Mae Sai is where Chiang Rai Immigration (ตรวจคนเข้าเมืองจังหวัดเชียงราย) has its headquarters, at 117 Moo 10 on Phahonyothin Road, Tambon Wiang Phang Kham. The same office runs the Mae Sai checkpoints on the Myanmar border, opposite Tachileik. If you live in Mae Sai or the other northern districts of the province, this is a sensible place for your extensions, re-entry permits and 90-day reports. If you live in or around Chiang Rai city, use the office's branch in Central Chiang Rai instead (see Chiang Rai Immigration). And if you came here for a Tachileik visa run, read the border section first: the office's own figures show almost no foreign tourists crossing in 2026.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Official name | ตรวจคนเข้าเมืองจังหวัดเชียงราย (Chiang Rai Immigration), headquarters in Mae Sai |
| Address | 117 Moo 10, Phahonyothin Road, Tambon Wiang Phang Kham, Amphoe Mae Sai, Chiang Rai 57130 |
| Phone | 053-731-008; foreigner services: extension 14; Immigration Bureau call centre 1178 |
| [email protected] | |
| Hours | Not published on the office website; call before you travel (see Practical Notes) |
| Covers | 16 of Chiang Rai's 18 districts; not Chiang Saen or Chiang Khong |
| Queue booking | Separate online calendar for the Mae Sai office |
| Border crossing | Mae Sai Bridge 1 to Tachileik, published as 06:30-18:30 daily, passport or border pass |
| 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 organisation page says it is responsible for 16 of Chiang Rai's 18 districts, and excludes Chiang Saen and Chiang Khong. It has two service offices: this headquarters in Mae Sai and the branch in Central Chiang Rai.
| Where you live | Where you file |
|---|---|
| Mae Sai and the other northern districts (apart from the two below) | Mae Sai headquarters, or the Central Chiang Rai branch |
| Mueang Chiang Rai and nearby districts | Central Chiang Rai branch, 99/9 Phahonyothin Road (097-280-7338) |
| Chiang Saen district | Chiang Saen Immigration Checkpoint, 119 Moo 3, Tambon Wiang, Chiang Saen (053-777-118) |
| Chiang Khong district | Chiang Saen Immigration Checkpoint's Chiang Khong office; see Chiang Khong Immigration |
Getting There
The headquarters is on Phahonyothin Road (Highway 1), the main road into Mae Sai from Chiang Rai, about 60 km north of Chiang Rai city. The Bridge 1 border checkpoint is in Mae Sai town itself. The website doesn't say whether the foreigner-services counter shares a building with the bridge checkpoint, so call ahead. Bus options from Chiang Rai are in our Myanmar visa run guide.
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
The extension is granted once, for up to 30 days. The Bureau's criteria cap it at 7 days for nationals of Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Nepal, Togo, Nigeria and Uganda. See the visa exemption extension guide.
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, with both spouses attending. See the retirement extension guide.
90-day report (TM.47)
Free. The window runs from 15 days before to 7 days after the due date; after that you report in person and pay 2,000 THB. The Immigration Bureau accepts reports in person, through someone you authorise, by registered post or online. The online system won't take a report after you change passports: that one goes to the office for your area, and you can file online again from the next due date. More in 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. Leaving without one cancels your extension, and that includes a day trip across the bridge. See the re-entry permit guide. Your landlord or hotel files the TM30; 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. 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, and you file the TDAC at tdac.immigration.go.th within 3 days before arrival. Details: visa exemption and our 30-day exemption explainer.
Myanmar citizens are treated differently. Their bilateral exemption is 14 days and applies only at airports, so it does not cover an entry at Mae Sai. Myanmar nationals crossing here use a border pass or a passport with the right visa or permission.
For longer stays you need a visa, usually applied for at thaievisa.go.th from outside Thailand. Start with the Non-Immigrant O, the DTV or the visa finder.
The Mae Sai–Tachileik Border
Chiang Rai Immigration publishes two permanent crossings in Mae Sai:
| Crossing | Published hours | Who can use it |
|---|---|---|
| Mae Sai Bridge 1 (Sai River), Mae Sai town | 06:30-18:30 daily | Passport or border pass |
| Mae Sai Bridge 2, Ban San Pak Hi | 06:30-18:30 daily | Trucks and cargo vehicles |
It also lists five border trade points (Doi Wao, Tha Din Dam, Ban Pang Ha, Huay Luek and Jam Pong). These are local crossings for border passes, not visa-run routes.
