Chiang Khong has no "Chiang Khong Immigration" of its own. The office in town belongs to the Chiang Saen Immigration Checkpoint (ด่านตรวจคนเข้าเมืองเชียงแสน), which covers Chiang Khong and Chiang Saen districts and staffs the Friendship Bridge 4 crossing to Huay Xai in Laos. If you live in Chiang Khong district, this is your office for extensions, 90-day reports and re-entry permits. Chiang Rai Immigration in Mae Sai or Chiang Rai city is not. The office is at 345 Moo 10, Tambon Wiang, Chiang Khong 57140, phone 053-791-692 to 694.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Official name | ด่านตรวจคนเข้าเมืองเชียงแสน (ที่ทำการ อ.เชียงของ), Chiang Saen Immigration Checkpoint, Chiang Khong office |
| Address | 345 Moo 10, Tambon Wiang, Amphoe Chiang Khong, Chiang Rai 57140 |
| Phone | 053-791-692 to 694; fax 053-791-740; Immigration Bureau call centre 1178 |
| [email protected] | |
| chiangsaenimm | |
| Hours | Not published on the checkpoint's website; call first |
| Covers | Chiang Khong and Chiang Saen districts |
| Queue booking | One online calendar for "Chiangsaen Immigration" |
| Border crossing | Friendship Bridge 4, Chiang Khong to Huay Xai (Bokeo, Laos) |
| Extension of a visa-exempt stay | Once, up to 30 days (7 days for some nationalities), 1,900 THB |
| Re-entry permit | 1,000 THB single, 3,800 THB multiple |
Which Areas This Office Covers
Chiang Rai Immigration's own organisation page says it covers 16 of the province's 18 districts, leaving out Chiang Saen and Chiang Khong. Those two districts belong to the Chiang Saen Immigration Checkpoint, which runs two offices:
| Where you live | Where you file |
|---|---|
| Chiang Khong district | Chiang Khong office, 345 Moo 10, Tambon Wiang, Chiang Khong 57140 (053-791-692 to 694) |
| Chiang Saen district, including the Golden Triangle area | Chiang Saen office, 119 Moo 3, Tambon Wiang, Chiang Saen 57150 (053-777-118) |
| Chiang Rai city and nearby districts | Chiang Rai Immigration, Central Chiang Rai branch |
| Mae Sai and the other northern districts | Mae Sai Immigration, Chiang Rai Immigration HQ |
The checkpoint also staffs other permanent crossings on the Mekong. Its own notices name the Bak pier crossing (ท่าเรือบั๊ค) and the Golden Triangle crossing at Sop Ruak. We found no official page saying whether foreign tourists can use either one, so treat Friendship Bridge 4 as the crossing for visitors.
Getting There
The Chiang Khong office is at 345 Moo 10 in Tambon Wiang. Friendship Bridge 4 is a separate site. Laos's Department of Immigration describes the Thai side as the "Chiang Khong boundary port". If you need an extension, go to the office address above, not the bridge, and call ahead to confirm which counter handles it.
Services and What to Bring
Extension of a visa-exempt or tourist stay
- Form TM.7, with one photo (4 x 6 cm) taken within the last six months
- Passport, plus copies of the photo page, your visa (if any) and the latest entry stamp
- 1,900 THB fee
- Your TM30 receipt, if you have one
Granted once, for up to 30 days. The Immigration Bureau caps it at 7 days for nationals of Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Nepal, Togo, Nigeria and Uganda. See the visa exemption extension guide. The checkpoint's website also links the Bureau's e-Extension portal at thaiextension.vfsevisa.com. Check there whether your type of extension is covered.
Retirement and marriage extensions
National criteria, fee 1,900 THB. Retirement: age 50 or over, and either 65,000 THB a month in income, or 800,000 THB in a Thai bank held for two months before applying and three months after approval (then not below 400,000 THB), or a combination totalling 800,000 THB. Marriage (foreign husband of a Thai wife): average income of 40,000 THB a month, or 400,000 THB in a Thai bank for the previous two months. Both spouses attend. See the retirement extension guide.
