Is it possible to extend a visa after arriving on the 'Test & Go' program in Thailand, and what are the steps?

@Nguyễn *******

visa exempt entries go to Muang Thong Thani office for extensions.

@Sharon *******

you won't get an extension for tourism purposes from there, that's for BOI companies.

@Darren ******

ok thanks

@Nguyễn *******

there is a couple of more... Where are you from

@Nguyễn *******

if in Bangkok you either go to Muang Thong Thani or Chaeng Wattana dependent upon what visa or exemption you arrived on. Once you know which it is then search the group to see which office you go to. And no, you didn't arrive on a Thai Pass.

@Nguyễn *******

if you have a full page sticker in your passport you arrived on a tourist visa, if not and just a stamp then you arrived on a visa exemption

@Nguyễn *******

the Thailand Pass just means you satisfied the covid-related requirements for entering. The visa is what says why you’re coming (tourism, education, marriage, etc.), and how long you can stay — like a tourist visa for 60 days, for example. But Thailand also has specific exemptions for citizens from various countries that basically let you come in for thirty days without any visa at all.

In your case, it sounds like you did the paperwork for the Thailand Pass, but didn’t also apply for a specific visa, so you got in with a 30-day exemption. If so, you can probably get a 30-day extension at the immigration office. Assuming your exemption and extension follow the same rules that folks from the US get, Michelle’s comment above gives the basic info, and the information desk at immigration will have most of the paperwork you need. For passport photos, there are lots of places around town with signs on the window advertising passport photos, so just pick one with decent reviews on Google maps. You’re also going to need a printout of form TM 30 — wherever you’re staying needs to submit your info online and give you a printout to bring to immigration (If you’re staying at a hotel, they’ll know what to do. A private Airbnb might need to do some registration stuff in the system first.) And you’ll need copies of your passport page that has your photo on it, the passport page with the stamp for your current visa/exemption (i.e., the age with the stamp that says you can stay until the 26th), and a copy of your TM 6 — that’s the little “departure card” they would have given you when you first entered Thailand. They may have stapled it into your passport for you.

The extension costs 1900 baht, cash only.

I hope that helps! Visa extensions/exemptions/renewals/whatevers were super-confusing and stressful for me at first, but the officers are really helpful and patient.

@Nguyễn *******

oh man, that sucks. It sounds like the exemption rules must be different for Vietnam than they are for the US, unless the officer thought you were applying for something different?

Can you get what you need from Vietnam’s embassy?

@Nguyễn *******

I was wondering if that was happening. The "covid extension" ordinarily comes after the 30-day extension that I was thinking you'd have gotten after your exemption. It sounds like either the exemption for travelers from Vietnam is different from what Americans get, or they were giving you the wrong extension (which, to be fair, would give you 60 days instead of just 30 for the same price, so it's super-generous if you can pull it off).

The letter from the consulate/embassy seems to be something some officers insist on and most officers don't. Like, fear of travel due to covid, not actual border issues, has been enough. But it sounds like either they're tightening things up, or you wound up with an unusually strict officer. I'm glad it all worked out in the end!