Can you visit any Immigration Office in Thailand for visa requirements depending on your location?

Nov 10, 2021
3 years ago
Steve *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
Choice of Immigration Office

Are you allowed to go to any Immigration office for all visa requirements or do you have to go to the one where you are located?

Just wondering how restrictive it is as my friend will be vising CM from Bangkok.
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TLDR : Answer Summary
In Thailand, you must go to the immigration office that corresponds to your registered address or where your TM30 was filed. If someone is currently holding a visa extension based on employment, they need to cancel that at the office that issued it before applying for a Covid extension at the appropriate office.
Ellie *******
He needs to cancel his current extension based on employment at the immigration office that issued the extension. Then he needs to apply for a Covid extension at the immigration office where his TM30 was reported. They may or may not be the same immigration office.

He may apply for cancellation of the current extension a few weeks in advance if he can get the required documents.

The Covid extension is 60days, not 69days. Just remember if you apply for a Covid extension, you will need to go back to the same immigration office to close the under consideration stamp'.
Ellie *******
Let's say if he cancels his current extension based on employment on 26th Nov at the immigration office where it was issued, then he can apply for a Covid extension immediately at his local immigration office.

He would get under consideration stamp for about 2weeks, then he needs to go back to the same office on that day may be early or middle December, then he will be stamped for rest of days of 60days Covid extension.
Steve *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Ellie ******
so you always get the under consideration stamp, it's never refused on the spot?
Ellie *******
@Steve ******
possible scenarios could be...

- Covid application is accepted, you will get 60days through under consideration process

There was no report someone failed to get the whole stamp once went "under consideration"

- Covid application is not accepted at the spot

- Covid application may be accepted once then denied so that IO can give you the "application denied" 7days to leave Thailand stamp.

- IO have you apply for an extension for another reason (tourism, etc), then deny it to give you 7days to leave the country stamp
Benjamin ******
@Steve ******
I have not seen any 60 day extension of stay based on unable to travel due to COVID-19 be rejected outright with a formal “extension of stay denied” stamp. If they reject a person, it will be a verbal rejection
Steve *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Ellie ******
many thanks. So if he goes to cancel his visa on let's say Thursday 9th December, can he apply for the covid 60 day extension the same day, and if he does will get the covid visa extension the same day, or do you mean he is under consideration and needs to return, if so how many days later please? Sorry for the multiple questions, just need to be certain. Thanks again.
Tod *********
@Steve ******
nope that plan will not work 😕 Listen to Ellie (y)
Ellie *******
@Steve ******
The last day for Covid extension application is 26th Nov...
Steve *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Ellie ******
sorry I do recall seeing that, so does that mean he would need to cancel his existing visa on 26th and apply for the covid extension the same day?
Ellie *******
@Steve ******
right. on or before 26th Nov.
Tod *********
@Steve ******
he needs to cancel his current extension on or before the 26th of Nov and then apply immediately for the 60 day covid extension.

If for some reason they denied his application for the covid extension he'd get to buy a 7 day stamp to leave thailand in a week.
Benjamin ******
You can only use the immigration office where you live/ where the TM30 is filed.
Steve *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Benjamin *****
thank you for confirming.
Benjamin ******
@Steve ******
I’m curious, what extension of stay will the person be applying for?
Steve *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Benjamin *****
Covid after cancellation of work permit/non-immigrant B visa. Reason I asked was I saw a posting on here saying covid extensions are up to the discretion of the IM officer and a similar extension request at Bangkok Immigration had been refused. Thought maybe he could get it here in CM when he comes to visit me.
Benjamin ******
@Steve ******
he will be issued an “under consideration “ stamp. If he’s currently on an extension of stay, he must get the 69 day extension of stay based on unable to travel due to COVID-19 at the same immigration office where he cancels his extension of stay based on employment
Ellie *******
@Benjamin *****
this is not right in some cases.

"he must get the 69 day extension of stay based on unable to travel due to COVID-19 at the same immigration office where he cancels his extension of stay based on employment"

He must apply for a Covid extension where his TM 30 is reported, NOT the immigration office where he applies for the cancellation of the extension based on employment.
Steve *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Benjamin *****
many thanks. He will have to take his chances in Bangkok with the unable to travel due to covid. No other options available to him apart from this one right? (he's currently on a one year non-immigrant B extension linked with his work).
Benjamin ******
@Steve ******
he has to cancel his extension of stay where it was issued before another extension of stay can be issued
Steve *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Benjamin *****
and when you cancel it, it ends there and then right?
Benjamin ******
@Steve ******
that’s correct. But he can apply for a 69 day extension of stay based on unable to travel due to COVID-19 at the same time:)
Steve *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Benjamin *****
thank you for all your help. No guarantee, so if he doesn't get it he will have to leave Thailand the same day presumably?
James ********
@Steve ******
if his application is denied they will give him 7 days to leave Thailand.
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