90-day report (TM.47)
Free. Report from 15 days before to 7 days after the due date; late reports are made in person with a 2,000 THB fine. The Bureau accepts reports in person, through someone you authorise, by registered post or online at tm47.immigration.go.th, which the checkpoint links. After a passport change, the report has to go to the office. See the 90-day reporting guide.
Re-entry permit (TM.8) and TM30
A re-entry permit costs 1,000 THB single or 3,800 THB multiple. Crossing the bridge without one cancels your extension. See the re-entry permit guide. Landlords and hotels file TM30; the checkpoint links the online system. See the TM30 guide.
Do You Need a Visa?
Since 15 September 2026, nationals of 60 countries and territories, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, most of Europe and India, get a 30-day visa exemption for tourism. Seychelles and Mauritius get 15 days, and Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia are the only nationalities still on Visa on Arrival. The officer can ask for 20,000 THB per person (40,000 THB per family) and an onward ticket. File the TDAC at tdac.immigration.go.th within 3 days before arrival. Details: visa exemption and our 30-day exemption explainer.
Two bilateral stays matter at this crossing. Lao citizens get 30 days visa-free under Thailand's agreement with Laos. Chinese citizens, who also cross here in numbers, get 30 days, up to 90 days in any 180.
For longer stays you need a visa, usually applied for at thaievisa.go.th. Start with the Non-Immigrant O or the visa finder. The DTV can now only be applied for where you are a national or permanent resident, so a trip to Laos no longer gets you one.
Crossing at Friendship Bridge 4 (Chiang Khong–Huay Xai)
Hours. The Chiang Saen checkpoint does not publish crossing hours that we could find, and the Immigration Bureau's office-hours list does not include Chiang Khong. On the Lao side, Laos's Department of Immigration lists Friendship Bridge 4 as an international checkpoint with operating hours of 06:00-22:00. Its entry was last updated in July 2025. Call 053-791-692 to confirm the Thai side is open when you plan to cross.
Foreigners do use it. The checkpoint's April 2026 statistics for its Chiang Khong point record 1,381 passport arrivals and 3,380 departures by nationals other than Thai, Lao or Chinese. That is a clear contrast with Mae Sai, where the August 2026 figures show no foreign passport holders at all besides Myanmar and Thai nationals.
Entering Laos. Laos's Department of Immigration marks Friendship Bridge 4 as a checkpoint that issues visas and accepts Lao e-Visas. Fees, eligible nationalities and photo rules are Laos's to set. Check them with Laos before you travel.
Coming back. Since 15 September 2026, visa-exempt entries by land are capped at twice per calendar year (Malaysian, Bruneian, Indonesian and Singaporean nationals excepted). A Huay Xai round trip uses one. In November 2025 the Immigration Bureau also told checkpoints to refuse entry to people making more than two exempt in-out trips without a reason they can explain, and told provincial offices to refuse extensions to people with that pattern.
If you need a Thai visa from Laos rather than a new stamp, see our Laos visa run guide and the Royal Thai Embassy in Vientiane.
Practical Notes
- Book online. The checkpoint's website and the Immigration Bureau's Division 5 page link one booking calendar, "Chiangsaen Immigration". It doesn't say which office the slot is for, so call the Chiang Khong office on 053-791-692 to 694 to check.
- Hours aren't published. Plan on a weekday morning and phone first.
- Announcements such as holiday closures go on the checkpoint's Facebook page, chiangsaenimm.
- Overstayed? Read overstay penalties before you go.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there an immigration office in Chiang Khong?
Yes. The Chiang Saen Immigration Checkpoint has an office at 345 Moo 10, Tambon Wiang, Chiang Khong 57140, phone 053-791-692 to 694. It serves people living in Chiang Khong district.
Can I extend my visa in Chiang Khong?
Yes, if you live in Chiang Khong district. A visa-exempt extension is once, up to 30 days, for 1,900 THB with form TM.7. Nationals on the Bureau's 7-day list, including India, should confirm the length.
I live in Chiang Khong. Can I go to Chiang Rai immigration instead?
Chiang Rai Immigration says its area excludes Chiang Khong and Chiang Saen districts, so file with the Chiang Saen checkpoint.
