BIG UPDATE FOR CHIANG MAI TOURIST VISAS EXTENSIONS – MARCH 2020
Currently, the Chiang Mai immigration department has moved the Tourist Visa Extensions back to Promenada Shopping Mall, effective 2/03/2020.
After trialling a one-stop service at Chiang Mai immigration office, many tourists were left confused and waiting for 4+ hours to acquire a simple visa extension. Thai immigration is now moving the Tourist Visas 30 Day Extensions back to Promenada Shopping Mall where it was previously located.
You should now travel to:
- Location: Promenada Resort Mall, Zone A, 2nd Floor, Chiang Mai
- Location: Opening Times: 9am – 5pm (Mon to Fri)
While it is a little more difficult to get to, there’s plenty of parking and many shops to visit to kill some time over lunchtime closed hours 12-1pm.
Note: Feel free to skip the now irrelevant parts of this article. The documents needed and process remain the same. Just the location has changed.
If Thai immigration officials make this a permanent change, I’ll update the 30-Day extension guide in full.
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Getting a 30-day tourist extension on your Thai visa may sound like a stressful and long process, but don’t worry, it’s super straightforward and takes less than 1 hour in peak season and as little as 15 minutes the rest of the year.
The first time you extend your tourist it can be a bit scary, so I’ve created a step-by-step guide just for you. As well as some helpful money-saving tips and information.
How To Get To Chiang Mai Immigration Office?
Don’t pay the airport Grab fee. Since the new immigration building is situated close to the airport, you’ll have an extra 100 Baht added onto your Grab fair.
You can now also use Grab to hail a Roddaeng truck. A great budget option if there’s more than 4 of you.
To avoid this, get a Grab taxi to the ‘Suan Pak Restaurant’, it’s a very short walk to immigration office from here.
Alternatively, you can travel by:
- Songtaew (Roddaeng/Red Truck)– you can hail these from any main road and it costs 30 baht each.
- Tuk Tuk – Because why not!? Super Fun right!
- Motorbike – Why You Should Rent A Motorbike in Chiang Mai – Tourist Guide
What Documents Do You Need For A 30-Day Tourist Visa Extension?
- Passport (1 Copy of ID Page, 1 Copy Of TM6 + Visa Page)
- 1 Passport Photo
- TM6 Departure Card (Usually Stapled Inside Your Passport)
- Pen (blue or black).
- 1900 Baht (Change Given At The End)
- Address of Current Hotel/Condo Address.
- Thai Phone Number If Available.
Top Tip: Passport Photos & Passport Page Photocopies are available across the road. You don’t need to use a Visa Service.
Step-by-step Guide: How to get your ‘Tourist Visa’ extended
1. Visa extensions are dealt with on the ground floor
You can pick up the TM.7 Form either before entering the building on the right side, or once inside in the right corner.
Fill in the form completely, both sides, ideally in block capitals. Also add your Thai phone number on the back of the form at the end.
Sign & Date the photocopies of your passport.
2. TM.7 Form Tips
There were several people in front of us in the queue, hadn’t filled out their forms properly so slowed the queue down massively by having to go back through the forms with immigration staff and correct things- don’t be this person!
There are examples of the filled out form on the inside desk. You can use this to check that you’ve filled in your form correctly. Don’t be that person that who holds everyone else up in line.
I’ve annotated a TM7 form to show you a few pitfalls that confused us.
Top Tip: You fill in the details above the English translation. Not below.
3. Hand in your form, photocopies, photo picture, passport & 1900 Baht to the counter directly in front of the entrance.
Don’t worry about glueing your passport photo to the document, at the Chiang Mai office, they will staple this for you.
Now take a ticket and wait for your number to be called. It’s called in both Thai & English. Alternatively, watch the TV screens for your number.
4. Next Step
Take a seat, sit back & relax. Once your number is called, head to across to the tourist desk. Just to the right of where you dropped off your documents.
You’ll then have your photo taken, the same as at immigration when entering Thailand.
Now take a seat again and wait for your name to be called. Then collect your passport, change and receipt.
Check the Visa Date is correct. I’ve not had any issues at Chiang Mai, but at BKK the date has been wrong.
All Done!
Woohoo! Now you’ve successfully got your visa extended for another 30 days in paradise, why not go and relax at one of these gorgeous pools in Chiang Mai!
What are your experiences of extending your tourist visa? If you have any questions comment below! :)
How Soon Can You Extend Your Tourist Visa or 30-Day Visa Exemption Stamp?
Straight away.
While you might hear that you have to wait until a week or so before your visa expires before applying to extend it by 30 days. This is false.
I regularly extend my tourist 30-day exemption & tourist 60-day visas 1 or 2 days after I arrive into Thailand.
This allows you to plan your trip with peace of mind.
Chiang Mai Immigration Office: Opening Hours
The immigration office in Chiang Mai is open from:
- 7:30 am till 12 pm
- Then reopens after lunch at 1 pm till 16:30.
- Closed Saturday & Sunday.
Top Tip: Check for Thai Holidays before visiting. The Immigration Office will be shut.
Feel free to share this article and comment below if you found it useful, or your experience was different.
By March 2nd 2020 the office has been moved to:
Promenada Resort Mall, Zone A, 2nd Floor, Chiang Mai
It’s quite a small office and there isn’t yet any signs, so not that easy to find, before you’re right in front of it. It’s located next to the large windows on 2nd floor and opposite DUKE’S.
Hi Søren Esbjørn,
Thanks for the update.
It seems the Immigration Department is going through a lot of changes recently. I visited a month ago to get an extension and the queues were all the way into the car park. Most tourists didn’t have a clue what was going on.
As I was travelling to Phuket in a few days, I jumped straight back on my bike.
Phuket Immigration office was fantastic. In & Out in less than 20 minutes.
Let me know how your experience was at Promenada : )
Jim
Thanks for sharing this, for sure you make someone’s trip for a visa extension a little easier!