How to extend the period of visa-free stay in Thailand

There are several ways to extend a visa-free stay in Thailand. But first of all, you need to know that when entering Thailand from Russia or another country, when receiving a visa-free stamp at passport control (not at customs, do not confuse these services), theoretically, you may be asked to provide a return ticket or a ticket to a third country. In practice, this does not happen often, but it still happens sometimes. And if you have this ticket with departure later than 30 days after entry, passport control inspectors may have a question. In this case, be prepared to explain that you intend to extend your stay in one of the ways below, and provide appropriate evidence (for example, tickets to a third country).

So, you can extend your visa-free stay in Thailand in the following ways:

• Extension at the immigration office for 30 days

  In order to extend your visa-free stay for another 30 days without leaving the country, you can contact the Immigration Bureau in Thailand (they are available in Bangkok and in many major cities of the country, see the list and addresses here). There you need to provide:

  • application form TM7
  • passport size photo 35x45 millimeters
  • the departure card TM6 departure card that you filled out at the entrance
  • return ticket or ticket to another country
  • 1900 baht (approximately 58.27 USD, see the currency of Thailand and its exchange rate)

  What is important, the application is considered only as a tourist extension of stay. If the inspectors see that you are working illegally in Thailand, they may refuse to renew. This usually happens if your passport is full of stamps about entry and exit from Thailand for a short time.

  In order to increase the chances of an extension, it is recommended to attach return air tickets, hotel reservations, and confirmation of the availability of funds for a stay in Thailand to the application.

• Extension for 30 days with the help of "borderran"

  Another way is the so–called "border", i.e. departure to a neighboring country and re-entry to receive a new stamp for another 30 days. However, after the introduction of restrictions in August 2014, although this is still a working method, it is no longer on the same scale as it was before. Now you can get a refusal to re-enter from the inspector of the border guard service if, due to the large number of stamps on entry and exit from Thailand, he suspects you of illegal work in the country. If you re-enter the country for a short period of time, or even for the third time, really as a tourist after visiting neighboring countries, then there will be no problems. Even if the inspector has doubts about this, you can always try to justify your difficult travel route, and for full confidence, also show tickets for the flight home from Thailand.

• Extension for several days with the payment of a fine

  If you exceed the deadline for less than 3 days, then in this case it makes no sense to apply for an extension at the visa application center, but it is easier to pay a fine at the airport. Such a fine is 500 baht for each day of delay.

  But keep in mind that you should not abuse this method. In fact, this is a violation of the visa regime, and who knows how it will affect your visits in the future.