What time does the Chiang Khong–Huay Xai border open?
Laos's Department of Immigration lists Friendship Bridge 4 as open 06:00-22:00. The Thai checkpoint does not publish its hours, so call 053-791-692 before you go.
Can I do a visa run at Chiang Khong?
Foreign passport holders do cross here, according to the checkpoint's own figures. Each visa-exempt re-entry by land counts toward the limit of two per calendar year, and repeated runs can lead to refused entry or a refused extension.
Do I need a Lao visa to cross to Huay Xai?
That depends on your nationality and on Laos's rules. Laos lists Friendship Bridge 4 as issuing visas and accepting Lao e-Visas. Check the current requirements with Laos before you travel.
Where do Chiang Saen and Golden Triangle residents file?
At the Chiang Saen office, 119 Moo 3, Tambon Wiang, Chiang Saen 57150, phone 053-777-118.
Sources
All read 27 Sep 2026.
- Chiang Saen Immigration Checkpoint, contact (both offices, phones, fax, email, Facebook): https://chiangsaen.immigration.go.th/contactth/
- Chiang Saen Immigration Checkpoint, homepage (online services, booking calendar, e-Extension link): https://chiangsaen.immigration.go.th/
- Chiang Saen Immigration Checkpoint, organisation information (office addresses): https://chiangsaen.immigration.go.th/information-organization/
- Chiang Saen Immigration Checkpoint, person and vehicle statistics, April 2026: https://chiangsaen.immigration.go.th/%e0%b8%9c%e0%b8%a5%e0%b8%81%e0%b8%b2%e0%b8%a3%e0%b8%9b%e0%b8%8f%e0%b8%b4%e0%b8%9a%e0%b8%b1%e0%b8%95%e0%b8%b4%e0%b8%a3%e0%b8%b2%e0%b8%8a%e0%b8%81%e0%b8%b2%e0%b8%a3%e0%b8%87%e0%b8%b2%e0%b8%99%e0%b8%95-2/
- Immigration Bureau measures against visa runs, 12 Nov 2025 (as posted by Chiang Saen Immigration): https://chiangsaen.immigration.go.th/%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%95%E0%B8%A1-%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%B9%E0%B8%81-%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%A3-1-%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%B1%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%87-4-%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%95%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%B2/
- Chiang Rai Immigration, organisation information (16 of 18 districts; excludes Chiang Saen and Chiang Khong): https://chiangrai.immigration.go.th/en/organization-information/
- Chiang Rai Immigration, border checkpoint passport statistics, August 2026: https://chiangrai.immigration.go.th/%e0%b8%87%e0%b8%b2%e0%b8%99%e0%b8%95%e0%b8%a3%e0%b8%a7%e0%b8%88%e0%b8%9a%e0%b8%b8%e0%b8%84%e0%b8%84%e0%b8%a5%e0%b9%81%e0%b8%a5%e0%b8%b0%e0%b8%9e%e0%b8%b2%e0%b8%ab%e0%b8%99%e0%b8%b0-%e0%b8%88-30/
- Department of Immigration of Lao PDR, Friendship Bridge 4 (hours, visa and e-Visa flags): https://immigration.gov.la/en/checkpoints/detail/friendship-bridge-4
- Immigration Bureau, online appointment (Division 5): https://www.immigration.go.th/?page_id=19958
- Immigration Bureau, office hours of each immigration unit (2020 list; no Chiang Khong entry): https://www.immigration.go.th/?avada_faq=office-hours-of-each-immigration-division-immigration-check-points-and-immigrationcheck-point-of-border-malaysia-myanmar-laos-and-cambodia
- Immigration Bureau, extension criteria (tourism, retirement, marriage): https://www.immigration.go.th/?p=14695
- Immigration Bureau, fees: https://www.immigration.go.th/?page_id=1401
- Immigration Bureau, 90-day notification: https://www.immigration.go.th/?page_id=1648
- TAT Newsroom, new 30-day and 15-day exemption rules from 15 September 2026: https://www.tatnews.org/2026/09/thailand-introduces-new-30-day-and-15-day-visa-exemption-rules-from-15-september/
