I had an interesting experience yesterday, 27 August, at the BKK Zone 2 Re-Entry Permit desk when they nearly refused me the re-entry stamp. I kept smiling and eventually worked out what the misconception was for them.
I had an O-A e-visa from the UK issued in August 2022 that expired on 18 August 2023 so on 16 August I did a day trip to Penang with a new annual health insurance policy and was stamped back in as normal until the end of the new policy on 14 August 2024.
At BKK yesterday, I used the Fast Track immigration lane and requested a re-entry stamp. I was stamped out as normal and told to walk airside, go up the ramp at Zone 2 against the flow, follow the sign, and get the Re-entry Permit there. So far, so consistent with the experiences reported in this thread. I was not questioned about already having my exit stamp so I imagine anyone can walk back to this desk at Zone 2 after being stamped out and finding themselves airside.
I had nothing prepared and the first IO took my passport, e-visa, and residential address in Thailand, and then took a photo of me with a webcam along with THB4000. At this point, she disappeared and a concerned colleague came out and told me I couldn't get a multi-entry Re-Entry Permit because my health insurance - the original policy - expired. I showed him my new policy expiring August 2024. He stuck to his position that I would only get a Re-Entry Permit until the end of the original policy. I then showed him the 14 August 2024 expiry date of the stamp from my Penang border bounce. Both the original IO and this one had missed these critical in/out stamps despite them being the last stamps in my passport and were basing their position on other in/out stamps. The fog lifted at this point and they processed my multi re-entry permit as normal. Lots of smiles, a brief apology to which I assured them it was okay, and I was on my way.
My takeaway from this is that getting the Re-Entry Permit at BKK is a very easy process with no preparation and it doesn't matter if you get it done before or after you pass through immigration because anyone could have approached the Re-Entry Permit desk in Zone 2 up the ramp after being stamped out as I did.