Koh Phangan Immigration Office

If you've got an older guide (including some of our own past advice) telling you that any real immigration business on Phangan means a ferry to Samui — that's out of date. The island got its own office back in 2021, and it handles the vast majority of what most visitors and residents actually need.

Where it actually is

On the grounds of the police station on Chaloklum Road, Thong Sala. It's not on the main tourist strip and easy to miss if you're not specifically looking — search "Immigration Office Ko Phangan" on Google Maps rather than trying to navigate there by landmark.

Opening hours

Monday to Friday, 8:30am–12pm and 1pm–4:30pm. Closed weekends and public holidays. Go early morning if you can — queues build up as the day goes on, especially around the start and end of the month.

What you need for a standard visa extension

• Your passport
• A photocopy of your passport's photo page and your most recent entry stamp
• One 4x6cm photo, taken within the last 6 months
• A completed TM.7 form (available at the office, or print in advance)
• 1,900 baht in cash

Copy shops and photo services exist near the office in Thong Sala if you turn up without a photo or photocopy — you don't need to arrive with everything pre-sorted, but it saves time if you do.

Dress code, and don't skip this

This is a government office, not a beach bar — cover your shoulders, avoid beachwear, and bring a mask if you have one (still sometimes expected in government buildings here). Staff can and do turn people away for inappropriate dress, which is a genuinely frustrating way to lose a morning.

The new 2-extensions-per-year rule

A real, fairly recent tightening worth knowing about: as of a rule change in November 2025, visa extensions are capped at 2 per calendar year. If you were used to extending more freely in the past, this is a real change, not a rumour — plan your stay length with this cap in mind rather than assuming you can keep extending indefinitely. See our full visa guide for how this fits into the bigger 2026 visa picture, including the ongoing changes to the standard visa-exemption period.

What still needs Samui

The Phangan office covers standard extensions, 90-day reporting, and residence notification — the bulk of what most people need. Less common services or anything unusual about your visa situation may still require Samui or Surat Thani; call ahead rather than making the trip on assumption if your case isn't a straightforward extension.

Not the same as a driving licence

Worth flagging since people sometimes conflate the two: immigration handles your visa status. A Thai driving licence is a completely separate process through the Department of Land Transport (DLT), which does not have an office on Phangan — see our driving licence guide for that trip instead.