Re-entry Permits at the Airport

[Bob]

A friend of mine flying back to the states late Monday night called me about 9PM Monday and, in a partial panic, said he had totally forgotten to get a re-entry permit (meaning, as he thought, his one-year visa would disappear and he'd have to go get a new one when he returned in a couple of weeks). I suggested (beyond telling him humorously he was a dumbass for forgetting something as important as that) that he ask the immigration guys at the airport if he could get one there and/or if he could talk to their supervisor if the regular guys told him no.

 

Well, no need. To my friend's surprise (and mine), there's a desk there (Chiangmai Airport, International terminal) - right below a sign that said "Re-entry Permits" - manned by four Thai immigration ladies and my friend said it took him all of 4 or 5 minutes to get the permit. My friend did happen to have a couple of extra photos (and we guessed that no photo services would be available at all at the airport or certainly not later in the evening) with his passport so, other than filling out the usual form, he was all set. The cost, of course, was 1000 baht for the single re-entry permit.

 

I had no clue that this service was offerred at the Chiangmai airport but I'd guess (but don't know) that Suvarnabhumi probably has a like service. It's certainly not wise to wait until the last second to get your re-entry permit but it's nice to know it's available if you've somehow totally forgotten to do so.

[KhorTose]

You have some really dumb friends Errrrrrr, before this get censored that dumb friend is me. Writting this from Inchon International.

[Bob]

With your 12-hour layover (hmmmm....I see your travel planning skills aren't exactly top-notch either), hope you don't terrorize the entire Inchon airport! Have a safe journey (and I do hope you remember where you're going.....).

[mahjongguy]

Re-Entry permits are available from 6am to midnight at Suvarnabhumi. Only at one of the two entrances to Immigration. But, it can be hectic at times and I would find it too nerve-wracking.

 

Given that, and the numerous holidays at government offices, I always buy a single Re-Entry permit after every annual extension. If that 1,000 baht gets wasted, it was worth the peace of mind.

[Guest]

Re-Entry permits are available from 6am to midnight at Suvarnabhumi. Only at one of the two entrances to Immigration.

 

Q1 Forgive my ignorance, but if I arrive in Thailand as a tourist is it possible to get a re-entry permit swiftly issued at Suvarnabhumi immigration?

Q2 Are these loosely stapled in, or do they permanently take up space in the passport?

 

A re-entry permit could be quite useful for those overland visits to Cambodia etc.

[Bob]

Z, I'm a bit confused by your question. If you arrive, as you say, as a "tourist", then I'm presuming you get the "free-on-arrival 30-day visa stamp." If that's the case, I don't believe that a re-entry permit has anything to do with that type of "visa" (when you leave, your 30-day stay is cancelled and you get a new one (30 days if you fly back in) when you come back. Does that answer your question?

 

[if....and I'm only talking theory here......a re-entry permit would allow a free 30-day visa (some people call it an exemption) to continue while you're gone, it'd be silly to spend a 1000 baht for a re-entry permit when getting the new 30-day when you get back is free anyway].

 

If, however, you're saying you show up with a formal "Tourist" visa (that's good for 60 days), then yes, a re-entry permit would allow you to leave and return with your Tourist visa still intact (although your 60 days is still running even while you're gone).

[Guest]

Bob, I'm thinking about arriving in Thailand by air, then making a land crossing to one of Thailand's neighbours. Upon returning to Thailand, one only gets a 15 day stamp. A re-entry permit would permit more flexibility.

[mahjongguy]

- Re-Entry Permits are not available at the airport.

- Re-Entry Permits are not available anywhere for those who have entered on a Visa Waiver.

 

For those who want to travel around Thailand and pop over into the neighboring countries, a good solution would be a triple-entry Tourist Visa obtained from one's home country. If your Thai Embassy says they will only issue a double entry, there is often an Honorary Consulate in another city that may be more understanding of your travel needs. Otherwise, get a single or double entry Tourist Visa and when you arrive in Thailand go to a local Immigration office and purchase a multiple Re-Entry Permit for 3,800 baht, but note that it will only be valid for your original 60-day permission to stay.

