Will Sadao immigration let me re-enter Thailand the same day?

[simon43]

A radio amateur friend in Malaysia has a used antenna that he is selling to me.  Import of any kind of antenna is controlled by Thai customs and only allowed by businesses with an import permit. (I have encountered this problem several times and it has cost me, since they will not issue an import permit to an individual).

 

However, hand-carrying a few pieces of aluminium antenna tubing though land or air borders has never been a problem 🙂

 

My plan is to drive to Sadao tomorrow from my home in south Thailand, get a re-entry permit for my O 'retirement' visa, enter Malaysia, meet my friend, collect the antenna and then return through Sadao crossing the same day.

 

Will Sadao immigration allow this?  I can stay one night in a hotel on the Malaysia side if this helps and return to Thailand the next day.

[Tod Daniels]

Unless I'm mistaken you can't BUY a re-entry permit at that border crossing and you'd have to have one before you show up to stamp out (although I freely admit I could be wrong) 🙂

On a valid yearly extension (which is what you have (not any visa) with a re-entry permit you SHOULD be able to exit/re-enter the same day because you're not trying to border bounce to add time to your stay here (like people do who bounce out/back to get free stamps for 60 day). You hold a valid extension w/re-entry and can come and go without much problem. 

I would certainly check IF you can get a re-entry permit at the border crossing before you slog down there 🙂 OR have that person come into thailand and get the stuff from you AT the border but on the thai side 

[simon43]

31 minutes ago, Tod Daniels said:

Unless I'm mistaken you can't BUY a re-entry permit at that border crossing and you'd have to have one before you show up to stamp out (although I freely admit I could be wrong) 🙂

On a valid yearly extension (which is what you have (not any visa) with a re-entry permit you SHOULD be able to exit/re-enter the same day because you're not trying to border bounce to add time to your stay here (like people do who bounce out/back to get free stamps for 60 day). You hold a valid extension w/re-entry and can come and go without much problem. 

I would certainly check IF you can get a re-entry permit at the border crossing before you slog down there 🙂 OR have that person come into thailand and get the stuff from you AT the border but on the thai side 

Thanks.  I just phoned Sadao immigration and they tell me that they issue re-entry permits for O visa holders 🙂  So I should be fine.

 

I'll report back later as to the outcome.

[DrJack54]

46 minutes ago, simon43 said:

Import of any kind of antenna is controlled by Thai customs and only allowed by businesses with an import permit

So all this for a sus antenna import. 

[Tod Daniels]

26 minutes ago, simon43 said:

I just phoned Sadao immigration and they tell me that they issue re-entry permits for O visa holders

Good to know, not every border checkpoint sells re-entry permits (for instance up north in Nong Khai at the Lao border they have the re-entry permit place about 5km before the border in a little office 😮) 

Safe travels sir 👍

[simon43]

52 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

So all this for a sus antenna import. 

I know.. I once ordered a small wire antenna from the USA, consisting of some fibreglass supports and the wire.  The company had to use the correct customs tariff code for antennas on their declaration.  To avoid problems, that company also offered a premium payment to prepay all import tax and customs 'hassles'.  I paid that but the customs saw the 'red flag' word "antenna" on the customs declaration and confiscated to package because I didn't have a business import licence (for 1 wire antenna and some fibreglass supports).

 

So I told Thai customs to send it back to the sender....

 

"No can do" was their reply.  "You need an export licence for antennas" !!!

 

Luckily, I persuaded the sending company to refund me anyway, on the basis that Thai Customs were being dickheads....

 

This is why I usually build all my antennas myself, but this guy in Malaysia lives near Sadao and it means that I get a professional antenna, as opposed to the tangles of wire that I usually build 🙂

[simon43]

Well, early this morning, I drove down to Sadao.  I asked a security guy where I should park my car, since I wasn't driving into Malaysia. He indicated a parking spot for me 🙂 Then I was able to get a re-entry permit from a nice female immigration officer, who told me that since I was on an O visa, and not doing a visa run,  I could return the same day.

 

I took a motorbike taxi down to Malaysia immigration, and had no problems to get stamped in.  After toing and froing, I finally located my Malaysian friend Surprisingly, I had no Thai mobile network signal just 1km into Malaysia - that caused some problems to find each other.

