Thai Tourist Visa Extension In Chiang Mai

So, you’ve come to Thailand on a multi-entry Tourist Visa and you know that each entry allows you to stay for 60 days, but as you get closer to that, you realize you need more time to explore and visit.

Well, the great thing is that you can have 30 more days by asking for an extension on your Visa.

The steps you need to take in order to apply for an extension require very little effort and stress.

We’ve extended our Visas in Bali and can tell you that this was way easier, and, actually a bit fun.

We just visited the immigration office and wanted to share with you the complete process of applying for a 30 day extension on a Tourist Visa in Chiang Mai as well as our experience of the event.

Gone are the days that one had to visit the immigration office down by the Chiang Mai Airport in the early morning hours in order to get a cue number that would get called in a reasonable time.

Now, there is an immigration office at the Promenada Resort Mall.

Since July of 2015, there is a new service center at this location that has been established in order to improve the efficiency of the permit and visa renewal process for foreigners currently staying in the Kingdom of Thailand.

The Services Provided At This Location

• Retirement Visa
• Tourist Visa
• Medical Visa
• Re-entry Permit
• 90 days reporting service

How And When To Go

The Promenada Immigration office is located on the first floor, just beneath the Tom N Toms Coffee which is visible upon coming in from the front driveway of the mall.

It was easy for us to spot because we took a Red Truck (Songthaew) and they dropped us off right in front off the mall.

We are staying near Chiang Mai University (about 11 km from Promenada) and the ride cost the two of us 100 THB to get there, but 300 THB to return.

Here is all their information:

Address: 
192-193 Moo 2, 
Tumbon Tasala, 
Amphur Muang Chiang Mai, 
เชียงใหม่ 50000

Hours: 8:30-16:30 
Monday-Friday 
(Closed: 12:00-13:00 for lunch & Thai Holidays)

Phone Number: 053-142788

What You Will Need To Bring

You now have the choice to either get all of your documents ready once you arrive at the location or have everything all ready beforehand.

If you choose to get all your copies done as well as have your passport-sized photo taken there, you need to make sure you take the following with you:

1. Your valid passport (Tourist Visa, entry stamp and departure card inside it, of course)
2. 1900 Thai Baht for the Visa extension, 200 Baht for passport photos, about 8 Baht for copies)
3. The exact address of where you are staying in Chiang Mai
4. Your phone number in Thailand
5. A black or blue pen

At the time we made the visit for our Visa extension, they had a desk right in front of the office where application forms were provided.

In front of that desk, there is also a tall desk area where you can stand and complete your form. Please do remember to bring your own pen.

You may have the opportunity to purchase one at the photo and copy store next door to the immigration office, but what if they run out of stock?

How To Apply For A Thai Tourist Visa Extension In Chiang Mai

Here is what you will need to do to apply for the Thai Tourist Visa extension at this immigration office:

1. Complete the application form.
2. Get copies (services are provided at the shop on the left of the office): photo page of passport, tourist Visa page, entry stamp in passport, departure card.
3. Sign and date all of the copies you just got of your documents.
4. Have a passport photo taken(services are provided at the shop on the left of the office). They will give you several photos that are 4cmx6cm, but you will only need one for the application.
5. Turn everything in to the people at the desk where you picked up your application. They will look over everything and let you know if there is anything missing. They will organize all of your paperwork and staple your photo to your application.
6. Pay them 1900 Thai Baht for the processing. They will add a queue number to your documents and take everything inside to be processed.
7. Wait inside until your name is called.
8. Go up to the desk and look into the camera for your photo to be taken by them.
9. Sit down again and wait for them to call you once everything is done.

Upon receiving back your passport, check to make sure that it is yours and that there is an extension stamp inside now.

Also, make sure you have received any change that is due back to you along with your receipt of payment.

That’s it! Now go check out the mall, eat pizza at Duke’s, Get some games at Toys’r’Us…Well, at least, that’s what we did.

Now, we could have just shown up in Thailand without a Visa and been able to stay for 30 days.

There are lots of countries that allow entry without a Visa for Canadian and American citizens like us. However, we need more time to really be able to explore and enjoy the country.

Heck, even the 60 days we got on our Visa before coming was not enough which is why needed to extend it!

The whole process, from completing our forms to getting our passports back with the extension stamp, took about an hour for the two of us.

Now, this may be different for others. It may have helped that we went on a weekday around 11 am during the “low tourist season.”

There were about a handful of people in line waiting before us. We were very impressed with the efficiency and organization of this office.