Thailand visa extension: which visas, how long

A Thailand visa extension (extension of stay) costs 1,900 baht per application; you apply at the immigration office of your province before your stamp date.

Last checked: 11 October 2026

In short (as of 11 October 2026)
Every application for an extension costs 1,900 baht (Ministerial Regulation No. 27, in force since 26 August 2003).
Visa exempt or tourist visa: once, for up to 30 days. Non-O based on retirement or Thai family: up to 1 year at a time. DTV: once, for up to 180 days per entry.
Apply before the date in your stamp. While your application is pending, the Immigration Act (section 35) allows you to stay in Thailand.
e-Extension: online for 12 reasons, including tourism, in 8 provinces, once your stay has less than 45 days left. You collect the stamp in person. Retirement and marriage are not covered.
An extension is not a right: the immigration officer decides, and since 12 November 2025 can refuse or revoke it when there is a visa run pattern.

This article is for Dutch and Belgian nationals who are in Thailand and want to extend their permitted stay, whatever visa or exemption they entered on. The general Thai rules in this guide apply to all nationalities; the parts about embassies and documents are written for Dutch and Belgian passport holders, so if you hold another passport, check the requirements of the Thai embassy or consulate that serves you.

What an extension of stay is

On arrival you get a stamp with the last day of your permitted stay. An extension (in Thai "ขออยู่ต่อ", in English "extension of stay" or "visa extension") moves that date. It is not a new visa.

Legal basis: section 35 of the Immigration Act of 1979. The Director-General can give a foreigner who needs to stay longer up to 1 extra year at a time. Each application is made on the prescribed form and with the statutory fee. While it is being processed, you may stay in Thailand.
Criteria per reason: the basis is Police Order No. 327/2557 (30 June 2014, in force 29 August 2014). The Immigration Bureau (checklists of November 2023) and Immigration Division 1 in Bangkok publish the criteria per reason with a document list. On a few points, such as the bank rule for retirement, those lists differ from the 2014 text on the Immigration Bureau's website.
Decision: the embassy in The Hague writes that an extension is solely at the discretion of the immigration officer.

Which statuses you can extend in Thailand, and for how long

According to the list of Immigration Division 1 (Bangkok), supplemented with the DTV information of the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

Status / reason                          Maximum per extension
Visa exempt, tourism                     1 extension, 30 days
Tourist visa (TR)                        1 extension, 30 days
Non-O, retirement (50+)                  1 year
O-A, retirement                          term of health insurance, max. 1 year
Non-O, Thai spouse or child              1 year
Visiting a Thai spouse or child          1 extension, 60 days
DTV                                      1 extension, 180 days per entry
Work (Non-B)                             1 year
Study, formal education                  school period, max. 1 year
Study, non-formal school                 90 days at a time, max. 1 year in total
Medical treatment or caring for someone  90 days
Court case                               90 days
Necessity at the request of an embassy   30 days

The DTV duration (180 days) is in the DTV information of the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the embassy in The Hague of 15 July 2024; the Immigration Division 1 page gives no duration for the DTV.

Where to extend your stay

In the province where you live. Immigration Division 1 writes that for an extension you go to the immigration office of the province where you are staying.
Bangkok: Immigration Division 1, Government Complex, Chaeng Wattana Road, Building B. This office serves Bangkok only.
Tourism: at the counter, according to the Immigration Bureau, you submit the application in person. Via e-Extension it can be done online, but you collect the stamp yourself.
Retirement and marriage: not via e-Extension, so at the counter of the immigration office. For an extension based on a Thai spouse or child, you and your partner must come in person for an interview.

Step by step

Step 1. Check the date in your stamp. After that date you are in overstay (500 baht per day, up to 20,000 baht).

Step 2. Find the right reason in the list of Immigration Division 1 and read the criteria. Each reason has its own conditions and documents.

Step 3. Gather the documents (see below). Bring originals: for extensions based on Thai family, immigration asks you to show the originals and to sign the copies yourself.

Step 4. Submit the application at the office in your province, or online via e-Extension if your reason is covered. Pay 1,900 baht.

Step 5. Check the new date in your passport before you leave the office.

Document checklist

For almost every extension:

Application form TM.7, with one passport photo of 4 x 6 cm, no older than 6 months
Copy of your passport (photo page, visa, last entry stamp, last extension)
1,900 baht
Any other documents immigration asks for

In addition, per reason, for example:

Tourism: no extra documents, except for a special reason (such as a medical certificate).
Retirement: proof of income and/or a letter from a commercial bank in Thailand with a copy of the bank book. See the guides on the retirement visa and on financial proof.
Thai wife: marriage certificate, your partner's ID card and house registration, financial proof, copies of the TM.30 notification and the 90-day report, four family photos (two outside and two inside the house) and a map of the house.
DTV: proof of at least 500,000 baht, proof of work or activity, proof of your address and copies of the previous TM.47 (90-day report) and TM.30.

