stay filed with the Immigration Bureau inside Thailand.

Report in person at your local immigration office as soon as possible. Late notification carries a fine set by law, and the amount can be higher if the lapse is discovered during an inspection. A late report does not immediately end your permission to stay, but it stays visible to officers assessing your next extension.

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.

A re-entry permit preserves your existing permission to stay when you leave Thailand; without it the extension is void the moment you depart. Single costs THB 1,000 and suits one trip before your next renewal, while multiple costs THB 3,800 and pays off from roughly four departures within the same permission period. You can apply at an immigration office or at the airport counter before check-in.