Koh Tao has its own immigration office between Mae Haad and Chalok Baan Kao — but it's a small, limited one. It handles the everyday errands, 90-day reporting and a single 30-day TM7 tourist-visa extension, without a ferry crossing. For anything more — an annual extension of stay, a Certificate of Residence, or a real visa run — the standard route is still a ferry to Koh Samui Immigration in Maenam. Here's the expat guide to what the local office does, where it is, and when you'll need to make the crossing.
For anyone living on Koh Tao under a long-stay visa — retirement, marriage, the DTV, the LTR, work or a dive-instructor Non-B — immigration becomes a recurring, manageable part of island life rather than a one-off tourist formality. Unlike some of the smaller Gulf islands, Koh Tao has its own Thai Immigration office, on the road between Mae Haad and Chalok Baan Kao near the police station, and it handles the two most common errands on-island: the 90-day address report every long-stay resident owes, and a single 30-day TM7 extension of a visa-exempt or tourist-visa stay. What it can't do is a full annual extension of stay for a non-tourist visa type, a Certificate of Residence, or an actual visa run — those still mean a ferry to Koh Samui Immigration in Maenam, the main office for the Surat Thani Gulf-island group of Samui, Phangan and Tao. This guide covers what the local office handles, where to find it, how each errand works, why the TM30 matters, and when — and how — to make the Koh Samui trip.
If you live on Koh Tao under a long-stay extension — retirement, marriage, DTV, LTR, education, work or a dive-instructor Non-B — you must report your current address to immigration every 90 days. The Koh Tao immigration office, on the road between Mae Haad and Chalok Baan Kao near the police station, handles this routine report without a ferry crossing. You can also file by registered post 7-15 days before the due date, online through the immigration website or app, or through an agent. Missing it carries a fine, so diarise the due date printed on your receipt slip — and remember that leaving and re-entering Thailand resets the 90-day clock.
The Koh Tao office's single extension service is the TM7: a one-time 30-day extension of a visa-exempt or 60-day tourist-visa stay, for a flat 1,900 baht. Combined with the 60-day exemption most Western passport holders now receive on arrival, that stretches to roughly 90 days on the island without a ferry crossing. What it will not do is a full annual extension of stay for a non-tourist visa type — retirement, marriage, education, work or business — those go through Koh Samui Immigration instead. It also cannot process an actual visa run or border run, since that means leaving Thailand and returning, and the island has no airport or border of its own.
Thai law requires the 'house master' — your landlord, dive-resort or villa owner, or guesthouse — to notify immigration that a foreigner is staying at their address, normally within 24 hours of moving in or returning from abroad. On Koh Tao this is typically lodged through the same local office as your 90-day report. The resulting receipt is one of the most important documents you hold on the island: it is usually required before a report, an extension application or a Certificate of Residence goes through, so confirm your landlord or dive-shop accommodation has filed it and keep your own copy.
A one-year extension of stay — retirement, marriage, DTV or LTR — is cancelled the moment you leave Thailand unless you first buy a re-entry permit, single-use or multiple-entry. You can arrange one at the Koh Tao immigration office in advance, or at the airport you eventually depart from, but sorting it locally before the ferry to Chumphon or Koh Samui is far less stressful than a last-minute scramble. A visa run resets a visa-exempt stay; a re-entry permit protects a visa you already hold — they are not the same thing.
Koh Tao's immigration office sits on the road between Mae Haad — the island's main pier and commercial centre — and Chalok Baan Kao to the south, near the police station. It is a small office by mainland standards, so it covers routine 90-day reports and the TM7 extension well but has none of the fuller service range of a provincial capital's office. Because the exact opening hours and current service list change over time, confirm before you set off, especially if your errand is anything beyond a standard report or extension.
The office is busiest first thing in the morning and around visa-run and high season, and it is noticeably smaller than the office on Koh Samui. Arrive early, dress neatly — a government office can turn away shorts or beachwear — and bring a book. A 90-day report is usually quick, but a TM7 extension can take longer, and anything the office refers on to Koh Samui adds a ferry crossing you'll want to plan for rather than discover on the day.
For a 90-day report, bring your passport, TM30 receipt and a completed TM47 form. For the TM7 extension, bring your passport, arrival card, the 1,900 baht fee and a passport photo. Photocopy shops are scarcer near a small island office than in a city, so copy your passport photo page, visa or extension stamp, and signed departure card before you go — losing your place in the queue to hunt for a photocopier is an easy mistake to avoid.
