Suvarnabhumi Automated Passport Gates Not Available for Visa Holders with Re-Entry Permits?

[Haveasay]

No automatic. I accept 2 departure areas either end departures, maybe it's the Thai airways end not the other, where normal prevailed but now liquids need to have labels of inside. New delay.

[Maestro]

5 hours ago, Haveasay said:

No automatic. I accept 2 departure areas either end departures, maybe it's the Thai airways end not the other, where normal prevailed but now liquids need to have labels of inside. New delay.

 

Thank you for this useful clarification.

 

Now, let's hear from foreigners who have actually used the automatic passport control channel on departure at BKK since the beginning of this month after having stayed in Thailand based on an entry with a visa of any category or based on an extension of stay.

 

Myself, I shan't be able to start testing this until 16 March when, after having entered the country on 21 December with a single-entry non-O visa, I will fly back to Europe. The second part of the test will come when I next fly to Thailand, probably towards the end of this year, and show my passport with the latest Thai stamp being the arrival stamp of 21 DEC 2023 and and no subsequent departure stamp. (I expect encounter no problem)

 

[lordgrinz]

So, if we have a Visa Extension (Non-O marriage), we are to avoid the automated channel gates if we are using a reentry permit? I'll be leaving for the US in April and returning in May, so definitely interested in what the consensus is on this. I've only left once in the last 7 years, and I can't remember the procedure heading out, but will make sure I take it slowly as I go through the exit process.

[sandyf]

On 1/8/2024 at 9:08 AM, WorriedNoodle said:

 

Why? If the person has a re-entry permit and a extension of stay what difference does an exit permit stamp or use of an automatic exit gate (which would have recorded data) make?

Quite obviously the post went over your head, apologies.

[sandyf]

5 hours ago, Maestro said:

Myself, I shan't be able to start testing this until 16 March when, after having entered the country on 21 December with a single-entry non-O visa, I will fly back to Europe. The second part of the test will come when I next fly to Thailand, probably towards the end of this year, and show my passport with the latest Thai stamp being the arrival stamp of 21 DEC 2023 and and no subsequent departure stamp. (I expect encounter no problem)

To test the point made by the OP you need to return on a re-entry permit, don't see many queuing up to do that.

Confirmation will come from someone complaining they did it by accident.

[Maestro]

3 hours ago, sandyf said:

To test the point made by the OP you need to return on a re-entry permit, don't see many queuing up to do that.

Confirmation will come from someone complaining they did it by accident.

 

You're right; I missed that point working on the phone and not scrolling back to the OP.

 

Not being on one-year extensions, I miss out on a lot of excitement 

[CRUNCHER]

If OP is correct this would be totally illogical even by Immigrations standard.

 

Every day they would face dozens of long stayers fronting up with cancelled reentry permits.  It would cause chaos.

[Danderman123]

1 hour ago, CRUNCHER said:

If OP is correct this would be totally illogical even by Immigrations standard.

 

Every day they would face dozens of long stayers fronting up with cancelled reentry permits.  It would cause chaos.

The lack of reports here on actual use of the automated gates indicates that volume is not going to be an issue.

 

And, they do have a sign by the gates.

[lordgrinz]

1 hour ago, Danderman123 said:

The lack of reports here on actual use of the automated gates indicates that volume is not going to be an issue.

 

And, they do have a sign by the gates.

 

Actually, the problem would only show up after people fly back into Thailand and try to use their reentry permit.

Edited January 10 by lordgrinz

[Maestro]

7 hours ago, Danderman123 said:

...And, they do have a sign by the gates.

 

The OP did not post a photo of a sign and for this reason that post is not helpful at all.

 

The second reply on this topic includes a photo of a sign and this sign says nothing about cancellation of a re-entry permit if the automatic gate is used for departure. This post is helpful.

[scottiejohn]

1 hour ago, Maestro said:

 

The OP did not post a photo of a sign and for this reason that post is not helpful at all.

 

The second reply on this topic includes a photo of a sign and this sign says nothing about cancellation of a re-entry permit if the automatic gate is used for departure. This post is helpful.

