Cancel A Reentry Permit?

[anathan]

I need to leave the country and return with a different kind of visa, but I have a reentry permit in my passport. Does anyone know whether it's possible to get rid of the reentry permit? If so, how? Thanks.

[lopburi3]

You would just not use it normally. So doing would end your current visa or visa extension stay. Expect you can visit the office that issued and ask if they can cancel if you feel it will be an issue at Consulate but believe Consulate would only be concerned if you had a valid visa.

[anathan]

So when I leave the country, I can just tell the immigration officers not to use the re-entry permit? I've never used one before, so I'm not sure how it works. Thanks.

[lopburi3]

You do not use them on exit - on return you would put that information into the visa area of your arrival card - but if you have a new visa you just put that information instead.

[anathan]

And there shouldn't be a problem getting a new visa if I have a reentry permit attached to an old one? Thanks again.

[lopburi3]

The re-entry is normally on an extension of stay rather than a visa - but should not be a problem in any case (as long as you do not enter the permit info on return).

[tombkk]

Just out of curiosity: If you have a valid extension of stay with a re-entry permit, why do you need another kind of visa? I am asking because it is often not necessary to leave the country and get a new visa. For example when you are a non-O for marriage and want to work, you don't need to get a non-B. Law just says "non-immigrant visa" and does not specify the category.

[terak69]

Just out of curiosity: If you have a valid extension of stay with a re-entry permit, why do you need another kind of visa? I am asking because it is often not necessary to leave the country and get a new visa. For example when you are a non-O for marriage and want to work, you don't need to get a non-B. Law just says "non-immigrant visa" and does not specify the category.

Correct - some non O visa's can be changed within Thaialnd - all depends on what you have now & where it was issued :jap:

[MaartenK]

I need to leave every three months to get a new Non-Immigrant B visa. Sometimes I do this just before the old re-entry permit expires. On return at Suvarnabumi, the immigration officers are often puzzled what to do, as I have a re-entry permit that is still valid for a few days and a new single entry visa. I have to explain that I want to cancel the old re-entry permit and use the new one. Sometimes they call a colleague/superior. Might take a minute or so, but it has never been a problem. In the end they just stamp the new one and cancel the old one.

[ianh68]

On a related issue, if you paid for a re-entry permit and then decided to postpone your trip abroad for a year, could you either exchange the old unused permit for a new one or else apply for a refund?

[lopburi3]

No.

[anathan]

Just out of curiosity: If you have a valid extension of stay with a re-entry permit, why do you need another kind of visa? I am asking because it is often not necessary to leave the country and get a new visa. For example when you are a non-O for marriage and want to work, you don't need to get a non-B. Law just says "non-immigrant visa" and does not specify the category.

Because I may be quitting my job, and at the time I posted, I wasn't sure whether I could count on my employer to provide the letter I'd need to cancel the visa properly at immigration. I wanted to be sure I could fly out, get a tourist visa, and then fly back in without any problems.

It now seems, though, that my employer will handle the cancellation for me, if I do in fact quit. So the point may be moot.

Thanks to everyone for the replies.

[tombkk]

Just out of curiosity: If you have a valid extension of stay with a re-entry permit, why do you need another kind of visa? I am asking because it is often not necessary to leave the country and get a new visa. For example when you are a non-O for marriage and want to work, you don't need to get a non-B. Law just says "non-immigrant visa" and does not specify the category.

Because I may be quitting my job, and at the time I posted, I wasn't sure whether I could count on my employer to provide the letter I'd need to cancel the visa properly at immigration. I wanted to be sure I could fly out, get a tourist visa, and then fly back in without any problems.

It now seems, though, that my employer will handle the cancellation for me, if I do in fact quit. So the point may be moot.

Thanks to everyone for the replies.

You have to report to immigration when you stop working (on your last day of employment, I believe), and your employer has to give you the letter. If they cancel the extension of stay for you, good. But if they don't give you the letter or the PND 1 (proving that they paid your income taxes), you are in trouble. They really cannot refuse it.

Once you report to immigration that you don't work any more, your extension of stay - and your re-entry permit! - will be cancelled immediately. You have 24 hours to leave the country, or can apply for an extension of 7 days.

Therefore, your worries about cancelling the re-entry permit were unnecessary from the beginning.

[Mario2008]

The OP wasn't sure if his employer would provide a letter from immigration. Immigration might do it without such letter, but you can't count on it. They can demand proof of when the employment ended, to check if someone is on overstay or not.

[anathan]

Yes, my concern was not so much about the employer refusing to provide the letter as it was about them simply not being competent enough to do so. My impression (could be wrong) is that an uncanceled extension of stay would prevent me from leaving by land but not by air.

Again, though, this is largely moot, because it seems the employer is indeed taking care of the paperwork.