[Bob]

Bob, I'm thinking about arriving in Thailand by air, then making a land crossing to one of Thailand's neighbours. Upon returning to Thailand, one only gets a 15 day stamp. A re-entry permit would permit more flexibility.

 

Again, Z, sorry, but I remain confused. You're talking about flying into Thailand and obtaining a 30-day visa/exemption on arrival? And, then, going and trying to get a re-entry permit so you could, let's say, go to Cambodia on the 5th day and then, when you arrive back on the 7th day, you'd still have 23 more days to go on your original 30-day visa/exemption?

 

If you can make that work, all the power to you but I've never heard of anybody doing that nor have I read anything anywhere (including Thai Visa's extensive postings on the general subject) indicating that a re-entry stamp works with one of those "on-arrival-visa/exemption" deals. But, if you can do it, it'd be helpful if you posted your experience here or somewhere as I'd guess there's somebody somewhere who might want to do the same thing.

[mahjongguy]

Just FYI lingo:

 

- Travelers from the U.S., U.K., and many other countries are admitted as Visa Exempt (aka a Visa Waiver).

 

- Travelers from (mostly) second-tier countries must stop at a special desk and purchase a Visa On Arrival before they can enter. Examples include Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania. They may have to show return tickets, adequate cash, etc.

 

- Travelers from certain other countries must obtain a Tourist Visa overseas before they can travel to Thailand.

 

There are some differences between being admitted on a waiver and actually having a Visa On Arrival, so using the right lingo can matter.

 

It was the change two years ago for Russians from VOA to exempt status (90 days!) that has increased their numbers dramatically.

[Bob]

I've never understood why some people get a bit ruffled when one calls the free 30-day stamp you get a visa. A visa, under any reasonable dictionary definition you can find anywhere, is written permission to stay within a country and that's exactly what the free 30-day stamp does. The practical difference between, let's say, between a 60-day Tourist Visa or a 60/90 day Non-Immigrant visa that one obtains in your home country versus the free 30-day deal you get on arrival is only the cost and the time you're permitted to stay; other than that, calling one a duck and the other a goose is merely a pedantic exercise.

[Guest]

It has always seemed odd that if I arrive in Thailand by air, I get 30 days, but once I exit over a land border, I have to time the return it to 15 or fewer days before the end of the trip.

 

Seems like a good way to reduce discourage tourism. OK, I know this is probably done to discourage visa runs, but it doesn't take Bill Gates to write some code that could distinguish between a bona fide tourist and someone doing VISA runs every month.

[mahjongguy]

...calling one a duck and the other a goose is merely a pedantic exercise.

 

C'mon, Bob, we pedants need exercise too. B)

 

Well, people can use whatever words they want. They can call a visa a lightbulb if they want. It only bugs me when they mess something up for themselves but refuse to listen to the explanation.

[Bob]

It has always seemed odd that if I arrive in Thailand by air, I get 30 days, but once I exit over a land border, I have to time the return it to 15 or fewer days before the end of the trip.

 

One wonders why the Thais made the distinction (for some of us falang, it raises the notion of "what were they thinking?!?). But the 15-day rule for land-border crossings was instituted 2-3 years back when, for whatever reason, the Thais were trying to prevent poorer falang from using various tricks to stay here forever. The poorest of the poor likely can't fly in and out and are the ones who most often take advantage of the bus trips over the border and back so maybe that's the reason. At about the same time, they supposedly limited the number of 30-day stamps per year too and i can only figure that they again were attempting to help limit the perpetual/long stays of the poorer falang.

[bkkguy]

I've never understood why some people get a bit ruffled when one calls the free 30-day stamp you get a visa. A visa, under any reasonable dictionary definition you can find anywhere, is written permission to stay within a country and that's exactly what the free 30-day stamp does.

