And lastly: At immigration office be prepared that they might tell you they stopped issuing those and that you should go to your embassy. The next day, they do issue those, but it will take weeks and can only be send to your reported address. Then you let them know you’d be happy to expedite things with a donation. And about 500 Baht and 24 hours later you can pick it up. Quite irritating if it is your first time.

@Scot ******

Sure. Same, same but sometimes different. Nothing ever works consistently. For driver license or car / motorcycle registration you need one for sure, though.

You need it for things like applying for a drivers license or opening a bank account. And don’t think they would accept a copy for this. No of course not. And I quote: “One original for one job, sir”. So if you want both, driver license and bank account - better order two of those. 🇹🇭

@Scot ******

Just a letter written by the immigration office in Thai, stating what your name is, what visa you are on and at what address you did your last report. So certificate of residence sounds a bit misleading. And it should not me needed, cause everybody could easily take these information from your passport with the TM.30 and visa / extension stamp in it. But the certificate of residence is another over-bureaucratic way of making money.

Unlikely they will ask you for this. I never had to - doing extensions many times. But with immigration offices, you never know - they do things differently across offices and even officers at times. Better be prepared than sorry, tough. There are creative ways to satisfy onward travel documentation. If you want to safe a dime and don't mind the worst case of having to come back (or book an onward travel on site / online), you could well try without one, first.

@Lyndon ***********

Could be. But unlikely. The extra 15 days were to compensate for quarantine / sandbox requirement. And this kind of quarantine will not stop any time soon. And as for the covid extensions: They are mostly an alternative to currently impossible border runs. Do they will most likely be around until borders runs (leaving and re-entering Thailand without any quarantine) will be possible again. So also a long time ahead, still. But you are right: This isn’t 100% certain. Then again, nothing is in Thailand.

@Lyndon ***********

The current cut-off date only. Likely to be extended beyond that. Same as the COVID extensions have been extended again and again - and likely will be a good while longer.

As for the certificate of residence: It is supposed to be free of charge. BUT if you really want it for free, they say it is going to take a few weeks. If you pay 500THB, you can come in and collect it the next day. Welcome to Thailand.

Meanwhile the RTE in Germany is still at paper form and in-person appointments only 🥸

Chiang Mai is a yes for the annoying “under consideration”, unfortunately. Usual documents (passport copies, image, TM30 and forms they give you). No embassy letter. At least it was like that.