Most tourists
visiting ShaSa Resort on Koh Samui typically carry a 60-day visa. This tourist visa
can easily be extended by 30 days. Basically, there are two ways to
get this extension.
A
visa run is one common practice. This is done by going to a country
bordering Thailand, like Laos or Cambodia. Visa extensions can be
facilitated at several border points and just entail leaving Thailand
and promptly turning right back. The hitch here is that it would
require at the very least a day of traveling to the border areas and
have the visa extension processed there.
Visa runs would be advisable
for those tourists who want to take side trips to the lesser known
travel attractions in Thailand or have quick visits to its bordering
countries.
A less circuitous route would
be to apply for the 30-day visa extension in the main Thai
immigration office in Bangkok which has been relocated in the
northern suburban part of the city on Chaengwattana Road. The other
major cities in Thailand have counterpart immigrations offices where
applications for visa extensions are processed.
Prior
to visiting any of these offices, you’ll need to prepare several
documents. One is your passport with the Thai departure card. Also
required are: a photocopy of your passport’s photograph page, a
photocopy of the passport’s page containing the stamped tourist
visa, and two copies of your passport-sized photos. You’ll have to
pay a fee of 1,900 baht for the visa extension processing.
Be
prepared to wait in line
Application
forms for the visa extensions are available at the immigration
offices reception desk where you’ll be asked for your Thai address
and the purpose of the extended stay. After accomplishing the
application form, submit it to the receptionist who’ll check if
it’s complete and assign you a number if it is.
You
may have to wait for about 15 minutes before you’re number is
called, depending on the number of applications received. Submit your
documents and pay the visa extension fee to the window which called
your assigned number, then wait again for about 15-20 minutes for
your name to be called and your passport returned already with the
30-day extension.
photo credit: woowoowoo via photopin cc
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