Re-Entry Permits Are Again Available At Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Departure Hall.

[SailingHome]

Found on visa-run service Web site. Can anyone clue me in what I can use this for? "Re-entry permits are again available at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, departure hall."

Cheers,

- J

[Carib]

If you read the information in the link provided, I am sure it will be more clear what a reentry permit is for.

http://www.thaivisa.com/346.0.html

[SailingHome]

You are awesome, Carib! Thx.

[TerryLH]

Was that info dated, or is it something that's been there awhile and you just saw it, making it new?

[SailingHome]

Was that info dated, or is it something that's been there awhile and you just saw it, making it new?

New to me. I never considered leaving for anything other than a visa. I'd never admit it for me, but finding a place to live until death without having to do the visas is appealing to a lot of people I know. Not realistic, but I see their point.

[lopburi3]

Do you understand that a re-entry permit only keeps your current allowed time alive - it does not renew it or allow you to stay any longer? It is what those on one year extensions of stay must have if they wish to travel and return to continue using there current one year permitted to stay - it will not make that stay longer.

[SailingHome]

Yes, thanks. I assumed it is not an extender. Like I said, I never thought of leaving for anything but a visa run, so never looked in to how to keep my visa and still leave.

[FergusMPower]

1,200 baht - wait 45 minutes for processing. Allow 1 hour at least for the process. Don't need photos any longer (digital). Desk is open 0600 -2400 hrs

Much smoother operation now than a year or so ago. The Immigration Officer will allow you to start queuing for Immigration desk, and have someone hand-deliver your completed re-entry permit/passport to you while in line. Brilliant.

[KosteleckeParky]

1,200 baht - wait 45 minutes for processing. Allow 1 hour at least for the process. Don't need photos any longer (digital). Desk is open 0600 -2400 hrs

Much smoother operation now than a year or so ago. The Immigration Officer will allow you to start queuing for Immigration desk, and have someone hand-deliver your completed re-entry permit/passport to you while in line. Brilliant.

Thanks for the information , good to know

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

A bit of an update here:

Don't expect the airport re-entry permit desk to give you a new one, if you're on an outbound international flight with your last valid re-entry permit stamp already in your passport.

Earlier this week, I had an outbound international flight from Suvarnabhumi, and had a single-entry re-entry permit already in my passport that I'd obtained at the same time as my annual extention of stay processing some months back.

Since I knew I'd be using that single-entry re-entry permit on my return flight back, I was hoping to buy another single-entry permit at the airport desk on my way out... so I'd have another re-entry permit to use for any other future international trips in the coming months.

Went to the re-entry desk, and found a Thai woman and guy staff there. Asked in Thai if they spoke/understood English. The woman answered in Thai no they didn't. So I had my Thai wife, who was with me, show them my passport and explain what I had and wanted to do. The woman said NO, they wouldn't allow me to buy a new re-entry permit, since I already had one in my passport.

That makes no sense to me at all. If they're there and manning a re-entry permit desk, why in the world could they not allow me to purchase another single-use permit for future travel???

So now instead of getting a new one while waiting for my outbound flight, I'll have to make a separate trip to Suan Plu (a couple of hours) or Chaeng Wattana (half a day's trip) just to accomplish the same thing.

It seems a senseless waste, and a waste of staff at the airport, who were just sitting there and not doing anything when I arrived seeking a new permit.

[Mario2008]

That has always been the policy at the airport. They only issue a re-entry permit when you have a flight out and haved checked-in at the airline and have been handed your boarding pass.

It is a last resort, in all other cases you have to go to your immigration office.

[true blue]

A bit of an update here:

Don't expect the airport re-entry permit desk to give you a new one, if you're on an outbound international flight with your last valid re-entry permit stamp already in your passport.

Earlier this week, I had an outbound international flight from Suvarnabhumi, and had a single-entry re-entry permit already in my passport that I'd obtained at the same time as my annual extention of stay processing some months back.

