How long is re-entry stamp good for?

[JimmyJ]

Is a re-entry stamp good for 1 year from date of  purchase, or only good till the expiration of the Extension which is in effect when it is purchased?

 

Example:

If someone on a non-O annual Marriage or Retirement Extension 

has already renewed the next Extension 45 days in advance of the current Extension  expiring...

 

Then wants to exit Thailand before the expiration of the current Extension, and return when the new (already approved) Extension is in effect...

 

If purchasing a re-entry stamp when leaving on the current Extension, is it only in effect until the expiration of the current Extension?

 

Or is it good for leaving on the current  soon to be expired annual 

Extension and re-entering on the next (already approved) Extension - i.e., it's validity carries over from 1 extension to the next?

 

 

Edited April 1, 2023 by JimmyJ

[DrJack54]

Reentry expiry date will be same as current permission of stay date. 

[Red Phoenix]

The Re-Entry Permit stamp in your Passport has a 'Valid until' date.  And that 'valid until' date is same as the expiry date of the Permission to stay from the Visa/extension in your Passport at the moment you bought the Re-Entry Permit.

Edited April 1, 2023 by Red Phoenix

[JimmyJ]

And the new Annual Extension which is already completed and approved is forfeited?

 

(The new Extension took effect while out of Thailand, but re-entry permit expired with the expiration of the Extension which was in effect when departed).

 

What if a new reentry is purchased at the same time the new Extension of Stay is purchased?

 

Si it would mean exiting Thailand while the current Extension is in effect,

that one expires and the New Extension of Stay begins while out of Thailand,

a new Re-entry permit has been purchased at the same time the new Extension was purchased - 

and then one reenters under the new Extension using the new Reentry stamp.

 

Does that work?

Edited April 1, 2023 by JimmyJ

[Red Phoenix]

I am not sure if I correctly understand what you mean, but I think you are talking about the following case:

- Months ago you bought a Re-Entry Permit but did not use the Single One or your Re-Entry Permit is still valid (in case of a  Multiple Entry one) for your current Permit to stay

- You apply early for your annual extension (you can do it from 30 to 45 days before the current Permit to stay for your Visa/extensions expires)

- And you receive a new Permit to stay valid for 1 year. 

In that case your new Permit to stay will make the older one (which might have still a month validity) obsolete.

BUT your old not-used or still valid Re-Entry Permit of course mentions that old Permit to stay date, and it has not expired yet.

In such case, it is not clear for me what would happen if you re-entered Thailand with that old Re-Entry Permit before its expiry date.  But I presume that it would be honored (after all it has not expired yet) and that border Immigration would stamp you in for the new Permit to stay date.  

And it is obvious that you cannot expect border Immigration to stamp you in for that new Permit to stay date, when you re-enter with that old Re-Entry Permit if it is already past expiry date. 

 

[DrJack54]

1 hour ago, JimmyJ said:

Does that work?

Just to use my own reentry permit as eg.

I obtained prior to my expiry of current permission of stay which is Nov 8.

The stamp pic below shows reentry valid till Nov 8 2023.

I subsequently left Thailand and returned. 

[JimmyJ]

21 minutes ago, Red Phoenix said:

I am not sure if I correctly understand what you mean, but I think you are talking about the following case:

- Months ago you bought a Re-Entry Permit but did not use the Single One or your Re-Entry Permit is still valid (in case of a  Multiple Entry one) for your current Permit to stay

- You apply early for your annual extension (you can do it from 30 to 45 days before the current Permit to stay for your Visa/extensions expires)

- And you receive a new Permit to stay valid for 1 year. 

In that case your new Permit to stay will make the older one (which might have still a month validity) obsolete.

BUT your old not-used or still valid Re-Entry Permit of course mentions that old Permit to stay date, and it has not expired yet.

In such case, it is not clear for me what would happen if you re-entered Thailand with that old Re-Entry Permit before its expiry date.  But I presume that it would be honored (after all it has not expired yet) and that border Immigration would stamp you in for the new Permit to stay date.  

And it is obvious that you cannot expect border Immigration to stamp you in for that new Permit to stay date, when you re-enter with that old Re-Entry Permit if it is already past expiry date. 

 

 

 "You apply early for your annual extension (you can do it from 30 to 45 days before the current Permit to stay for your Visa/extensions expires)

- And you receive a new Permit to stay valid for 1 year. 

In that case your new Permit to stay will make the older one (which might have still a month validity) obsolete."