Extending online with e-Extension

The Immigration Bureau refers on its website to thaiextension.vfsevisa.com, a service run by VFS Global on its behalf ("Valid for select visa categories").

Reasons: 12, namely tourism, teachers at a public school, study at a public school, work for the government, former Thai nationals, family members of residents, press, trainers and researchers for the government, installation and repair of machinery, medical specialists, stationed vehicle operators, and an extension at the request of an embassy (Immigration Division 1).
Provinces (according to VFS): Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chonburi (Pattaya only), Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Phuket (Blue Tree only), Samut Prakan and Surat Thani (Koh Phangan and Koh Samui only).
When (according to VFS): only once your stay has less than 45 days left.
How it works: fill in the form and upload online, choose an appointment and pay, then collect the stamp in person at immigration. Without that stamp the application is not complete. Only for tourism may the office where you collect the stamp differ from the one where you applied.
Processing time (according to VFS): usually 1 to 7 working days.

Costs

Amounts in baht as stated by the Thai government. Euro amounts are an indication, converted at the ECB reference rate of 9 October 2026: 1 euro = 37.574 baht.

Extension of stay, per application          1,900 baht   (about 51 euros)
e-Extension, VFS service fee (see note)       500 baht   (about 13 euros)
Re-entry permit, single                     1,000 baht   (about 27 euros)
Re-entry permit, multiple                   3,800 baht   (about 101 euros)
Overstay, per day                             500 baht   (max. 20,000 baht)

Note: VFS lists 500 baht (regular, decision within 7 working days),
1,500 baht (express) and 5,000 baht (super urgent), and states on
11 October 2026 that all options cost 500 baht. This comes on top
of the 1,900 baht.

After the extension

90-day report: if you stay in Thailand for more than 90 days without interruption, you report your address every 90 days (section 37, paragraph 5 of the Immigration Act). That is a separate obligation alongside the extension. Whether an extension changes the date of your next report is not stated on the official pages; ask the office that handles your extension.
Re-entry permit: if you travel abroad, your permission to stay ends when you leave, unless you have a re-entry permit beforehand (section 39 of the Immigration Act).

Common mistakes

Coming too late. Every day after the date in your stamp counts as overstay. With e-Extension you can only apply from 45 days before the end.

Trying to extend a retirement stay online. Retirement and marriage are not in the list of 12 e-Extension reasons.

Extending after a visa run. Since 12 November 2025 offices can refuse an extension, or revoke it afterwards, for people who repeatedly leave and re-enter.

Leaving without a re-entry permit. An extension of 1 year lapses as soon as you leave the country without a re-entry permit.

TM.30 or 90-day report not in order. For the extension based on a Thai partner and for the DTV, immigration asks for copies of these.

Where the sources contradict each other

Tourism for people who entered visa exempt: Immigration Division 1 (Bangkok) names the visa exemption and the tourist visa; the Thai-language page of the Immigration Bureau names only the tourist visa. The embassy in The Hague confirmed on 23 September 2026 that Dutch nationals can apply for a 30-day extension after visa-exempt entry.
Retirement, combination of income and savings: the Immigration Bureau checklist (November 2023) allows withdrawals after 3 months down to 400,000 baht; Immigration Division 1 writes that at least 50 percent of the original deposit must remain in the account.
e-Extension: the provinces, the 45-day window and the service fee appear only on the VFS website, not on a Thai government page.

What has changed

26 August 2003: fee of 1,900 baht per extension (Ministerial Regulation No. 27).
29 August 2014: Police Order No. 327/2557 with the criteria per reason takes effect.
10 October 2022: the Immigration Bureau announces e-Extension on its website.
12 November 2025: stricter assessment of extensions where there is a visa run pattern.
15 September 2026: visa-exempt stay goes from 60 to 30 days; the extension for tourism is once, for 30 days.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a visa extension cost in Thailand?

1,900 baht per application, since 26 August 2003. Via e-Extension a VFS service fee comes on top, 500 baht on 11 October 2026.

How long can I extend my visa in Thailand?

Visa exempt and tourist visa: once, for 30 days. Non-O based on retirement or a Thai partner: up to 1 year at a time. DTV: once, for up to 180 days per entry.

When should I apply for a visa extension in Thailand?

Before the date in your stamp. With e-Extension only once your stay has less than 45 days left. For the counter, the official pages give no earliest date; ask your office.

Can I stay in Thailand while my extension is being processed?

Yes. Section 35 of the Immigration Act provides that you may stay in Thailand while you wait for the decision.

Can I extend my retirement visa online?

No. Retirement is not in the list of 12 reasons for e-Extension; you extend at the counter in your province.

Where do I extend my visa if I live outside Bangkok?

At the immigration office of the province where you are staying. Immigration Division 1 in Bangkok serves Bangkok only.

Sources

All sources opened on 11 October 2026.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Thai visa rules can change and are sometimes applied differently from one office to another. Check the current requirements with the Thai embassy or the immigration office before you apply or travel.

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Thailand visa extension: which visas, how long, 1,900 baht and e-Extension