Forgot Re-entry Permit....

[Crimson]

Hello everyone,

I am here in Thailand on a Non-B visa with a valid work permit (all of which I had recently renewed ). However, and the reasons why are not important, I had NOT gotten a re-entry permit before leaving the country to return to the U.S. over the holidays. It is my understanding that my visa is now invalid, and that I need to go through the application process again. I have the following questions:

1.) Has anyone else ever done this, and do you have some advice to offer???

2.) Where is the FASTEST place that I can get a Non-B visa (as I have to take unpaid leave to take care of this...I have Mondays off, and I would prefer to not have to miss more than one day of work, meaning Tuesday.....)??

3.) How much does it cost to get a new Non-B visa (my school paid for my last two visas, so I don't know anything about the fees....ugh.....)

4.) I haven't gotten a clear answer on this question: do I also need to get a completely new work permit??

5.) Is it possible AT ALL to get a new visa without leaving Thailand??

Thanks for any help you may be able to provide (the sooner the better, as this is a time-sensitive issue and my visa-on-arrival expires Feb. 3rd!!). I would like to assure you all....I'm not a complete idiot, I just wasn't completely clear on this whole process .

MANY, MANY, MANY THANKS in advance for your help!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ubonjoe]

If your company can give you all the documentation you might be able to get a change of visa status at immigration. They would issue a B visa and then you would be able to get an extension. Total cost 3900 bhat.

That is the only way to do it without leaving and getting a new visa at a Thai consulate.

Your work permit may still be good but I am not that familiear with all those rules.

[Maestro]

...I am here in Thailand on a Non-B visa with a valid work permit (all of which I had recently renewed ). However, and the reasons why are not important, I had NOT gotten a re-entry permit before leaving the country to return to the U.S. over the holidays. It is my understanding that my visa is now invalid, and that I need to go through the application process again...

You say your are here, ie in Thailand, on a non-B visa, which I take to mean that you returned from your visit to the US with a non-B visa and on arrival in Thailand received permission to stay for 90 days. All you need to do now is apply for and extension of stay for the reason of employment.

--

Maestro

[satiariyan]

I am here in Thailand on a Non-B visa with a valid work permit

...

Where is the FASTEST place that I can get a Non-B visa (as I have to take unpaid leave to take care of this...I have Mondays off)

Your situation isn't clear at all, but it sounds like your aren't "here in Thailand on a Non-B visa". If you were, you would have gotten a stamp allowing you to stay 3 months when you entered after the holidays --- and if that's the case: why would you need to get a Non-B fast?... So what kind of stamp did you get at your latest entry? - If not 3 months, you can't possibly have been working legally since your last entry inasmuch as it requires a non-immigrant visa to be allowed to work (regardless of whether or not one may be in posession of a workpermit with valid dates).

[ubonjoe]

Your situation isn't clear at all, but it sounds like your aren't "here in Thailand on a Non-B visa". If you were, you would have gotten a stamp allowing you to stay 3 months when you entered after the holidays --- and if that's the case: why would you need to get a Non-B fast?... So what kind of stamp did you get at your latest entry? - If not 3 months, you can't possibly have been working legally since your last entry inasmuch as it requires a non-immigrant visa to be allowed to work (regardless of whether or not one may be in posession of a workpermit with valid dates).

He was not on a visa he was on a one year extension of stay based upon work.

So he needed a re-entry permit to come back into the country. As soon as he left his extension went away.

[satiariyan]

He was not on a visa he was on a one year extension of stay based upon work.

So he needed a re-entry permit to come back into the country. As soon as he left his extension went away.

You may be right as far as OP is concerned and I won't participate in guessing games on that. However, your statement isn't universally true. For example: one would also need a reentry permit to keep a 3 months stamp obtained at the airport when entering on a single entry non-immigrant visa alive, if leaving.

[astral]

For example: one would also need a reentry permit to keep a 3 months stamp obtained at the airport when entering on a single entry non-immigrant visa alive, if leaving.

That is correct.

Any entry stamp automatically expires when you leave the country,

UNLESS you have obtained a re-entry permit.

Re-entry permits can be obtained for any type of visa category.

[ubonjoe]

He was not on a visa he was on a one year extension of stay based upon work.

So he needed a re-entry permit to come back into the country. As soon as he left his extension went away.

You may be right as far as OP is concerned and I won't participate in guessing games on that. However, your statement isn't universally true. For example: one would also need a reentry permit to keep a 3 months stamp obtained at the airport when entering on a single entry non-immigrant visa alive, if leaving.

I refering strictly to the OP's case.

A re-entry permit can be issued for the length of any permit to stay (except visa exempt entries). That would allow the holder of that permit to re-enter for the length of it's validity.

[samuibeachcomber]

my reading of the OP is upon re-entry the immigration at the airport cancelled his B visa cos he forgot to get a re entry permit in his PP before he left thailand and gave him a 30 day visa.So now he's asking the quickest way to get his B visa back either going out of the country during his 30 day stamp,or getting the B back inside thailand.

2 years ago the same happened to me only with my retirement extension.immigration told me i had to outside the country get a90 day tourist visa cos i had to re season my money.

[satiariyan]

... upon re-entry the immigration at the airport cancelled his B visa cos he forgot to get a re entry permit in his PP before he left thailand and gave him a 30 day visa.

