How to Extend Your South African Visa by 30 Days in Thailand
- Mar 2
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 29
You’re a South African in Thailand and suddenly realise… you’re not quite ready to leave yet. Same.
My partner, Josh, and I found ourselves in exactly this position and started looking into how we can extend our stay.
At the time of writing this, South Africans receive a 60-day visa on arrival via the official Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC). You can find that here if you need it: https://tdac.immigration.go.th/arrival-card/#/home
I kinda knew what to expect because before we left for Thailand, I confirmed with the Thai Embassy in Pretoria: https://www.thaiembassy.org/pretoria/en/ how we can extend, and they told me:
I believe 2 weeks before the 60 day is over, is safe
Google has the address as:
Immigration Bureau (Head Office)
Building, His Royal Highness Crown Prince
Maha Vajiralongkorn's 60th Birthday Anniversary,
No. 904, Village No. 6, Ban Mai Subdistrict, Pak Kret District, Nonthaburi Province 11120
Tel. 1178 / 02-572-8500
E-mail : saraban_imm@police.go.th
Business hours: Monday - Friday: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM.
So these are the steps I took 2 weeks before our 60 days was going to expire:
How the extension process works
I honestly can’t remember how I first came across this option (internet rabbit holes, probably), but we discovered that VFS Global offers an online service where you can submit your application and book an appointment at their offices, which are located at the Immigration Bureau.
This is the link to start the process: https://thaextnonline.vfsevisa.com/thai/en/on-boarding The process itself is pretty straightforward and fully online to begin with.
Payment options
You’ll be given three choices:
Normal
Urgent
Super urgent
We opted for super urgent, which cost 1,900 baht per person (paid online).
Documents you’ll need
During the application, you’ll be asked to upload:
Photos of your passport cover
Your passport bio page
Your entry stamp page (make sure to get a photo with both pages!)
You’ll also need to provide:
Your accommodation details
A contact person’s name and contact information
Nothing wild, but make sure your scans/photos are clear (this will matter later).
After submitting
You’ll receive email updates about your application status. In my case, I was asked to resubmit a photo (classic). I did this quite quickly after receiving the email, and then later that same day I received confirmation of my appointment.
Along with that email, I also received:
My TM7 Form
My STM2 Form
Receipt
Appointment letter
Two things to be aware of
Give yourself enough time
Here’s the slightly funny (but important) part: I did not get my requested appointment date and Josh did.
Yes, we were sitting in the same room.
Yes, I booked first.
Yes, I laughed (eventually).
Everything worked out fine in the end, but I’m highlighting this so you give yourself enough buffer time in case you don’t get your preferred appointment date.
Don't forget to print!
You’ll also need to print out all the forms you receive via email. There is a print shop in the Immigration Bureau building that opens at 07:30 — just make sure you factor in enough time if you’re planning to print them there.
I made a short tiktok video covering the steps as well as where to print at the immigration bearu, check out the video below:
30 Day Thailand Visa Extension