 

most countries issue visas that cover entry AND permission to stay and many dictionary definitions cover this as well, but it does not matter what other countries do or what dictionary definitions you want to quote from, if you are coming to Thailand you have to work within the framework established by the Royal Thai Government via the Foreign Ministry for consulates and embassies and the Interior Ministry for Immigration Police offices and checkpoints and in that framework there is a significant distinction between a visa and a permission to stay and I don't care what foolish ideas you want to maintain in your own mind, but if you want to give advice to others then you need to use the right terminology or you just confuse and mislead people

 

I am not saying from you, but the various forums are full of misleading statements like "Americans get a 30 day visa on arrival" and if you are an American and you arrive at the airport in Bangkok you will see a sign for "Visa on arrival" but there is no point in joining the queue there because the Immigration official there will direct you to the Immigration Checkpoint to get your 30 day permission to stay instead - this is not being pedantic, this is not ducks and geese, this is the real world!

 

the various forums are also full of people saying they are going to extend their retirement visa but it is not possible to extend a visa in Thailand - the Immigration Police official will probably just assume you are another stupid falung and give you a form to apply for extending your permission to stay instead - this is not being pedantic, this is not ducks and geese, this is the real world! and it is not rocket science - I don't understand why falung insist on being so stupid with this! the Immigration Police produce the forms so you can re-define the terms any way you like but it will not match the forms they give you!

 

and if you really did arrive on a Retirement Visa (NON-OA as distinct from NON-O) you cannot extend the permission to stay in Thailnd anyway, you need to change the visa class - this is not being pedantic, this is not ducks and geese, this is the real world!

 

the various forums are also full of people saying you need to apply for your tourist visa just before you travel to Thailand otherwise you will not be able to stay very long because they don't understand the difference between visa expiry date and permission to stay - again this is not being pedantic, this is not ducks and geese, this is the real world! and it is not rocket science - I don't understand why falung insist on being so stupid with this!

 

The practical difference between, let's say, between a 60-day Tourist Visa or a 60/90 day Non-Immigrant visa that one obtains in your home country versus the free 30-day deal you get on arrival is only the cost and the time you're permitted to stay; other than that, calling one a duck and the other a goose is merely a pedantic exercise.

 

if you are from a visa exempt country and arrive without a visa and get a 30 day permission to stay you can extend that permission to stay by 7 days.

 

if you arrive on a Tourist Visa and get a 60 day permission to stay you can extend that permission to stay by 30 days.

 

if you arrive on a Non-O Visa and get a 90 day permission to stay you can extend that permission to stay by up to 1 year.

 

if you arrive on a Non-OA Retirement Visa and get a 1 year permission to stay you cannot extend that permission to stay inThailand.

 

these differences may not be significant for you but they are for a lot of other visitors to Thailand so rather than pulling rabbits, ducks or geese out of a hat, or a dictionary for that matter, forgive me if I would rather just understand the visa and permission to stay rules in Thailand and use the terminology correctly - as I say it is not rocket science!

 

bkkguy

[Bob]

I don't particularly care how you want to parse it but neither I nor many friends of mine who live here and have long-term visas have any problems with what we call "x" or "y." We know how they work and we define them by that standard, not what some form or some gracious poster such as yourself might choose to define their understanding of the so-called real world.

 

Most visitors (and even us long-termers many moons ago) referred to the 30-day exemptions (or "ducks", if you please) as a 30-day visa. We and everybody else understood what we were talking about - you know, the free 30-day written permission/stamp to stay within Thailand for 30 days - and it doesn't matter to just about anybody what you want to call it. It was permission to stay in the country and smelled a whole lot like what most people and most dictionaries call that beast called a "visa."

 

As for the one-year visa, I and most of my falang friends get new one-year stamps that allow us another year of stay. Again, who cares what you call it? If you do, be my guest. There's exactly nothing on the new stamp indicating it's an extension of of any older visa nor is there a single reference on the new stamp to even indicate any reference to a prior visa or the original one-year stamp/visa itself. So, silly us, regardless that the form we sign seems to say it's an extension request, we think and speak of it as a new one-year visa as, in practical terms, that's exactly what it happens to be. If that offends you, it possibly might make my day.

