Thailand visas and immigration

Do I need a visa for Thailand?

Most nationalities can obtain a 30 day visa free entry stamp sometimes called ‘visa on arrival’ without the need to apply at a Thai embassy/consulate abroad. If you want to stay longer in Thailand then you can apply for a tourist visa in advance at a Thai embassy or consulate abroad. A single entry tourist visa is valid for 60 days.

New visa rules

As of the 1st Oct 2006 there are new visa rules regarding the 30 day entry stamp (visa on arrival). In the past there was no limit to the amount of times this could be done all you needed to do was leave Thailand at any border crossing point and then turn around and come back into Thailand the same day with a fresh 30 day entry stamp. Many foreigners have stayed in Thailand for years doing this and it was also useful for the long-staying tourist. However the Thai government has now decided to limit the amount of time you can spend in Thailand on a 30 day entry stamp ‘visa on arrival’ to 90 days in any one period of 180 days. There is still some confusion (even amongst immigration officers themselves) how this system will operate but it looks like that time spent on a proper tourist visa will not be counted towards this 90 day limit also you will be able to enter Thailand as many time as you want with a ‘visa on arrival’ as long as you don''t spend anymore than 90 days in a period of 180 days.

Types of visa

Most tourist will enter Thailand on a 60 day tourist visa (single or multiple entry) or 30 day entry stamp ‘visa on arrival’.

Visa extensions

If you entered Thailand on a 30 day visa free entry stamp this can be extended at an immigration office in Thailand for 7 days for a fee of 1,900 baht.
If you entered Thailand on a 60 day tourist visa you can extend this at any immigration office in Thailand for a further 28 days the fee is 1,900 baht.

Overstaying

If you overstay your visa you will be charged 500 baht per day on departure from Thailand. This is the new rule the old charge was 200 baht per day with the first day of overstay free. However now every day (including the fist day) you will be charged 500 baht.

Chiang Mai Immigration

You will find the Chiang Mai immigration office on Sanambin Rd only a few hundred yards before the main entrance to Chiang Mai’s airport
Office hours are 8:30am-4:30pm Monday to Friday
Chiang Mai Immigration address:
Chiang Mai Immigration

71 Moo3 Sanambin Road, T. Suthep, A. MuangChiang Mai Tel: 053 - 2017556

Visa runs to Mae Sai

Despite the new rules doing a ‘visa run’ is still useful if time is running out on your current visa. With the Thai/Burmese boarder town of Mae Sai being only 5 hours away, Chiang Mai is a convenient point to renew a ‘visa on arrival’.