So I am going to apply early ( can do 3 months before)this week for  a renewal of my retirement visa.But I have a re entry permit that doesn’t finish until December 2025.This re entry permit hasn’t been used yet but want to exit Thailand once I have my new retirement visa.Does my re entry permit become void once I apply for my new retirement visa?

Thanks

 

Reentry permit has an expiry date. 

That date will be your current extension stamp. 

You can exist and reenter Thailand provided it's prior to expiry date on your reentry permit. 

 

Obtaining a 12 month extension (it's not a visa) will change your admitted until date. 

It's added to expiry of current extension. 

 

3 months early is very unusual, 45 days early is the norm.

 

Your current re-entry permit is tied to the expiry date of your current permission of stay, so as long as you depart and return before that expiry date, you are good to go. Any permission of further stay from your new extension will start from the expiry date of your current extension. If you plan to leave, but return after the new extension start date, then you will need a new re-entry permit to cover that period.
 

8 hours ago, Hmunker said:

So I am going to apply early ( can do 3 months before)this week for  a renewal of my retirement visa

Thinking that's a typo. 

Most likely mean 30 days early. 

Most immigration offices allow for extension up to 30 days prior to expiry. 

Some eg CW, CM etc 45 days early. 

Agents can do up to 3 month prior. 

If I may add, from my personal experience years ago, at CW, I was applying for an extension, about five weeks prior to the 'valid until' date of the current one. I possessed a valid re-entry permit that was tied to the 'valid until' date of the current extension. 

 

I was thinking to take a trip abroad in the period between the date I was applying for, and granted, the new extension, planning to return by the 'until valid' date showing on the re-entry permit. I inquired now that I had a new extension whether I could still use that re-entry permit I still had, still showed as not used, for a trip abroad if I returned prior the stamp's 'valid until' date.

 

Nope, no can do I was told. I would have to get a new re-entry permit, the explanation being since I had a new extension I would need a re-entry permit that was tied to that extension.

 

That's my experience. Whether I was given wrong info on that, who knows? I don't know. At any rate, I just decided to get a new entry permit anyway, which would cover me for the trip in the next few weeks, just in case.

 

 

7 hours ago, rwilem said:

I possessed a valid re-entry permit that was tied to the 'valid until' date of the current extension.

This attached thread supports your experience. 

 @Hmunker 

Appears that if you obtain a new extension then your existing reentry permit is void and you would need to obtain another reentry permit if you plan to exit and reenter even within expiry date of reentry permit tied to previous extension. 

 

Perhaps @Tod Daniels will clarify. 

Now in THEORY, as long as you're entering the country on/before the date the re-entry permit expires (no matter what date you'll get stamped in until) it should be valid.
AND
this was proven as I had a friend who got his extension 45 days early at Chaengwattana, then had to go to the US a week later, DIDN'T buy a new re-entry permit and when he came back after 10 days (still before the old re-entry permit expired), he was stamped in until the expiration of his new extension 👍 

However with that being said, I have seen the immigration officers at immigrations (not at passport control) tell people that as soon as they get a new extension the re-entry permit that was tied to that extension is void and they need a new one (even though they don't void out the old re-entry permit when you get a new extension inked in..

I'd stop at the re-entry counter at the airport when they go to stamp out and ASK THEM if he should get a new re-entry permit or not 

I mean face it for 1000baht why even risk it ? 
 

13 hours ago, Tod Daniels said:

I mean face it for 1000baht why even risk it ? 

Exactly. This seems to be one of those 'gray areas', open to the  interpretation or even whim of the IO one might encounter.

 

13 hours ago, Tod Daniels said:

I'd stop at the re-entry counter at the airport when they go to stamp out and ASK THEM if he should get a new re-entry permit or not 

Even this might backfire. Being told one thing on the way out, ie, "it's OK".  (To use an unused re-entry permit, tied to an earlier extension.) Then coming back and being told another thing, ie, informed by the IO at the immigration booth "this re-entry permit is not valid". Then you are really up a creek.

On 9/23/2025 at 5:44 AM, DrJack54 said:

Appears that if you obtain a new extension then your existing reentry permit is void and you would need to obtain another reentry permit if you plan to exit and reenter even within expiry date of reentry permit tied to previous extension. 

Actually makes sense when you stop to think about it.

 

Example, if your current extension expired 15th November 2025, with a valid re-entry permit to the same date, but then you applied for a further extension early, now giving you permission to stay until 15th November 2026, but departed 17th October 2025, returning 2nd November 2025, the entry clearance IO would be faced with a situation of having a stamp granting permission of stay until 15th November 2026, but a re-entry permit only valid until 15th November 2025.

 

So yes, a new valid re-entry permit dated to 15th November 2026 should be obtained.

Thanks for all the replies to this.Here is the follow up.My visa agent in Pattaya said yes as soon as you get a new retirement visa ( 3 months before old one expires) the re entry permit that I got at the same time becomes void even though I haven’t used it.I went to Jomtien immigration and they confirmed this too.

 

So I have since got a renewed retirement visa and a few days later got a new re entry permit .

On 9/22/2025 at 5:54 PM, Liquorice said:

3 months early is very unusual, 45 days early is the norm.

 

 

 

been doing mine 3m early for past 7 years ........

1 hour ago, piston broke said:

 

been doing mine 3m early for past 7 years ........

Stop. 

Agents can process extensions up to 3 months early. It's part of the service. 

For others extensions can be obtained 45 days prior at few offices eg CW, CM, Phuket etc. 

At vast majority extensions can only be applied for up to 30 days early. 

You use agent. Congrats