[Mysteryman]

It has always seemed odd that if I arrive in Thailand by air, I get 30 days, but once I exit over a land border, I have to time the return it to 15 or fewer days before the end of the trip.

 

Please explain this, as I have never put any great effort in trying to understand how these things work...

 

I arrive at Suwarnabhumi from Finland, after standing in the queue, I get the 30 days stamp. Why do I only get 15 days if I go to another country during my holiday when returning? I suppose they can´t know where I´ve been if they don't check the pages in my passport, which I am pretty sure about thay have never done. They just open a new page and put the stamp there.

[Mysteryman]

Please explain this, as I have never put any great effort in trying to understand how these things work...

 

I arrive at Suwarnabhumi from Finland, after standing in the queue, I get the 30 days stamp. Why do I only get 15 days if I go to another country during my holiday when returning? I suppose they can´t know where I´ve been if they don't check the pages in my passport, which I am pretty sure about thay have never done. They just open a new page and put the stamp there.

 

Ok, now I see, one should read before posting... This is when you arrive over land-border apparently. But then you could stay forever in Thailand if you only have the money to fly....hmmm?

[Mysteryman]

if you arrive on a Non-OA Retirement Visa and get a 1 year permission to stay you cannot extend that permission to stay inThailand.

 

Are we sure about this? Because here they say like this, read chapter 5.4

 

5. Recommendations for foreigners with Non-Immigrant Visa “O-A” (Long Stay) while staying in the Kingdom

5.1 Upon arrival, holder of this type of visa will be permitted to stay in Thailand for 1 year from the date of first entry. During the one-year period, if he or she wishes to leave and re-enter the country, he or she is required to apply at the Immigration office for re-entry permit (single or multiple) before departure. In the case of leaving the country without a re-entry permit, the permit to stay for 1 year shall be considered void.

5.2 At the end of the 90-day stay , the foreigner must report to the immigration officer in his or her residence area and report again every 90 days during his or her stay in Thailand. The foreigner may report to the police station if there is no immigration office in his or her residence area.

5.3 Foreigner may report to the competent authority by post and should provide the following:

- A report form (Tor Mor 47).

- A copy of passport pages showing the foreigner’s photo, personal details, and the latest arrival visa stamp.

- A copy of the previous receipt of acknowledgement.

- A self-addressed envelope with postage affixed.

Such documents must be sent to the Office of the Immigration Bureau, Soi Suan Plu, South Sathorn Road, Sathorn District, Bangkok 10120, and must be submitted 7 days before the end of every 90-day period. A receipt of acknowledgement will be given and should be used for future correspondence.

5.4 Foreigner who wishes to extend his or her stay shall submit a request for extension of stay at the Office of the Immigration Bureau with documented evidence of money transfer or a deposit account in Thailand or an income certificate showing an amount of not less than 800,000 Baht or an income certificate plus a deposit account showing a total amount of not less than 800,000 Baht. A one-year extension of stay shall be granted at the discretion of the immigration officer to the foreigner as long as he or she meets the above requirements.

http://www.mfa.go.th/web/2482.php?id=2493

[mahjongguy]

"Are we sure about this?"

 

That one item was wrong. Many of us here, including myself, are on extensions that originated from an O-A visa.

 

Here's a simple example of why the lingo can matter:

Ex-pat A has an O-A visa that is still valid. He can come and go and gets stamped in for a full year each time.

Ex-pat B is on a one-year extension. He goes out for a vacation and when he comes back all he gets is a 30-day waiver. Why? Because he thought he had a "retirement visa" and failed to get a Re-Entry Permit before he left.

[bkkguy]

Are we sure about this? Because here they say like this, read chapter 5.4

...