Check before you go. We could not confirm that foreign passport holders can currently use Bridge 1 for a visa run. The office's own monthly statistics are the clearest evidence we found. In August 2026 its border checkpoint recorded 7,069 passport arrivals: 7,058 Myanmar nationals and 11 Thais, and nobody else. In July 2026 the only other passport holders recorded were four Vietnamese and one Singaporean. The same August figures show more than 330,000 border-pass arrivals at Bridge 1, all Thai or Myanmar. So the bridge is busy, but in practice not with foreign tourists. Call 053-731-008 before you travel, and have a backup such as the Chiang Khong–Huay Xai crossing or a flight out of Chiang Rai.
Border passes (บัตรผ่านแดน) are used by Thai and Myanmar nationals. They are not an option for anyone else.
Land-border cap. Since 15 September 2026, visa-exempt entries by land are capped at twice per calendar year (nationals of Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Singapore excepted). A Mae Sai run, if you can make one, uses one of those two.
Practical Notes
- Hours are not on the website. The Immigration Bureau's office-hours list, dated 2020, gives Chiang Rai Immigration as Monday-Friday 08:30-16:30. The same old list gives both Mae Sai bridges as 06:30-21:30, which the office's current page contradicts. Trust the office's page, and call 053-731-008 (ext. 14) before you drive up.
- Book a slot. The Immigration Bureau's Division 5 appointment page has a separate calendar for "Chiangrai Immigration Office (Mae Sai District)".
- Repeat visa runs get scrutiny. In November 2025 the Immigration Bureau told border checkpoints to refuse entry to people making more than two exempt in-out runs without a reason they can explain. It also told provincial offices to refuse extensions to people with that pattern.
- Overstayed? Read overstay penalties before you go.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the immigration office in Mae Sai?
At 117 Moo 10, Phahonyothin Road, Tambon Wiang Phang Kham, Mae Sai, Chiang Rai 57130. This is Chiang Rai Immigration's headquarters. Phone 053-731-008, extension 14 for foreigner services.
Can I extend my visa in Mae Sai?
Yes. The Mae Sai headquarters handles extensions for the districts Chiang Rai Immigration covers. A visa-exempt extension is once, up to 30 days, for 1,900 THB. Book a slot on the Mae Sai calendar or call first.
I live in Chiang Rai city. Should I go to Mae Sai?
Usually not. The branch in Central Chiang Rai, 99/9 Phahonyothin Road, handles extensions, re-entry permits, TM30 and 90-day reports. See Chiang Rai Immigration.
Is the Mae Sai border open for foreigners?
We could not confirm it. Bridge 1 is published as open 06:30-18:30 daily for passport and border-pass holders, but the office recorded no passport holders other than Myanmar and Thai nationals in August 2026. Call 053-731-008 before you go.
Can Myanmar citizens use the 14-day visa exemption at Mae Sai?
No. The 14-day bilateral exemption for Myanmar passport holders applies only when arriving at an airport. At Mae Sai, Myanmar nationals cross on a border pass or a passport with the right visa or permission.
Do Chiang Khong residents report to Mae Sai?
No. Chiang Khong and Chiang Saen districts belong to the Chiang Saen Immigration Checkpoint. See Chiang Khong Immigration.
Sources
All read 27 Sep 2026.
- Chiang Rai Immigration, contact information (HQ address, 053-731-008 ext. 14, email): https://chiangrai.immigration.go.th/68o4/
- Chiang Rai Immigration, organisation information (address with postcode, 16 of 18 districts): https://chiangrai.immigration.go.th/en/organization-information/
- Chiang Rai Immigration, area of responsibility and border crossings (Bridge 1 and 2 hours, border trade points): https://chiangrai.immigration.go.th/68o2/
- Chiang Rai Immigration, border checkpoint passport statistics, July 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%88-26/
- 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/
- Chiang Rai Immigration, border pass 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%88-29/
- Immigration Bureau, online appointment (Division 5; Mae Sai calendar): https://www.immigration.go.th/?page_id=19958
- Immigration Bureau, office hours of each immigration unit (2020 list): 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 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 Saen Immigration Checkpoint, contact (Chiang Saen and Chiang Khong offices): https://chiangsaen.immigration.go.th/contactth/
- 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/
