Re-entry Permit Needed?

[sunnitimes]

Background: I have a valid multiple entry OA Visa issued on 05July2007 must be utilized before 04July2008. Arrived in BKK 07August2007 and plan to do a short trip to Luang Prabang in May so there will be a permitted to stay stamp of somewhere around 10May2008 (until 9May2009).

Issue: Traveling to the USA in June and returning to Bkk on 3July at about 11:10pm. If the plane is late, or if I am slow to get to immigration or the lines are long, will my current visa turn into a pumpkin at midnight and I be denied entry??

I was thinking of getting a re-entry permit as a form of insurance in case something went wrong. But if put down my arrival date on the application for the re-entry permit as 3Jul2008 then it would appear I do not need a re-entry and if I put down 4Jul2008 then that is not necessarily the truth and does not match my ticket. (I know I should have thought of this BEFORE I made the reservations!)

Any suggestions, guidance most appreciated.

[gzu88bv]

Background: I have a valid multiple entry OA Visa issued on 05July2007 must be utilized before 04July2008. Arrived in BKK 07August2007 and plan to do a short trip to Luang Prabang in May so there will be a permitted to stay stamp of somewhere around 10May2008 (until 9May2009).

Issue: Traveling to the USA in June and returning to Bkk on 3July at about 11:10pm. If the plane is late, or if I am slow to get to immigration or the lines are long, will my current visa turn into a pumpkin at midnight and I be denied entry??

I was thinking of getting a re-entry permit as a form of insurance in case something went wrong. But if put down my arrival date on the application for the re-entry permit as 3Jul2008 then it would appear I do not need a re-entry and if I put down 4Jul2008 then that is not necessarily the truth and does not match my ticket. (I know I should have thought of this BEFORE I made the reservations!)

Any suggestions, guidance most appreciated.

If I learned something from Lopburi3 in this thread I would say to play it safe, yes get a re-entry permit to keep at least that May 2009 permitted to stay stamp alive from your forthcoming trip to Luang Prabang. And by doing so why then not stay with the facts regarding your flight to the US.

If am not correct then Lopburi3 will certainly step in.

[lopburi3]

I would definitely play it safe and obtain a single re-entry permit prior to the US travel. If your plans do not slip enter the visa information onto the arrival card and hope for the best (they will probably give you a new year) but if not you will still have the re-entry permit to fall back on. Worst case would be they insist on using the re-entry date rather than the visa just because it is there; but believe that is unlikely.

[sunnitimes]

Thanks for the very sensible advice. The re-entry permit will bring at least the guarantee of re-entry and if all goes as scheduled may not be necessary. But always better to be safe!

[jstumbo]

I would put the visa number on the entry card, and put your documents in your passport on the page with your visa. Then they may not even see the re-entry permit if it is not needed and stamp you in for another 365 days. If it is too late, then you could use the re-entry permit.

[billd766]

Afew years ago whil on a Thai Wife support visa I went back to the UK and forgot to get a re-entry permit. The net result was that I was given a 30 VOA and had to go out of Thailand with all my paperwork (to Penang), get another 3 month Non Imm O visa and start all over again.

The earache I got from my wife was instrumental in always gettin a multi re-entry permit at 3,800 baht instead of 1,900 baht and I never get earache any more and life is easy.

If you are going for a re-entry permit, get a multi. It is twice the price and valid for the life of the visa.

[lopburi3]

A single re-entry is 1,000 baht not 1,900 baht.