​​ATTENTION MEMBERS

IMMIGRATION OFFICE CLOSURES May 2024

Immigration offices nationwide will be closed on:

**Monday 6 May: Substitute for Royal Coronation Day

Friday 10 May: Royal Ploughing Ceremony Day

Wednesday 22 May: Visakha Bucha**

Plan accordingly.

* Land borders are open like normal during holidays.

If you have a stamp that is expiring during holidays when the immigration offices are closed and you show up at the immigration office on the very next working day you will not be fined for overstay and can get your extension like normal. But you will get an overstay stamp in your passport that says; "overstay xxx days, fine waived due to holiday/closure".

Early warning for immigration office closures for May 2024.

Apart from weekends the offices will be closed on:

𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟔𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐚𝐲 (Substitute for Coronation day)

𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟎𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐚𝐲 (Royal Ploughing Ceremony)

𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟐𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐲 (Visakha Bucha Day)

Airports and land/sea borders are not affected by public holidays.

Quite a few people got caught out today as yesterday immigration offices were closed (not sure if all) for the Royal Ploughing Ceremony.

They were given overstay stamps as their entry stamp expired yesterday.

When giving extensions for tourist or exempt entries all offices will allow you to go at least 7 days prior to your stamp expiration. Most will allow 30 days and some even 45 days prior.

They add on the days so there is no downside to going early.

Don’t leave it until the last day if you can help it. You could be caught out not realising it’s a holiday (or even the weekend).

*Caveat. If you are changing the reason for an extension like marriage to retirement or tourist to retirement they’ll date it from the day you apply so you will loose the remaining days.

Here are the holidays for May where immigration offices around the country will be closed.

Thursday 4th May - Coronation day.

Friday 5th May - special “bridge” holiday.

Wednesday 17th May - Royal Ploughing Ceremony

(Awaiting confirmation if the 17th is a regional holiday or nationwide. Will amend as I get confirmation).

If you can possibly help it avoid going to your immigration office on the days surrounding closures. They tend to be way busier.

Note. May 1st is Labour Day but immigration offices are open.

Also note that immigration booths at all air or land borders are open as usual.

ATTENTION MEMBERS

IMMIGRATION OFFICE CLOSURES May 2023

Immigration offices nationwide will be closed on:

**Thursday 4 May: Royal Coronation Day

Friday 5 May: Special Holiday

Wednesday 17 May: Royal Ploughing Ceremony Day**

* Monday 1 May is NOT Government Offices holiday. Immigration offices are open.

Plan accordingly.

* Land borders are open like normal during holidays.

If you have a stamp that is expiring during holidays when the immigration offices are closed and you show up at the immigration office on the very next working day you will NOT be fined for overstay and can get your extension like normal. But you will get an overstay stamp in your passport that says; "overstay xxx days, fine waived due to holiday/closure".

THAI CONSULATE & IMMIGRATION OFFICE CLOSURE

May 14 Royal Ploughing Ceremony Day

ALL Thai immigration offices will be closed country wide (borders are open)

Also the following nearby consulates will be closed;

Vientiane & Savannakhet Lao

Yangon Myanmar

Phnom Penh Cambodia