Since I knew I'd be using that single-entry re-entry permit on my return flight back, I was hoping to buy another single-entry permit at the airport desk on my way out... so I'd have another re-entry permit to use for any other future international trips in the coming months.

Went to the re-entry desk, and found a Thai woman and guy staff there. Asked in Thai if they spoke/understood English. The woman answered in Thai no they didn't. So I had my Thai wife, who was with me, show them my passport and explain what I had and wanted to do. The woman said NO, they wouldn't allow me to buy a new re-entry permit, since I already had one in my passport.

That makes no sense to me at all. If they're there and manning a re-entry permit desk, why in the world could they not allow me to purchase another single-use permit for future travel???

So now instead of getting a new one while waiting for my outbound flight, I'll have to make a separate trip to Suan Plu (a couple of hours) or Chaeng Wattana (half a day's trip) just to accomplish the same thing.

It seems a senseless waste, and a waste of staff at the airport, who were just sitting there and not doing anything when I arrived seeking a new permit.

why didnt you get a multi re entry permit first time,save time and money by the looks of it.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

That has always been the policy at the airport. They only issue a re-entry permit when you have a flight out and haved checked-in at the airline and have been handed your boarding pass.

It is a last resort, in all other cases you have to go to your immigration office.

Your answer, Mario, misses the point of my post above...

I did have a flight out that day...had checked in with my intl airline and did have my boarding pass... all the things you mention.

But they wouldn't give me a re-entry permit because I already had a single-entry one in my passport (even though it was about to be used/canceled on my return flight back into Thailand).

[Mario2008]

You already had a re-entry permit, so there was no need to issue one to you. It is a last resort service.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

why didnt you get a multi re entry permit first time,save time and money by the looks of it.

Simple answer to that.... The single use re-entry permits cost 1000 baht. The multi use (unlimited) re-entry permit costs 3800 baht, both for the duration of your one-year extension of stay.

Thus a multi-use re-entry permit only makes economic sense (compared to buying single use permits) if you're making 4 or more international trips during the duration of your extension.

In my case, I'd only made one intl trip half way thru my yearly extension, and at most would plan on making one more intl trip during the remainder of my current extension. Thus, that would be 2000 baht (two 1000 baht permits) compared to 3800 for a multi-use one.

Even if I ended up making a third intl trip, which I don't expect since I might not even make a second trip during my current extension, the cost of individual permits would still be 3000 baht compared to 3800.

As a general practice, I always like/want to keep an unused re-entry permit in my passport just in case I need to make a sudden, unexpected intl trip for some reason (and not excited to be relying on the airport re-entry permits desk).

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

You already had a re-entry permit, so there was no need to issue one to you. It is a last resort service.

Yes, that's right...

But my point was, Immigration has the staff assigned there... They're sitting there picking their noses doing nothing..

Why couldn't/shouldn't they be willing to allow me to BUY a re-entry permit from them, since the one I already have is going to be used/canceled on my return trip?

It seems like kind of a pointless, counterproductive restriction.

[Mario2008]

The airport is not a regular immigration office.

It would be easier if you could just get a re-entry permit at any border before leaving, making things much easier. Unfortnately that is not current policy and they want you to apply at your local immigration office.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

they want you to apply at your local immigration office.

Except when they open a single-purpose Immigration desk at the airport, open from early morning to late night, whose only purpose and job is to sell re-entry permits to exiting travelers who don't already have one in their passports...

But for some inexplicable reason NOT to sell a re-entry permit to people who already have a soon-to-be-used re-entry permit but want to obtain an additional one to replace the one that will shortly be used/canceled.

Immigration at the airport is still enforcing their rule that they'll only issue re-entry permits to those heading out on an international flight on the day of their departure...and only the day of their departure. So it's not like they're opening the airport desk to all-comers in BKK.

But the added restriction about not willing to sell a new re-entry permit to someone who already has one that soon will be voided makes no common sense.

Edited April 2, 2012 by TallGuyJohninBKK