I thought there were signs saying "no photography" at the Immigration area in all Thai Airports and IO offices!

[hotandsticky]

9 hours ago, CRUNCHER said:

If OP is correct this would be totally illogical even by Immigrations standard.

 

Every day they would face dozens of long stayers fronting up with cancelled reentry permits.  It would cause chaos.

 

Not necessarily.

 

There would no issue until the reentry permit holder returned to Bangkok. On arrival it should be simple, cancelled reentry permit= 30 days visa exempt entry.

[Caldera]

43 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

Not necessarily.

 

There would no issue until the reentry permit holder returned to Bangkok. On arrival it should be simple, cancelled reentry permit= 30 days visa exempt entry.

 

Unless the re-entry permit holder isn't eligible for visa exempt entry. Then it isn't quite so simple. 

[richard_smith237]

On 1/7/2024 at 9:49 AM, eyeman said:

On 1/7/2024 at 5:35 AM, Foxx said:

No.  Before.  (It's after at Don Mueang.)

 

Nope, it's after at BKK too, same location though. It changed recently, it's got the red tape across the entrance now and tell you to clear immigration first then take a left.

 

Nope / Yes...  its before and after... depending where you are and through which lanes you are exiting (normal or priority). 

 

Thus: at Any Airport in Thailand, IF you want a re-entry permit and get to an immigration counter before you have processed your re-entry permit, then ask the Immigration Officer for a re-entry permit and you'll be directed to the right area. 

 

In this case, it seems apparent that the lack of planning and forethought mean that Auto-Gates do not process re-entry permit holders (easy enough to resolve when the 'person (immigration officer) upon re-entry can see the permit and simply re-stamp them in for the correct duration - but that would be too easy. 

 

 

As with everything in Thailand, discussion and debate always surrounds the general degree of inconsistency...   the saying 'Your mileage may vary' couldn't be more true than it is in Thailand. 

 

Its all a step in the right direction at least - hopefully, regular visitors (Non-Imm Visa holders) will be permitted to enter and depart using the eGates just as we are in other countries. 

[StayinThailand2much]

On 1/7/2024 at 9:37 AM, Foxx said:

 

Actually, sounds pretty reasonable.  The automated gates are only intended for tourists; individuals with longer term visas are stuck, with the old queuing and procedures.  This was reported by the Bangkok Post, but I'm not allowed to post a link.

 

What do you mean 'tourists'; someone with a Non-Immigrant visa/extension cannot?

[hotandsticky]

8 hours ago, Caldera said:

 

Unless the re-entry permit holder isn't eligible for visa exempt entry. Then it isn't quite so simple. 

 

If his reentry permit is cancelled then his exit cancels any permission to stay.

 

He would be subject to entry requirements applicable to the country of origin of his passport.

[BritTim]

On 1/7/2024 at 9:35 AM, Foxx said:

No.  Before.  (It's after at Don Mueang.)

 

That was true until recently. I departed January 12th and you now apply for a re-entry permit AFTER passing Immigration. You do so by walking all the way to the left after passing through Immigration.

[AAArdvark]

Is there any update on this? Surely someone has exited and returned. 

Valid reentry permit

Leave through automatic

    Probably no exit stamp

What happens upon return

     Reentry permit is valid 

     or not

     Visa is canceled or not

[Skipalongcassidy]

On 1/7/2024 at 8:26 AM, Danderman123 said:

Per a sign at the airport, if you hold a re-entry permit, but exit the country through the automated gates, your re-entry permit will be cancelled.

 

Is this true?

Yes because the automated gates were designed for TOURIST use not for holders of a long term visa... I now understand your political posts much better... 555 

[sirineou]

On 1/7/2024 at 8:48 AM, retarius said:

TIT, nothing is rubbish here until proven to be rubbish. 

I thought the opposite was true

[Pattaya57]

2 hours ago, AAArdvark said:

Is there any update on this? Surely someone has exited and returned. 

Valid reentry permit

Leave through automatic

    Probably no exit stamp

What happens upon return

     Reentry permit is valid 

     or not

     Visa is canceled or not

 

As there's doubt over what it means for people on a long term visa, who would be stupid enough to risk using them? Just leave them for tourists who have nothing to lose.

