Non-B Long Stay in Thailand and Re-entering at DMK

[CWA14]

I've read and heard about immigration at Don Mueang (DMK) being very uptight and questioning with people coming in (mainly on visa-exempt entries and/or tourist visas) who have stayed in Thailand for a long-time. I have worked at my current job for the last 1.5 years with a Non-B, work permit, and address registration with immigration. I also worked in Thailand in the past (May 2011-March 2013 and October 2016-March 2017). I also stayed for 60-days on a tourist visa back in 2015, had two visa exempt entries (by air) since 2011, No late 90-day reports or any issues with the police, labor offices, or immigration. 

 

With that kind of long-stay history in Thailand, would it be worth it to get a re-entry permit when I come back from a friend's wedding (a 6-day trip to Indonesia)? I'm beginning to run low on passport pages and will be doing a fair bit of traveling after I finish up here. Or just come back on a 30-day visa exempt entry (to finish up at the office, pack/move out and leave less than two weeks after I get back)? Would having a re-entry permit with a Non-B and work permit reduce the chances of possibly being hassled on my way back in? I'd obviously arrive prepared with 10,000+ THB in cash or foreign currency equivalent and a confirmed ticket out for immigration. 

 

Any and all advice/educated guesses would be greatly appreciated!

[FritsSikkink]

Why would you take any risk for 1000 THB?

[elviajero]

1 hour ago, CWA14 said:

Would having a re-entry permit with a Non-B and work permit reduce the chances of possibly being hassled on my way back in?

Yes.

 

[Sheryl]

It will assure no hassles coming in. You might or might not get hassled if you come in visa exempt.

 

Have you stopped working? Because if you leave without a re entry permit your current extension of stay is lost. Which I think in turn voids your work permit.

 

Sent from my SM-J701F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

 

[BritTim]

Given your history of tourist entries, I cannot imagine you would have a problem getting a visa exempt entry. If saving space in your passport is important, I would say the re-entry permit is not essential.

[CWA14]

12 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

Why would you take any risk for 1000 THB?

Point taken. The main problem I recently found out is that there is no way to get a renewal passport expedited for Americans living overseas and sent to the US Embassy in BKK. In the meantime, I'll also be applying for a long-stay UK Visa, traveling outside of Thailand in between and will not be returning to the USA (where I could get an expedited passport renewal) before I re-locate to the UK. The last thing I want to do is have too-few passport pages and have issues with getting visas/stamps and possibly being denied entry. There are also other trip(s) that have come up fairly recently between now and heading to the UK. I'll definitely have a look at where I'm heading to see how many blank passport pages are required and see if I'll be all-right until Christmas (when I'll be heading back to the States and can get an expedited passport renewal).

[ubonjoe]

2 minutes ago, CWA14 said:

The main problem I recently found out is that there is no way to get a renewal passport expedited for Americans living overseas and sent to the US Embassy in BKK.

There is no need for expedited service when applying in Bangkok. Average time to get one is 7 to 10 days after the application is done.

[CWA14]

28 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

There is no need for expedited service when applying in Bangkok. Average time to get one is 7 to 10 days after the application is done.

Oh wow! I didn't realize that. I saw on the embassy website it can take 2-3 weeks for a passport to be applied for, printed in the USA, then sent to the Embassy. If it's only 7-10 days, I may be able to get that sorted between now and when I submit my visa applications and start my travels. 

 

Thanks a ton everyone!!