Can I extend the 30-day visa exemption in Thailand, and what does it cost?

The extension is the same counter transaction it has always been. What changed on 15 September 2026 is the starting number: the exemption is now 30 days, per the TAT Newsroom, so one extension takes a visa free stay to 60 days rather than 90. If you arrived before 15 September 2026, you keep the 60 days stamped at entry, as Fragomen notes, and can still ask for the 30 day extension.

What it costs

The fee is 1,900 THB, paid in cash at the counter, as the Chiang Rai Times and the Trat Immigration fee list agree. There is no cheaper version and no fast track. The hidden costs are a morning at the office, and, if you live somewhere without a counter, the trip to reach one.

Who can extend, and how often

The Royal Thai Embassy in London describes one extension of up to 30 days on top of the 30 day exemption, and limits exemption entries to two per calendar year; the TAT applies that cap to land border entries. One extension per entry means there is no second 30 days: when the extended date arrives, you leave. Officers can refuse, which is rare but real, so keep your onward ticket flexible.

What to bring, in one line

Form TM.7, your passport with signed copies of the photo page and entry stamp, one 4x6 cm photo, proof of your Thai address with the TM30 receipt if you have it, and the cash. The full checklist is in the extension section of our Thailand visa options guide, and if you live on an island, the Koh Tao visa extension post shows which counter to use. Our walkthrough of the 30 day extension sets out the same form and fee with the documents laid out in order.

Timing

Go a few days before your stamp expires, not on the last morning. The Chiang Rai Times notes that same day processing is not guaranteed, and a missing document found on the final day turns a paperwork problem into an overstay, which costs 500 THB a day up to 20,000 THB according to Samut Prakan Immigration.

Leave By Check gives you both dates, the one on your stamp and the one an approved extension would give you. Anyone who needs months rather than weeks should look at the 60 day tourist visa or the DTV instead.