Re Entry Permit At Airport.

[Ned]

Last time I flew out of CM I noticed you could get a re entry permit just inside the departure area.....before going through immigration. It took me more than 2 hours at the overcrowded CM imm office the other day just to do the 90 day report! .....so I'm thinking that if I could get myself a re entry permit at the airport (without leaving the country....I'm going in April) then that would save me from having to return to the immigration horror office.

I could try in April when I leave the country but I wouldn't want to trust them to be open on that day. In any case I always like to have one in my passport in case a quick exit is required.

Thanks

[Mario2008]

Immigration at airports is officially only allowed to issue in case of an emergency. As a result, you can only get one after you have checked-in for your flight (but the don't check for an emergency).

That is at least how it works in BKK, and i suspect that CM-airport is the same. (CM-airport immigraiton doesn't fall under CM-immigration, instead they fall under immigration division 2 that is charged with all airports).

[zippydedodah]

i have never used the re-entry process at airport, but i have spoken with them twice... enquiring about hours and such...both times they just told me they are always open and can issue permit without problem.... no mention of emergency or such.... but as i recall, the place to do the re-entry permit is after you go thru immigration control upstairs... so you can't just casually drop in and get a permit.

but hey, TIT and many things are possible....

[eyecatcher]

Immigration at airports is officially only allowed to issue in case of an emergency. As a result, you can only get one after you have checked-in for your flight (but the don't check for an emergency).

That is at least how it works in BKK, and i suspect that CM-airport is the same. (CM-airport immigraiton doesn't fall under CM-immigration, instead they fall under immigration division 2 that is charged with all airports).

That is interesting, I was/will throw in a new thread about my experience recently CNX-BKK but part of that was the Immi office there. They were offering a 30 day re entry for 1000bt and 3800bt for multi entry...and the point i will be making is the lady taking my overstay fine at that time said it would have been cheaper for me to pay for a re entry than pay the fine.

Now, yes I already had a flight ticket to bkk and subsequently out of Thailand......but for travellers just going to bkk with a flight ticket, they would normally go through different area (domestic flights) and there is no immi office in domestic areas.

I think on reflection the Immi officer may have been having a laff with me...or can we get a re entry there.....they were certainly advertising it on lage posters....for whom??

[hellodolly]

Occasionally it can take a couple of hours at the immigration to get a 90 day report. The longest it ever took me was a hour and a half and that was because I showed up at 10:30 n the morning. Generally speaking the afternoons go rather quickly.

The last time I renewed my retirement visa I was there until around 2:30 and I noticed they had serviced over 80 people and people were just standing there waiting for the occasional new one to come in.

If time is that important to you just mail it in. I believe there is a pined topic on that and for sure some will be here telling you how and the occasional one where it got lost in the mail but they easily straightened it out.

[NancyL]

Recently, I was at the airport helping someone leave the country and asked about re-entry permits with the Immigration counter on the ground level. I wanted to take care of that for him a day ahead of departure. They told me that the actual re-entry permits are done at the Immigration counter inside the security clearance for an outbound International flight.

So, you can't obtain a re-entry permit at the airport unless you're checked-in for an international flight.

Edit: this was the story a month ago, they keep changing the procedure and hours of operation at the airport

[eyecatcher]

Recently, I was at the airport helping someone leave the country and asked about re-entry permits with the Immigration counter on the ground level. I wanted to take care of that for him a day ahead of departure. They told me that the actual re-entry permits are done at the Immigration counter inside the security clearance for an outbound International flight.

So, you can't obtain a re-entry permit at the airport unless you're checked-in for an international flight.

Edit: this was the story a month ago, they keep changing the procedure and hours of operation at the airport

Under what circumstance would anyone want one then? If you are leaving the country then if you want 30 days max, you get that on a tourist stamp for free (immi want 1000bt) and for a multi entry which is 3 trips of 60 days; for 3800bt you may aswell get a new visa in another country whcih will have another life of 6 months.....chances are if you have a single/double or triple tourist already then the dates of it will expire before you can use your re entries.

There cant be that many people using the system; yet they are desperate to sell you one " get your re entry here in less than 10 minutes" seriously that what it says..

[onthedarkside]

Anyone with a one year extension must have a re-entry permit to preserve that extension. So it's very important for many people taking a short trip out of Thailand.