 

I collected the radio antenna and took a minivan service back towards Thai immigration.  At Malaysian immigration, they inspected the box very carefully, presumably checking for contraband or drugs. 

 

However, I had shoved all of those up my backside, so no problem! (That is my British sense of humour...)

 

I got stamped out of Malaysia and went the short distance to Thai immigration.  Of course, I had forgotten about the new TDAC card!  So I stood at the rather quiet immigration office, scanning the QR code and entering my personal details.

 

Well, it wouldn't accept my O visa number.  I tried different formats but it wouldn't have it.  So I asked the female Thai immigration officer.  She gruffly pointed me to a 'service guy' (ie tout), who was outside.  "You pay me, I can get you into Thailand" he said.  "No I don't pay you" I said "'cos I have a valid visa".  Note that this wasn't about returning on the same day - that wasn't an issue.

 

So I went back to the Thai immigration officer and politely told her in Thai that the TDAC website still wouldn't accept my visa number.  At this she started shouting at me.

 

Now, I am somewhat old-fashioned, and rather old, and IMHO there was no reason to shout at me.  I also understand to keep cool in Thailand when talking with IOs, but this woman was a prize moron.  So I shouted back at her that the TDAC website wasn't working.  We went back and forth with shouting, much to the amusement of the other people standing around!  Seeing that I would get nowhere with her, I looked in an office behind her and found 3 lovely young Thai ladies to whom I explained my problem.

 

"We know" they said.  "The TDAC system is offline today!!!"

 

Well, go tell that idiot IO...... I thought.

 

Anyway, a nice male IO in the office processed my entry into Thailand manually, but he scrutinised all of my Burmese and Lao visas.  I guess he was checking if they were 'visa-run' stamps, but they were all business visas.

 

The Thai customer didn't even look at my antenna - there was no customs officer at the desk...

 

I'm staying tonight in Sadao in what seems to be some sort of cheap brothel 🙂 Back to home with a leisurely drive tomorrow morning.

[Nick Carter icp]

On 5/24/2025 at 4:00 AM, simon43 said:

However, hand-carrying a few pieces of aluminium antenna tubing though land or air borders has never been a problem

 

  Are you going to smuggle those illegal antennas  into Thailand through the Sadao check point  ?

[KhaoHom]

I doubt this helps it was so long ago. 2000-09 I did it routinely. Walked over and back.

 

Just go to Penang. Good food

 

Yeah, wouldn't be xing a border with radio equipment 🤯🤯🤯

[simon43]

12 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

  Are you going to smuggle those illegal antennas  into Thailand through the Sadao check point  ?

I smuggled nothing - it was all declared and now in my car in Sadao 🙂

[simon43]

1 minute ago, KhaoHom said:

I doubt this helps it was so long ago. 2000-09 I did it routinely. Walked over and back.

 

Just go to Penang. Good food

Doesn't help, I had to use Sadao to meet my Malaysian radio ham friend who was selling me the antenna 🙂

[KhaoHom]

4 minutes ago, simon43 said:

Doesn't help, I had to use Sadao to meet my Malaysian radio ham friend who was selling me the antenna 🙂

 

Meet him in Penang. Take the train to HY and minivan to Penang. Far less dodgy than handing radio equipment off in a border area ...

 

Never mind all these cross border telecommunications scams that are legion in the country 5555

 

It's very easy for Malaysians to come to Thailand just have them come stay the night and visit you in HY. No reduce your risk to nothing.

[simon43]

12 minutes ago, KhaoHom said:

 

Meet him in Penang. Take the train to HY and minivan to Penang. Far less dodgy than handing radio equipment off in a border area ...

 

Never mind all these cross border telecommunications scams that are legion in the country 5555

 

It's very easy for Malaysians to come to Thailand just have them come stay the night and visit you in HY. No reduce your risk to nothing.

Er right, I'll remember all that next time and tell this guy (who lives 5km from Sadao, to go to Penang...  I have a Thai ham licence for more than 20 years, so nothing dodgy about this.

 

What on earth has cross-border telecom scams go to do with hand-carrying 4 pieces of aluminium tubing???