If you’re a foreigner living in Thailand on a non-immigrant visa or work visa, chances are you’ll need to visit Immigration Division 1 at some point. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know about this essential government office, from its location and services to nearby amenities.
You’ll need to go to Immigration Division 1 for things like obtaining a residency certifcate, or reporting for your ED Visa.
Where is Immigration Division 1?


Immigration Division 1 is located within the Government Complex in Chaengwattana, Bangkok. This massive complex houses various government offices, making it a one-stop destination for many administrative needs.
How to Get There
- By BTS and change to MRT: Take the Green Line BTS to Wat Phra Si Mahathat and change to the Pink Line to “Government Complex” station.
- Free Shuttle: A complimentary Songtaew (shared taxi) service runs between the MRT station and Immigration Division 1, making your journey even easier.
- By Car or Motorcycle: Ample parking is available below the offices. Best of all, it’s completely free for all vehicles, including motorcycles, with no time limit.
The parking is located to the left-hand side of the entrance to Immigration Division 1. It is free for motorcycles, but the parking is slightly difficult, as you have to park on the kurb, but there is no ramp to help you get your motorcycle up. Many of the locals use a rock to bridge the gap between the kurb and the road. If you are struggling, Thais are very nice and will usually help you.
Getting To The Immigration Office
If you are parking here, there is a set of stairs which will take you right to the entrance of Immigration Division 1. If however you are coming by public transport, and in the free Songtaew, you arrive at the doors.
You will need to present your passport every time that you enter and there is some security to go through first.
Once you are through the security, immigration is located to your right-hand side. You walk in, talk to the information desk, tell them what you need to do, and they will direct you to the right place.
After this, you will be given a queue ticket. This will have a number and a letter on it. Look around at the signs and go to the area where your letter is displayed on the board. Then you wait to talk to an immigration officer.


If you do not want to wait in immigration, you can simply scan your ticket. There is a QR code that will open a webpage, which allows you to see your position in the queue. This means you can walk away, sit at a cafe or do something different, as opposed to having to sit in your seat for eternity!
Operating Hours
Days | Morning Hours | Afternoon Hours |
---|---|---|
Monday – Friday | 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM | 1:00 PM – 4:30 PM |
Note: The office closes for lunch between 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM.
Services Offered
Immigration Division 1 caters specifically to foreigners on non-immigrant visas and work visas. It’s important to note that this is not the place for tourist visa services. Some of the key services include:
- Issuing residency certificates
- Visa extensions
- Work permit-related services
- 90-day reporting
- Other official document processing
Important tip: always check the specific documents required for your process before visiting, and bring that with you. At a minimum, you should always bring your passport.
Forgot To Bring Photocopies of Things? (We Got You)
If you forgot to photocopy your documents, or need something photocopied in Immigration Division 1, you can do it there. However, the printing shop is a little difficult to find, so here are some directions for you to follow.
Head out of Immigration Division 1 office (inside the building, do not leave the building). Turn right, and go down the escalators to the ground floor. Once here, walk past the 7/11, the food court, and turn left once you see a small market selling foods, and other things. Here you will see two shops, one green and the other orange. These are both printing shops.
You can use either of these shops.
You can also see the directions on this custom map we made.
How To Have A Better Immigration Experience
Arrive with all your documents needed, and usually Immigration is incredibly smooth in Thailand. I have been here on multiple occasions to get a residency certificate and been in and out in under 5 minutes. Some other processes take longer, but usually not longer than an hour. If you are in this situation, and have to wait a long time, we’re going to show you how you can use this time effectively or just use it more enjoyably.
Upon arrival, you’ll receive a ticket with a queue number.
Here’s a pro tip: this ticket includes a QR code that you can scan to monitor your place in the queue remotely. This means you don’t have to wait in the Immigration office itself!
Below, on the ground floor, you’ll find a huge mall area with loads of different shops. There’s a 7/11, Cafe Amazon and a whole assortment of bakeries etc.
Personally, I usually wait at the Cafe Amazon, they have a decent amount of plugs to charge your devices (two in the corners) and multiple on the front facing long, office-style desk.
If you’re hungry, I’d recommend walking past the 7/11 and going to the food court. You will see a huge sign on your left and right to enter the food court after about 50 metres of walking.
Here you can get all types of Thai foods for 50-60 baht per plate ($1.40 – $1.70). My favourite is Khao Mun Gai – boiled chicken, on a bed of rice, with some incredible ginger, soy, chilli sauce that blows your mouth apart.
There are also usually events on the top floor. Some have cool games you can play, markets open with fresh-produce etc. Honestly, the immigration experience in Bangkok at Immigration Division 1 is exceptional, and I’ve got no clue why we don’t have similar stuff back home in the UK!
Anyway, here’s a short video I made (which is time-stamped) to show you what I’m on about.

I’m Harry – and I was tired of the same old “10 best places I’ve never been but I’m writing about for some reason” blog posts. So… I’m a young traveller on a mission to travel the world and share my true, unfiltered experience, including all the gristly details. From packing my life into one bag for a year, to traveling Vietnam by motorbike, to sorting out Visas for specific countries – I’ve done it all, am doing it all and only give my advice on things I have done – not regurgitated cr*p from another source *cough* most publications *cough*. So bear with us! This project will take some time to grow, and will take a fair bit of money. But I’m determined to make it the single best source of information about traveling on the internet.