 

Would like to make sure I understand this:

 

E.g., I have had an annual Extension expiring May 15, 2023.

 

Today I get a renewal Extension expiring May 15, 2024 - i.e. it runs from May 16, 2023 to May 15, 2024.

 

So at this point even though the current extension technically  does not expire until May 15, 2023 in 45 days, and the new extension therefore technically begins when the current one ends on May 16, 2023 - in actuality the current one became obsolete once the new one was issued.

I.e., the new one takes over from the day it is issued.

Correct?

Edited April 1, 2023 by JimmyJ

[Mike Teavee]

My understanding is that when you got your extension everything associated with the previous extension (e.g. Re-Entry Permit) are voided so you should have got a re-entry permit to go alongside your new extension which becomes ”in force” from the date it’s issued. 
 

E.G if my extension ended 30th April & I got a new one today with a re-entry permit, left Thailand & came back on 4th April they would stamp me in until 30th April 2024 based on the re-entry permit.

 

if I left without one I’d expect to get 30 days, They are not going to stamp me in to 30th April 2023 as that would mean I’d have to go to Immigration to get a new stamp before that one expires. 

Edited April 1, 2023 by Mike Teavee

[Red Phoenix]

13 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

My understanding is that when you got your extension everything associated with the previous extension (e.g. Re-Entry Permit) are voided so you should have got a re-entry permit to go alongside your new extension which becomes ”in force” from the date it’s issued. 

If that is the case then logically Immigration should, when issuing a new Permit to stay, invalidate the Re-Entry Permit in your Passport which was based on the previous permit even if the expiry date has not passed yet.

But thai logic...

There is probably not a clear-cut practice on such issue, and will differ according to interpretation by the individual border immigration officer.

So it would be best instead of risking your old Re-Entry Permit not being accepted, to simply buy a new one when you apply for your 1-year extension of stay.

[expat_4_life]

I would suggest thinking about it like this:

There is only the "current" extension of stay, you're permitted to stay until a specific date. You don't have new and old extensions, at any given point in time you have your current permission to stay date, that's it.

 

Reentry Permit is designed to allow you to depart the Kingdom and return maintaining your previous visa status and permission to stay date. At the time of issue it will expire on the date of your current permission to stay. 

 

The only thing that matters is when you reenter the Kingdom that you return prior to the expiration (valid until date) of your reentry permit, whereupon you will get stamped into the Kingdom until your current permission of stay date.

 

I suspect the OP renewed his permission to stay and departed  with a currently valid reentry permit and now finds himself outside the Kingdom and it has expired even though his permission to stay date is sometime in the future.

 

If you don't have a reentry permit that is still valid, then you will have to reenter by some other method, VOA, Visa exempt, etc etc. and begin extensions of stay from scratch.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 1, 2023 by expat_4_life

[JimmyJ]

1 hour ago, Red Phoenix said:

If that is the case then logically Immigration should, when issuing a new Permit to stay, invalidate the Re-Entry Permit in your Passport which was based on the previous permit even if the expiry date has not passed yet.

But thai logic...

There is probably not a clear-cut practice on such issue, and will differ according to interpretation by the individual border immigration officer.

So it would be best instead of risking your old Re-Entry Permit not being accepted, to simply buy a new one when you apply for your 1-year extension of stay.

"So it would be best instead of risking your old Re-Entry Permit not being accepted, to simply buy a new one when you apply for your 1-year extension of stay."

 

Yes, agree 100%, and will do so.

Still in Thailand - just wanted to make sure no hassles returning.

 

expat_4_life - 

"I would suggest thinking about it like this:

There is only the "current" extension of stay, you're permitted to stay until a specific date. You don't have new and old extensions, at any given point in time you have your current permission to stay date, that's it."

 

Got it now.

Initially was misunderstanding how it is done.

 

Thanks to all for explaining.

 

Edited April 1, 2023 by JimmyJ

[BritTim]

A re-entry permit is always tied to your permission to stay at the time you acquire the re-entry permit. This is one of the few rules of Thai immigration which is invariant.

 

You seem to be asking what happens if you apply for a re-entry permit and leave Thailand during the "under consideration" period for a new extension. At that point, your permission to stay has been extended until the report back date at the end of the under consideration period. That is usually around 30 days after the expiry of the old permission to stay. As usual, your re-entry permit acquired during the under consideration period will expire on the report back date.

 

(Note: if you intend doing this, discuss it with your immigration office in advance. They often want to do home visits, and will expect to find you there if you have not warned them of your plans.)