Just to add to the clarity: - He may have a multiple entry visa that weren't expired, so that he actually "is here on a non-B visa" and got 3 months at his entry. Who knows?

[ubonjoe]

Thanks for any help you may be able to provide (the sooner the better, as this is a time-sensitive issue and my visa-on-arrival expires Feb. 3rd!!).

Just to add to the clarity: - He may have a multiple entry visa that weren't expired, so that he actually "is here on a non-B visa" and got 3 months at his entry. Who knows?

If he had a multiple entry visa he would not of needed a visa exempt entry when he arrived which he mistakenly calls a visa on arrival.

He was on a one year extension of stay based upon employment not a visa. His visa probably expired long before he left.

[Crimson]

Thanks for any help you may be able to provide (the sooner the better, as this is a time-sensitive issue and my visa-on-arrival expires Feb. 3rd!!).

Just to add to the clarity: - He may have a multiple entry visa that weren't expired, so that he actually "is here on a non-B visa" and got 3 months at his entry. Who knows?

If he had a multiple entry visa he would not of needed a visa exempt entry when he arrived which he mistakenly calls a visa on arrival.

He was on a one year extension of stay based upon employment not a visa. His visa probably expired long before he left.

Yes, allow me to clarify......I received a one year extension of my visa. I previously had a one year visa (and a valid re-entry permit!!), which expired in November. I therefore had to go through the process of renewing both my visa and my work permit recently. Last time that I got my visa and re-entry permit (and when it came time to renew both), the school hired someone to take care of everything, so all I really had to do was show up and immigration and sign papers. They also helped me with my re-entry permit last time. This time, they did not help me with my re-entry permit (probably because they assumed that I knew that I had to do that on my own, but I had mistakenly assumed it had been taken care of.....anyway, the reasons are not important and I clearly made a STUPID mistake....), so when I left the country, I did NOT have a valid re-entry permit in my passport, and so my one year extension became invalid. I need to get a new Non-B visa, and so my question is in regards to the process of doing that. But Ubonjoe has it right....my visa expired in November, and now my one-year extension is invalid, and I'm hoping that there's a way for me to take care of this without having to leave the country. Or, if I DO have to apply at a consulate outside of Thailand, does anyone know how long that process takes?? Or where is the best place to do it??

THANKS!!

Edited January 10, 2009 by Crimson

[ubonjoe]

But Ubonjoe has it right....my visa expired in November, and now my one-year extension is invalid, and I'm hoping that there's a way for me to take care of this without having to leave the country. Or, if I DO have to apply at a consulate outside of Thailand, does anyone know how long that process takes?? Or where is the best place to do it??

THANKS!!

Go back and read my first post. You should get all the documents that were required when you got the extension in November and go to immigration and try to get a change of visa status. If you can get that done you will not have to get a new visa at a consulate.

If you have to get a visa. Vientiane would issue a single entry B with all the required documents and would be the least expensive trip. You apply the morning of one day and get your passport with visa back the next afternoon.

[Crimson]

But Ubonjoe has it right....my visa expired in November, and now my one-year extension is invalid, and I'm hoping that there's a way for me to take care of this without having to leave the country. Or, if I DO have to apply at a consulate outside of Thailand, does anyone know how long that process takes?? Or where is the best place to do it??

THANKS!!

Go back and read my first post. You should get all the documents that were required when you got the extension in November and go to immigration and try to get a change of visa status. If you can get that done you will not have to get a new visa at a consulate.

If you have to get a visa. Vientiane would issue a single entry B with all the required documents and would be the least expensive trip. You apply the morning of one day and get your passport with visa back the next afternoon.

I'm sorry I keep asking the same questions over again, but I just want to make sure....

So it IS possible to get a change in visa status here in Thailand?? That is reassuring.....

And if it is NOT, I know that Vientiane can issue a 60 day tourist visa in one day (as in, dropping off the passport in the morning and picking it up the next afternoon), but is the same true for the single entry B visa?? And once I have that visa, do I need to go to immigration here in Thailand to make it a multiple entry visa?? And my first visa was a Non-B....can I get a Non-B in Laos as well, or only a B??

Again....I'm sorry for the silly questions. Thank you for your responses thus far

[ubonjoe]

I'm sorry I keep asking the same questions over again, but I just want to make sure....

So it IS possible to get a change in visa status here in Thailand?? That is reassuring.....

And if it is NOT, I know that Vientiane can issue a 60 day tourist visa in one day (as in, dropping off the passport in the morning and picking it up the next afternoon), but is the same true for the single entry B visa?? And once I have that visa, do I need to go to immigration here in Thailand to make it a multiple entry visa?? And my first visa was a Non-B....can I get a Non-B in Laos as well, or only a B??

Again....I'm sorry for the silly questions. Thank you for your responses thus far

Yes it is possible to do a change of visa status. In your case since you have already gotten an extension and lost it the chances are very great that you will get it.

See this webpage on immigration website and click the box beside change visa and then select the correct catagory (IE browser needed). http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en/ba...hp?page=service

Vientiane does all visas in the same amount of time.

You will get a single entry non immigrant B visa you can then go to immigration and get another one year extension of stay. It is not a visa.