Re-entry Permit Question

[AndrewB]

Hello! I'm currently staying in Thailand on a tourist visa. I have to leave the country for a week to see my family and so I was planning to get a re-entry permit at the airport. Does anybody know about how long this takes? I want to make sure I show up early enough.

[lopburi3]

It may take 20 minutes or more and takes place after you check-in for flight as you enter the immigration hall.

You do have a reason for wanting to obtain? Most use is for extension of stay holders as it only keeps your current permitted to stay date alive.

[Jimjim]

They also say to give an hour for that. At least the signs at the old airport said so. However, it's true it usually won't take longer than 30 minutes, though on occasion for me it did.

[mgjackson69]

TiT...you can never allow enough time for something.

Better to have a bit of time for browsing the duty-free or to enjoy an expensive beer after clearing Immigration and having obtained your re-entry permit, than to be standing in a queue looking at your watch, and hearing an aircraft depart and wondering if it is yours.

Allow an hour, you should be ok.

[AndrewB]

Great, thanks for the pointers. I'll definitely plan to show up a bit early. Mainly I just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to be standing in line for six hours while my flight left without me. Thanks!