 

How are they even worth it anyway as it's only for departure and I've never had a huge wait lining up for IO.  Line should be even less with tourists using the self check gates

 

Edited January 27 by Pattaya57

[faranglaowai]

2 hours ago, AAArdvark said:

Is there any update on this? Surely someone has exited and returned. 

Valid reentry permit

Leave through automatic

    Probably no exit stamp

What happens upon return

     Reentry permit is valid 

     or not

     Visa is canceled or not

I exited using the auto gate recently. Scanned my passport photo page, stepped into the "booth" and had my photo verified. Gate opened and I was out through immigration. Obviously received no exit stamp in my passport. Process took 20 seconds.

 

When I returned, handed my passport with re-entry permit to IO, no questions at all and was stamped in with permission to stay until my current extension expires. No issue at all.

[Kalasin Jo]

On 1/7/2024 at 8:26 AM, Danderman123 said:

Per a sign at the airport, if you hold a re-entry permit, but exit the country through the automated gates, your re-entry permit will be cancelled.

 

Is this true?

Why would it be invalidated? That doesn't make sense to me. You have your extension of stay stamp plus a re -entry stamp which is for use when returning not leaving. I can only assume the automatic system does not recognise a re entry stamp and so automatically cancels your permission to stay.

[bamnutsak]

1 hour ago, faranglaowai said:

I exited using the auto gate recently. Scanned my passport photo page, stepped into the "booth" and had my photo verified. Gate opened and I was out through immigration. Obviously received no exit stamp in my passport. Process took 20 seconds.

 

When I returned, handed my passport with re-entry permit to IO, no questions at all and was stamped in with permission to stay until my current extension expires. No issue at all.

 

Thanks for this update. 

 

Did you see the sign that the OP mentioned seeing?

 

"Per a sign at the airport, if you hold a re-entry permit, but exit the country through the automated gates, your re-entry permit will be cancelled."

 

 

[Gaccha]

On 1/27/2024 at 9:15 AM, faranglaowai said:

When I returned, handed my passport with re-entry permit to IO, no questions at all and was stamped in with permission to stay until my current extension expires. No issue at all.

 

Hallelujah. Finally someone who actually can report on what is  happening. 

[Gaccha]

On 1/27/2024 at 10:40 AM, Kalasin Jo said:

Why would it be invalidated? That doesn't make sense to me.

 

It is always unwise to make an appeal to common sense when it comes to speculating on the workings of Thailand's occultic immigration system.

[AAArdvark]

On 1/8/2024 at 9:00 AM, al valio said:

Uh, I can see no official statement on the page except "Please ask Immigration Bureau". Where on TAT page did you see the info?

That particular sign only says that eVisas can be used at the automatic line

[AAArdvark]

On 1/10/2024 at 8:43 PM, hotandsticky said:

 

Not necessarily.

 

There would no issue until the reentry permit holder returned to Bangkok. On arrival it should be simple, cancelled reentry permit= 30 days visa exempt entry.

I disagree, I think if many people were getting their Os canceled there would be a large amount of complaining at the very busy entry immigration. 

[AAArdvark]

On 1/27/2024 at 8:40 AM, Pattaya57 said:

 

As there's doubt over what it means for people on a long term visa, who would be stupid enough to risk using them? Just leave them for tourists who have nothing to lose.

 

How are they even worth it anyway as it's only for departure and I've never had a huge wait lining up for IO.  Line should be even less with tourists using the self check gates

 

Since only one person ever saw the sign and most people don't read these posts, they would be unaware of any possibility of issues. But I agree with you, stay away from the auto gate until there there were many reports. 

[faranglaowai]

On 1/27/2024 at 11:12 AM, bamnutsak said:

 

Thanks for this update. 

 

Did you see the sign that the OP mentioned seeing?

 

"Per a sign at the airport, if you hold a re-entry permit, but exit the country through the automated gates, your re-entry permit will be cancelled."

 

 

No, I did not see the sign