5.4 Foreigner who wishes to extend his or her stay shall submit a request for extension of stay at the Office of the Immigration Bureau with documented evidence of money transfer or a deposit account in Thailand or an income certificate showing an amount of not less than 800,000 Baht or an income certificate plus a deposit account showing a total amount of not less than 800,000 Baht. A one-year extension of stay shall be granted at the discretion of the immigration officer to the foreigner as long as he or she meets the above requirements.

http://www.mfa.go.th...482.php?id=2493

 

NON O-A visas are only issued outside Thailand by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at consulates and embassies, indeed most visas are issued by the MFA outside Thailand

 

extensions of permission to stay for reasons of retirement are only issued in Thailand by the Interior Ministry at Immigration Police offices, the Immigration Police can also issue some visa classes in Thailand

 

thus reading the MFA web site is not the best source of information on getting an extension!

 

if you go the the Immigration Police office they will tell you that you need to change your visa class and if you meet the requirements for the extension they will happily provide the form - and charge you for processing that form - for changing your visa class, then they will provide the form - and again charge you for processing that form - for extending your permission to stay based on they new visa!

 

bkkguy

[bkkguy]

Many of us here, including myself, are on extensions that originated from an O-A visa.

 

really? show me the stamps in you passport showing an extension of permission to stay for retirement based on a permission to stay from arriving on an Non O-A visa. all of the cases I have seen discussed on the various forums in the past 15 years have all been based on NON O visas issued overseas or a NON O-A issed overseas then a change of visa class with a NON O issued inside Thailand but never a NON O-A issued overseas! when challenged most people are unable to support their claims!

 

Here's a simple example of why the lingo can matter:

Ex-pat A has an O-A visa that is still valid. He can come and go and gets stamped in for a full year each time.

 

this is only true if Ex-pat A has a "multi-entry" Non O-A visa - if he only has a "single entry" Non O-A visa then he is just as stuffed as Ex-pat B if he doess not get a Re-Entry Permit!

 

the "lingo" covers many concepts!

 

 

all he gets is a 30-day waiver.

 

I agree with you that the "lingo" matters - so what is a "30-day waiver"?

 

bkkguy

[Mysteryman]

I agree with you that the "lingo" matters - so what is a "30-day waiver"?

bkkguy

 

To me it is a normal visa that allows you to stay in Thailand for 30 days, and can be extended by 7 days at an immigration center.

[mahjongguy]

really? show me the stamps in you passport showing an extension of permission to stay for retirement based on a permission to stay from arriving on an Non O-A visa. all of the cases I have seen discussed on the various forums in the past 15 years have all been based on NON O visas issued overseas or a NON O-A issed overseas then a change of visa class with a NON O issued inside Thailand but never a NON O-A issued overseas! when challenged most people are unable to support their claims!

I obtained a single-entry O-A from Los Angeles. A year after I used it to enter Thailand I had my stay extended and have done so annually ever since. There was no need to change the visa class before extension. That only happens when someone comes to Thailand without an O or O-A and requests Immigration upgrade them to an O which can then be extended per the retirement qualifications.

 

In fact, just after I arrived with my O-A I went to the Suan Phlu office and showed it to the officer, asked him what I needed to do next. He said "Nothing, see you next year", though he suggested getting a Re-Entry permit in case I needed to travel.

 

I am confident about the contents of my passport, and what I've learned about these issues comes almost entirely from the ThaiVisa forum. There are "sticky" threads there that I recommend to all.

 

this is only true if Ex-pat A has a "multi-entry" Non O-A visa - if he only has a "single entry" Non O-A visa then he is just as stuffed as Ex-pat B if he doess not get a Re-Entry Permit!

In my example I said if ex-pat A has a "valid O-A". Yes, I should have said "multi-entry O-A" but if he only had a single-entry and has used it to enter Thailand then it is no longer valid. Besides, it seems that most Thai embassies and consulates now only issue the multi-entry form of O-A.

 

I agree with you that the "lingo" matters - so what is a "30-day waiver"?

The 30-day entry granted to many arrivees is known officially as "visa exempt" but the more global term (based on a treaty) is "visa waiver". They are considered synonymous.