Blogs on Teaching and Living in Thailand

A re-entry permit for Thailand is a useful stamp that is required for individuals holding a valid Thai visa, as it allows them to travel to other countries and return to Thailand without forfeiting their current visa status.

If you have a Tourist Visa or Non-Immigrant Visa that allows only one entry and you plan to visit a place like Singapore for a short period, then you should consider using a re-entry permit.  This means that you don't lose the remaining days of your original Thai visa, and you don't need to obtain a new Thai visa before returning to Thailand.

Also, if you’re on a Non-Immigrant O retirement visa, marriage visa, or a one-year extension of your Non-Immigrant B visa for work issued by the Thai Immigration Bureau, you will need a re-entry permit if you intend to leave Thailand. A re-entry permit is not applicable if you have a Visa On Arrival or a Visa-Exempt Stamp, though.

A re-entry permit allows you to enter Thailand keeping your visa or visa extension valid. If you depart Thailand without one your current visa that you’re on will become null and void. The convenience of having a re-entry permit is extremely valuable and cannot be measured in monetary terms. The last thing you want is to find yourself forced to get a new visa from a Thai Consulate or Embassy abroad. Not to mention the overstay fines that you will have to pay, and the paperwork that you will have to resubmit to several Thai governmental agencies if you’re in a job, married, retired etc.

Additionally, teachers, students, or retirees who hold a year-long Thai visa and want to take a vacation or travel can find it helpful. In case of emergencies, where foreign visitors must leave Thailand but intend to return, a re-entry permit becomes necessary.

To determine if you require a Thai re-entry permit, consider if your travel outside of Thailand will extend beyond the expiration date of your current Thai visa. If your Thai visa expires before you come back to Thailand, a re-entry permit is unnecessary. However, if your Thai Tourist or Non-Immigrant Visa is still valid when you plan to return to Thailand, then you should obtain a re-entry permit.

You can apply for a re-entry permit in two places. One is your nearby Thai Immigration Office, which is available in every province, and the other is at the airport. Applying at the immigration office may take more time as there may be a waiting line of other people who are also applying for the same permit, and the office remains closed on weekends. At Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang Airports, getting a re-entry permit is usually quicker and more convenient. The time it takes to complete the process typically ranges from 15 minutes to 45 minutes, depending on how many people are at the re-entry permit counter.

Note, you are only allowed to obtain a re-entry permit at an international airport on the day of your departure and not before.

At Suvarnabhumi Airport, the counter for re-entry permits is located at Departure 2 after security screening but before passport control. If unsure, ask. If the re-entry permit desk is unmanned, again ask security or an Immigration Officer nearby and they will call someone to open it for you.

At an immigration office, a single re-entry permit costs 1,000 Baht while a multiple re-entry permit costs 3,800 Baht. However, at both Bangkok Airports, because of the service fee, the price is higher; with a single re-entry permit costing 1,200 Baht and a multiple re-entry permit costing 4,000 Baht. It's worth noting that you only need your passport to obtain these permits at the airport.

Some individuals prefer not to pay an additional service fee of 200 Baht at the airport. To avoid this, they need to have several items prepared including copies of important pages in their passport, a copy of the visa extension stamp page, a Re-Entry Permit application form filled in, a 2" x 2" passport photo, and cash (either 1,000 Baht for a single re-entry permit or 3,800 Baht for a multiple re-entry permit).

Make sure you are fully alert when returning to Thailand and take responsibility for ensuring that the immigration officer acknowledges your re-entry stamp. It is recommended that you politely inform the officer and show them the page in your passport with the re-entry permit stamp. This will help avoid any confusion and prevent you from accidentally receiving a 30-day visa-exempt stamp, as immigration officers handle a large number of passports daily and may miss important details. It is important to take these steps to ensure a smooth re-entry process.

If by any chance the immigration officer overlooks your re-entry permit during your return, your Thai visa will become invalid, resulting in you having to pay for a new visa or any overstay charges (500 baht for each day). Unfortunately, you will bear the responsibility of the expenses incurred.

A Thai re-entry permit allows one re-entry into Thailand. To make multiple trips during the same visa extension, it is advised to apply for a multiple re-entry permit which grants unlimited access in and out of Thailand as long as the visa is valid.

Useful Links:

Information on applying for a re-entry permit into the Kingdom by the Immigration Bureau of Thailand

Location of the re-entry permit counter at Suvarnabhumi Airport

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Blog by Khun Kru

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Note that the author of the blog is expressing personal thoughts and musings, which do not necessarily reflect those of KruTeacher. Therefore, KruTeacher.com cannot be held responsible for any potential inaccuracies that may be present in the blog.