17 hours ago, Caldera said:

Strangely enough, I've never missed a flight, and I've been on many. More often than not, my "problem" was having too much time to kill - sometimes because of flight delays, sometimes because things just moved faster than usual. 

Neither have I, but more by good luck than judgement. I have left Thailand over 50 times and about 7 times time was tight for one reason or another. It is luck of the draw and you have obviously been lucky.

Not long before the pandemic we were offloaded by BA and sent on Thai Airways which had already started boarding. Luggage was taken away at the check-in, never saw it again for 4 days, and we were hurried through immigration and security. Landed at T2 instead of T5 without enough time to catch the Manchester flight, overnight near Heathrow with 4am start back to airport.

Hope your luck holds out.

4 hours ago, sandyf said:

Apples and oranges.

Since when did not having a re-entry permit stop you going through immigration.

I believe the comparison I made was apt, and the dubious difference you cite ignores my point.

 

In both cases you have a choice. You can go to the trouble of visiting an immigration office before going to the airport, based on the erroneous (from experience) belief that paying an overstay or getting a re-entry permit at the airport risks you missing a flight. I am not arguing that using the immigration office is wrong, and it could even be advisable for those with anxiety disorders. I was just pointing out that the 15 minutes it takes to get a re-entry permit does not result in missed flights in practice. If inconvenient, the immigration office visit is unnecessary.

3 hours ago, BritTim said:

I was just pointing out that the 15 minutes it takes to get a re-entry permit does not result in missed flights in practice.

You were pointing out something that was never a point in question.

You are quite free to believe that time at the airport will never be reduced to the extent that the time for a re-entry permit would not be available. 

Hope you do not have to find out your mistaken the hard way.

If your memory is anything like mine then the investment of a single re-entry permit when you renew your extension is $$$ well spent.

 

Of course, if you then make a second trip ...