Koh Tao visa extension: what the island office handles, and when you still need the Samui day trip

A Koh Tao visa extension is now done on the island itself: the island immigration office, between Mae Haad and Chalok Baan Kao near the police station, takes form TM.7 and the 1,900 THB fee for visa exempt and tourist visa stays. The day trip to Samui is only for what the island counter does not handle: one year extensions, the DTV and LTR extensions, and Certificates of Residence.

This page used to describe the Samui trip as the default. It no longer is. Below is the split as two island sources described it in 2026, the folder each counter expects, and how the Samui day works when you do need it.

Which extensions can you do on Koh Tao, and which need Samui?

Short tourist extensions, 90 day reports and re-entry permits stay on the island; anything tied to a long stay visa goes to Samui. BAANLYY's Koh Tao immigration guide, updated on 2 July 2026, lists the island services and sends one year extensions, DTV and LTR cases and Certificates of Residence to Koh Samui. Island Travel Koh Tao puts it more bluntly: only tourist visa extension applications are processed by the local office.

Fees come from the Immigration Bureau fee list published by the Trat Immigration Office: 1,900 THB per extension of temporary stay, 1,000 THB for a single re-entry permit and 3,800 THB for a multiple one. The service split moves from time to time, so call or ask at the island office before you plan a boat day around it.

How long can you extend a visa exempt stay now?

One extension of up to 30 days, on top of the 30 day exemption that applies to arrivals from 15 September 2026. The Royal Thai Embassy in London confirms the 30 day stay, the limit of two exempt entries per calendar year and the 30 day extension. If you landed before 15 September 2026 under the old 60 day rule, you keep the stay stamped at entry, as Fragomen's summary notes, and you can still ask for the 30 day extension. Visa Check works out the leave by date for both cases.

What do you bring to the Koh Tao office?

The same folder works on both islands. Island Travel Koh Tao lists it, and the Samui office asks for the same set:

1. Your passport, valid for at least six more months.
2. Form TM.7. It is available at the counter, but filling it in the night before saves time.
3. One passport photo.
4. A photocopy of your passport photo page and of the page with your latest entry stamp, each signed.
5. Your TM30 receipt, the proof of address filed by your landlord or guesthouse.
6. 1,900 THB in cash.

The island office opens Monday to Friday, 08:30 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 16:30, according to Island Travel Koh Tao, and works on a walk in basis. The same source says most applications take one to two hours. Immigration offices close on weekends and Thai public holidays.

Why does the TM30 receipt matter so much?

Because it is your proof of address, and the counter can turn you away without it, on either island. The TM30 is the notification that the owner of the place you stay must file within 24 hours of your arrival, as Thai Law Online explains. Small landlords do not always file it. Ask for the receipt on the day you move in, before you pay the deposit, and keep a photo of it on your phone. BAANLYY calls it one of the most important documents you hold on the island.

When do you still need the Samui immigration office?

For any long stay extension, and the office is in Maenam, not in Na Thon. The Samui branch of Surat Thani immigration moved to Maenam in 2016, according to KohPlanner, and Island Travel's Samui trip page puts it 3.5 km from the Maenam Lomprayah pier. KohPlanner gives the same hours as the island: Monday to Friday, 08:30 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 16:30, with a lunch closure you should treat as a wall.

The main Samui cases for Koh Tao residents:

1. A DTV holder asking for the one time extension of up to 180 days. Our post on the DTV extension covers the fee disagreement and why some holders fly out instead.
2. A one year extension on a retirement, marriage or work visa, with its financial evidence.
3. A Certificate of Residence, which banks and the licence office sometimes ask for.

How does the Samui day trip work from Koh Tao?

Take the first boat and be in the queue before 11:00. Inside Samui lists the Lomprayah from Mae Haad at 08:30 and 14:45, about two hours with a stop at Thong Sala on Koh Phangan, at 450 to 600 THB one way. The same guide says boats arrive at Na Thon or Maenam depending on the service, so book one that lands at Maenam. Siam Tickets lists afternoon departures from Samui at 12:30, 14:30 and 16:00, with catamaran fares around 700 THB.

The direct cost is the fee plus two ferry tickets: 1,900 THB, then 900 to 1,400 THB return at the fares above, before the ride between pier and office. The larger cost for a remote worker is a lost working day. Avoid Fridays: if a document is missing, the office will not reopen until Monday, and your permitted stay keeps running.

Surat Thani is the other option, but the night boat from there to Koh Tao takes about nine hours, according to the Koh Tao Complete Guide. It only makes sense if you are heading to the mainland anyway. Our route guide to Koh Tao compares the crossings.

Can you extend a visa on Koh Phangan or Koh Samui?

On Koh Samui, yes, at the Maenam office. On Koh Phangan we found no current listing of an immigration counter: a Travel Dave guide, written around 2016, says there is none and that Phangan residents use Samui. That source is old, so check locally before you rely on it. From Koh Tao, the island office now saves you the crossing for a 30 day extension.

What happens if you let the date slip?

You pay 500 THB for each day of overstay, capped at 20,000 THB, before you are allowed to leave, according to the Samut Prakan Immigration notice. Boats can be cancelled in rough weather, so file a few days early rather than on the last one. Our post on overstaying by three days covers what happens at the airport.

Updated on 25 September 2026. Rules and prices change: confirm with the official source linked above before you act.