Our Working Days are Monday - Friday (except holidays) 08:30 AM - 4:30 PM

Note: we can not accept fee payments after 3:30 PM

Note: Patong Immigration Working Days are Monday - Friday (except holidays) 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

You can follow the latest updates to Thai Immigration for Residence Reporting and Retirement (and other) long-stay visa bank balance requirements at the Phuket Immigration Volunteers website http://piv-phuket.com/long-stay-extensions/changes-regarding-retirement-extension-application/

90-day Online Reporting The Immigration Bureau's online portal for foreigners to complete their 90-day reporting is operational. Using the browser Internet Explorer or Chrome access their form via our link to their website at the bottom of this page (or click on the image to the left). Then click on the image similar to what we show here on the left. After you apply it is best to check back with the website for your approved confirmation in 1-3 days rather than waiting for a reply by email.
NOTE: If you use Firefox the link returns non-secure page. Clicking 'Advanced' then 'Allow Exception' will then open the Thai site.

Address Registration (TM30) Reporting The TM30 and its underlying laws are about the obligation of a landlord (or house master, possessor, manager) to report the stay of a foreigner (non-Thai national) staying in his/her property. All foreigners staying in Thailand and their hosts should be very well aware of this.

The laws with regard to the TM30 and the obligation to report a foreigner's stay have been in place for a long time, but the government has started to enforce it more strictly lately, and have changed some of the procedures with regards to your 90-days reporting and extension of visa.

Basically, with the TM030 form, the government aims to know exactly where each foreigner is staying all the time. Every host, no matter Thai or foreigner, has the obligation to report the stay of a foreigner within 24 hours. If the reporting is not done within the 24 hours period immigration can fine the landlord THB 1,600 if just one day late or when some documents are not complete.

To Register Your Property or Report Your Return to that property click on the icon to open the Phuket Immigration website. Within that site locate and click on the same icon to open the NOTIFY link. To register your property follow the gray-box link. Once a property has been registered the same link allow the reporting of a resident.

NOTE: The browser Chrome and IE 10 seem to work fine. If you use Firefox the link returns a 'non-secure' page. Clicking 'Advanced' then 'Allow Exception' will then open the Thai site.

Plan Your Visit Due to the high volume of visitors at the Phuket Immigration Office between Monday and Friday we strongly recommend that you plan your visit between Tuesday & Thursday. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Retirement Visa The Thai retirement visa is also known as the "O-A" visa. In order to apply for this visa you need to be older than 50 years of age at the date of application. The issued visa is valid for 3 months and you need to extend the visa at Thai immigration (within Thailand) for 1 year.

90 Day Reporting Once you have obtained a 1-year visa (this is NOT a multiple-entry visa), for example a marriage visa or a retirement visa, then you need to report your address to Thai immigration every 90 days.

Re-entry permits If you have an extended 1-year visa (this is not a multiple entry visa) you have to apply for a re-entry permit if you wish to leave Thailand and return to continue the remainder of your 1-year visa. If you leave Thailand without a re-entry permit in your passport your visa will be invalid upon your return and you will be allowed stay for 30 days if arriving through an international airport or 15 days if you arrive via a land border. You will have to start the visa process again.

Thailand uses a mixed three-way system

1) Persons who have to apply for a visa before traveling to Thailand

2) Persons who may obtain a visa on arrival at some immigration border checkpoints and at international airports in Thailand

3) Persons who are exempted from visa requirements to enter Thailand, which applies mostly to citizens of developed countries with adequate standard of living who enter Thailand for short-term visits as tourists for not more than 30 days.

TRANSIT VISA

Transit visas are issued to foreigners passing through Thailand. Application procedures are the same as for tourist visas, but the period of stay and visa fees differ. On arrival, holders of transit visas are admitted for 30 days in the kingdom and the stay may be extended by another 30 days for most foreign nationals. If there are strong reasons, long-term extensions can be obtained as for tourist visas, but application for a work permit is not possible. Transit visas may be changed to non-immigrant visas if need arises.

NON-IMMIGRANT VISA

Non-immigrant visas can be obtained by foreigners wishing to enter Thailand for various purposes at Royal Thai embassies or consulates abroad. The purpose of visit must be stated in the application form. The visa will be marked with an English abbreviation as specified by the government accordingly. This is done to make the purpose of visit known to the immigration officers from the very time of arriving and to record statistics of foreigners entering Thailand.

The Non-immigrant visa is of special importance, being the only visa for foreigners temporarily staying in the kingdom that entitles them to apply for work permits. Approval or rejection of application for work permits is done according to the 1978 foreign labor act, section 11, which states that "foreigners applying for a work permit according to section 7 must be residents of the kingdom or have received permission to temporarily stay in the kingdom according to the immigration laws. They must not have received permission to stay in the kingdom merely as tourists or on transit..." i.e. application for a work permit depends on the visa, which must not be a tourist or transit visa.

A foreigner wishing to apply for anon-immigrant visa must contact a Thai embassy or consulate abroad, fill in the application form and state the purpose of his visit as mentioned above. As this type of visa is of special importance being the only kind of visa that enables its holder to apply for a work permit and long term extension of stay in the kingdom as necessary, presently Thailand uses stickers in the passport for this type of visa, although some consulates, mostly honorary consulates, still use a stamp affixed to the passport. There is no difference in the validity of the visa whether it is a sticker or a stamp. The visa type and class is clearly stated on the sticker or stamp, e.g. NON-IMMIGRANT VISA class B for business, class ED for education and O for other purposes, according to the list given above. The date of validity stated on the visa is often misunderstood as permission of stay in the kingdom. In fact the date of validity indicates the period within the visa must be utilized entering Thailand. If used within the validity period, the visa entitles its holder of an initial stay of 90 days in the kingdom from the date of arrival, even if he arrives on the last date of validity of the visa.

In addition, if the English words EXTENSION OF STAY NOT PERMITTED/NO EXTENSION OF STAY are written on the visa stamp or sticker, the holder may after the initial admission period has elapsed, apply for an extension according to his individual reasons and necessity. If the officer in charge agrees with the stated reasons and necessity and the applicant fulfills the specifications set by the Immigration Bureau, the stay may be extended accordingly.

TOURIST VISA

This visa type, as its name states, is issued to foreigners entering Thailand as tourists. Like the non-immigrant visa, this visa type must be obtained abroad before traveling to Thailand. Upon arrival a stay of 60 days will be granted, which may be extended by another 30 days for most foreign nationals. This type of visa may be extended to long term stays of up to one year according to the authority given to the director general of the Police Department (presently changed to commander-in-chief of the National Police Bureau) to consider and approve extensions of not exceeding one year at a time. Holders of this type of visa may not apply for a work permit. Holders of tourist visas may apply to change the visa to a non-immigrant visa if they wish to work in Thailand or are afraid that they may not be granted a long term extension of stay without non-immigrant visa.