Foreign nationals require a valid visa to stay in Thailand. If you are already in Thailand on a specific visa, you will need to maintain that visa while your Thailand Privilege Visa application is being processed.

If your current visa is about to expire, you still have options. Depending on your situation, you may either extend your current visa, leave the country to apply abroad, or adjust your application plan.

What can applicants do if their visa is about to expire?

If your visa is nearing expiry, here are the alternatives to consider:

1. Submit your Thailand Privilege Visa application while in Thailand. Once your visa expires, you can leave the country and return on a 60-day tourist visa.
2. Apply for the Thailand Privilege Visa inside Thailand, then leave the country once your visa expires and return upon receiving your Welcome Letter and visa affixation appointment booking.
3. Submit your application while in Thailand, and if approval is granted before your current visa expires, you may remain in the country and let your visa’s validity period run out. You will then be able to obtain the Thailand Privilege Visa at an Immigration Bureau in Thailand.
4. Apply while overseas and then fly into Thailand to have your visa affixed upon arrival at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport, Chiang Mai Airport, or Phuket Airport.

What if you are on visa-exemption status?

If your 30-day stay under visa exemption is about to expire, you have two options:

1. Apply for another visa (a tourist visa is often the easiest to obtain) to extend your stay in Thailand while your application is processed.
2. Leave Thailand and apply for the Thailand Privilege Visa while abroad.

For further assistance, you can contact our GSSA agent, where consultants can guide you through your visa options, help with applications, or arrange renewals to ensure your stay in Thailand remains uninterrupted.