Questions?
We reply within 24 hours, free of charge.
A visa-exempt stay in Thailand can be extended once, by 30 days, and the decision rests with an immigration officer; the usual fee is THB 1,900. Since 15 September 2026 this 30-day exemption applies to tourists from 60 countries, including the UK, the US, Canada, Australia and the EU states, for tourism only. The Immigration Bureau's website also lists separate online services — among them a system called e-Extension and online appointment booking — but there's no official guidance yet on whether e-Extension actually processes a visa-exemption extension for Phuket, or whether a visit to the office is still required afterwards. The safe route stays the one it has always been: extend in person at Phuket immigration. If you want to try the online option, do it with time to spare before your 30 days run out, so you can still go in person if it doesn't work.
In short
- A visa-exempt stay can be extended once, by 30 days; an immigration officer decides.
- The usual extension fee is THB 1,900.
- The Immigration Bureau runs an e-Extension system, but its coverage of the visa exemption in Phuket isn't officially confirmed.
- Apply with time to spare, not on the last day, so you can still go to the office in person if the online route falls through.
- Overstay runs at THB 500 a day, capped at THB 20,000; ask Immigration about the exact amount and any re-entry ban in your case.
Online extension: what it is and where it works
The Immigration Bureau's homepage promotes several online services: a system called e-Extension, online appointment booking, the 90-day address report (TM.47) for long-stay holders, the TM30 accommodation notification, and the TDAC arrival card. That's a real signal — the Bureau is moving parts of its paperwork online — but it doesn't tell us which service does what for a tourist on the 30-day visa exemption.
Two things are worth separating. TM.47 is the 90-day address report for people staying continuously in Thailand on temporary permission, including DTV holders; on its own it doesn't extend anyone's permission to stay, and it isn't the same thing as extending a visa exemption. The 30-day extension of a visa-exempt stay is a different procedure, and we found no official statement that e-Extension processes that specific request, that it covers the Phuket immigration office, or that it removes the need for a visit. That doesn't mean online extension of the exemption doesn't work — it means you can't yet rely on it as a guaranteed shortcut.
If you do want to try e-Extension, do it several days before your 30 days are up, not on the last one. That way, if the system doesn't accept your request or asks for documents you don't have ready, there's still time to go to the office in person.
For UK, US, Canadian, Australian and EU travellers
Some nationalities enter Thailand under their own bilateral arrangement, with their own rules on length of stay. UK, US, Canadian, Australian and EU passport holders are not in that position: since 15 September 2026 you fall under the general 60-country list, which gives 30 days for tourism and one 30-day extension, same as described above. We have no confirmed information about a nationality-specific online or faster route for these nationalities — the same open questions about e-Extension apply to you as to anyone else on the exemption; check the available options with Phuket Immigration.
In-person extension at Phuket immigration
To extend in person, you go to the immigration office, submit your application and documents, and pay the fee. An immigration officer decides the request; ask at the counter how and when you'll get the result. We cover the office address, opening hours and how appointments work on Phuket in a separate guide to visa extensions in Phuket, where you can also arrange support for the visit.
If you're renting accommodation on Phuket, there's a separate duty worth knowing about — the TM30 accommodation notification. Ask your accommodation provider whether the TM30 notification has been filed, and confirm the filing responsibility and deadline with Immigration. We found no official statement on how strictly Phuket immigration ties a missing TM30 to processing an extension request, so it's sensible to raise this before your visit. We cover who files it and when in our guide to the TM30 notification.
Which is faster: step by step
We have not confirmed the processing time for either channel for a visa-exemption extension in Phuket; ask the office before applying. We also found no confirmed figure for how long an e-Extension request takes. What we can compare is the steps themselves.
| Step | Online (e-Extension) | In person |
|---|---|---|
| Filing the request | Through e-Extension; coverage of the visa exemption in Phuket is not confirmed | In person at the counter; ask the office about its intake process |
| Booking a slot | The Bureau offers online booking; whether it applies to your office and request isn't confirmed | Same booking tool; same caveat |
| Paying the fee | Not confirmed | At the office, usual fee THB 1,900 |
| Office visit | Unclear whether one is still needed | Required |
| Outcome | Not confirmed | Decided by the officer; ask about the timing when you apply |
| Risk if refused | Not confirmed, and you may run short of time to go in person | You can ask on the spot what's missing |
We recommend applying several days before your 30 days expire rather than on the last day. That leaves time to go to the office in person if the online channel doesn't work, or asks for something you don't have on hand.
Documents for a visa-exemption extension
We didn't find a single official list of documents for extending a visa-exempt stay in Phuket. Before your visit, ask the office directly what it wants for your situation and in what format.
If the online request is rejected
There's no confirmed description of what happens after an e-Extension request is refused for a visa exemption, so we can't tell you what comes next on that channel specifically. One point matters regardless of the channel you use: do not assume that submitting a request extends your permission to stay. Before your current permission expires, ask Immigration to confirm your status and what document proves it, and whether you still need to appear in person.
If your time runs out without an extension, you move into overstay. In practice the fine runs at THB 500 for each day, capped at THB 20,000; confirm the exact figure and payment process with the Immigration Bureau. Separately, section 81 of the Immigration Act carries criminal exposure of up to 2 years or a fine of up to THB 20,000. Overstay can also bring a re-entry ban, and the length depends on how long you overstayed and whether you surrendered voluntarily or were arrested — ask Immigration about the rules that would apply to you.
Some long-stay visitors consider a border run instead — crossing into a neighbouring country and coming straight back. Visa-exempt land-border entries are capped at two per calendar year, though official summaries don't all agree on whether that cap applies only at land crossings. Leaving and returning involves a new entry decision, not an extension of the stay you already have: Immigration may refuse re-entry, including where repeated tourist entries suggest misuse, so this solves a different problem than the one this article is about.
If your deadline is close and you're not sure you'll make it in time, message us — we reply within 24 hours and can advise on your situation.
What to do next
A visa-exempt stay can be extended once, by 30 days. If you entered on a 30-day exemption and the extension is approved, the total comes to 60 days; for anything longer, you'll need a different legal basis to stay, chosen ahead of time — a long-term visa for remote work or study, for example. We cover what changed with the exemption from 15 September 2026, and what to watch for in your first 30 days, in the 30-day exemption: what to do in Phuket. We also walk through how to prepare for the visit using a typical situation in extending the exemption in one visit.
Our team can tell you which visa fits if you need to stay in Thailand longer than the exemption allows, and help prepare documents for an extension or a switch to another visa. We agree the cost with you before we start the work.