A routine 90-day report or TM7 extension rarely needs an agent — it's straightforward and free beyond the government fee. Where an agent earns their fee is the errands the Koh Tao office can't handle: annual extensions, Certificates of Residence or TM30 complications that mean a ferry to Koh Samui Immigration. Dive shops on the island often know a reliable Samui- or Surat Thani-based agent, and using one can save a wasted crossing if your paperwork isn't complete.
For anything beyond a tourist-visa extension — a full annual extension for retirement, marriage, work or a dive-instructor Non-B, a Certificate of Residence, or a TM30 complication — most Koh Tao residents make the same Mae Haad-to-Koh Samui ferry crossing that visa-run travellers use, then continue to Koh Samui Immigration in Maenam, the main office for the Surat Thani Gulf-island group of Samui, Phangan and Tao. Confirm current requirements with the Samui office directly, since annual extensions in particular can require financial evidence, TM30 receipts, photos and a second visit.
A Certificate of Residence — the letter proving your Koh Tao address, needed for a Thai driving licence, a vehicle purchase or some bank accounts — is generally issued through Koh Samui Immigration rather than the local office. On the banking side, Kasikornbank and SCB in Mae Haad are the most foreigner-friendly first stops for opening an account, but a tricky account opening or the Certificate itself usually still means the ferry to Samui.
Overstay is fined 500 baht per day up to a 20,000 baht cap, and a longer overstay can trigger a re-entry ban. Watch the permitted-to-stay stamp in your passport rather than your visa's validity date, and start any TM7 extension or Koh Samui-bound application well before it expires — a small island office and a possible ferry crossing both add time. If you plan to travel, buy your re-entry permit first.
Confirm your TM30 is filed before you go, bring every document plus copies, arrive early, and dress for a government office. If your errand needs Koh Samui, build the ferry crossing and onward transport to Maenam into your timing and treat it as a half-day trip at minimum. Diarise your 90-day due date and your permitted-to-stay date so nothing sneaks up on you, and when in doubt, confirm the office's current services by phone before you make the trip across the island.
Yes. Koh Tao has its own Thai Immigration office, located on the road between Mae Haad and Chalok Baan Kao near the police station. It handles 90-day address reporting and a single 30-day TM7 extension of a visa-exempt or 60-day tourist-visa stay (1,900 baht) without leaving the island. It cannot process a full annual extension for a non-tourist visa type, a Certificate of Residence, or an actual visa run or border run — those require a ferry to Koh Samui Immigration in Maenam, or in the case of a border run, leaving Thailand entirely.
If you live on Koh Tao under a long-stay extension, you must report your address to immigration every 90 days. The Koh Tao office handles this in person with a TM47 form and your TM30 receipt, or you can report by registered post 7-15 days before the due date, online via the immigration website or app, or through an agent. It's separate from your visa and doesn't extend your stay — it just confirms where you live. Keep the receipt slip, since the next due date is printed on it, and note that leaving and re-entering Thailand resets the clock.
Only the TM7 tourist-visa extension — a single 30-day extension of a visa-exempt or 60-day stay, for 1,900 baht. A full one-year extension of stay for retirement, marriage, work, family or a dive-instructor Non-B visa is not processed on Koh Tao; residents ferry to Koh Samui Immigration in Maenam instead, bringing financial evidence, TM30 receipt, passport, photos and the TM7 form. Confirm current requirements with the Samui office before you travel, and start well ahead of your permitted-to-stay date, since a second visit is common.
Generally yes. A Certificate of Residence — needed for a Thai driving licence, a vehicle purchase, or some bank accounts — is typically issued through Koh Samui Immigration in Maenam rather than the Koh Tao office. Budget a ferry crossing plus onward transport, and request it a little ahead of when you actually need it, since processing time varies with the receiving office's workload.
Yes, if you hold a one-year extension of stay — retirement, marriage, DTV or LTR. Leaving Thailand cancels that extension unless you first buy a re-entry permit, single-use or multiple-entry. You can arrange one at the Koh Tao immigration office in advance, or at the airport you eventually depart from, but sorting it locally before the ferry off the island is far less stressful than a last-minute scramble. This is different from a visa run, which resets a visa-exempt stay rather than protecting a visa you already hold.
Primary and official sources are cited above. Government rules, fees and procedures in Thailand change over time and vary by office; always confirm current requirements with the relevant authority before relying on them. BAANLYY never takes paid placement in editorial content.
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Hero photo by Valeriy Ryasnyanskiy on Pexels. General information only, not legal or immigration advice; Thai immigration requirements, fees, office locations and procedures change and differ by office — confirm current details with the Koh Tao immigration office, Koh Samui Immigration, or official sources.