[eyecatcher]

Thanks for clarifying...useful after all then.

[NancyL]

Yes, most of my "peer group" are people on one-year retirement extensions. Frankly, for some of them, I don't think it's a good idea to return, but they want to "keep the visa alive".

[cnx355]

Posted 2012-10-25 15:56:45

Last time I flew out of CM I noticed you could get a re entry permit just inside the departure area.....before going through immigration.

I took this photo in April last year on the second floor of the international departure area at Chiangmai Airport . The re-entry permit desk was a few meters before the Immigration counter that give access the international departure area.

There was an officer on duty.

[MilesCh]

For what it's worth:

1) I have had a fetirement visa for perhaps 7 years. Not once have I registered for the "90-day residence certificate, until the past week. In the past I have returned as many as 3 times in a "visa year" and have never been

[MilesCh]

Perhaps a bit off the subject: I have had a residence visa for 7 years, 4 of which have been multiple re-entry. Never once have I registered for a Residence Certificate and have never been questioned upon re-entry a 3rd time in a visa year. I understand that in the past this was done in the local police station, but is now done at an immigration office. 2 weeks ago I went to CM immigration at 1500 hrs and was told they were fully booked. So went again this past week and it took about 45 minutes. (Very crowded which I would attribute to their new method of having to walk in through the crowd, then walk out and wait, walk back in and hand in your form, then walk out again and wait; plus it's the same old office with limited parking space and limited counter space and personnel -- and difficult to depart on the highway!)

2) Now question that once I've registered, I'm in the data base and will pay the hefty if don't re-register ?? Is it all in one data base? Or not, if I don't re-register does it simply disappear from the record?

3) I've never noticed the window for re-entry when departing, but then again I never looked for it -- my eyes are straight forward to where I'm going. I've seen several comments on the forum regarding 90-day renewals, some of which apparently pertain to residence visas. If so and if all residence visas are valid for 1 year, why would there ever be need for a 90-day renewal, except perhaps for someone who doesn't have a multiple and needs to leave in an emergency? Or of course, for those on a 30 or so tourist visa and want to return for 90 days?

[Pond Life]

Has anyone got a multiple re-entry permit from Chiang Mai Airport recently ?

I just had a hassle exiting from Phuket.

They would only give a single & said it was for emergency only.

I got one at CM Airport Sept 2012, fast & no problem.

Thanks

[Pond Life]

As I didnt get any answers here, I went & got some answers myself.

I just re-entered thru Don Muang, I asked the Immigration officer if it was possible to get a multi reentry when exiting there,

She said yes, no problem & couldnt understand why Phuket wouldnt do it.

Then flew onwards to CNX, popped upstairs to talk to Immigration there.

Yes, multi entry no problem if you have a boarding card for an international flight.

Again they had no idea why Phuket wouldnt do it.

Moral of the storey, dont exit thru Phuket unless you have your multi re-entry permit already.

[cloudhopper]

No the moral is stay completely away from Phuket unless there is no other option.

[scorecard]

As I didnt get any answers here, I went & got some answers myself.

I just re-entered thru Don Muang, I asked the Immigration officer if it was possible to get a multi reentry when exiting there,

She said yes, no problem & couldnt understand why Phuket wouldnt do it.

Then flew onwards to CNX, popped upstairs to talk to Immigration there.

Yes, multi entry no problem if you have a boarding card for an international flight.

Again they had no idea why Phuket wouldnt do it.

Moral of the storey, dont exit thru Phuket unless you have your multi re-entry permit already.

Interesting. Here's my scenario coming soon:

- Fly Nok Air CM to Don Muang (CM domestic departure)

- Next day depart Don Muang by AirAsia for Ho Chi Mien city.

So I wonder if my AirAsia itinerary, for the day after flying CM to Don Muang, with seat numbers stated, be recognized as a boarding pass and therefore allow me to get the exit / re-entry stamp at CM airport?

Maybe better to just get the exit / re-entry fixed in advance.

[Pond Life]

I dont think they will give it a day in advance.

But why not try, they can only say no.

In that case do it at Don Muang the next day.

Just make sure & give yourself plenty of time.

[hellodolly]

I dont think they will give it a day in advance.

But why not try, they can only say no.

In that case do it at Don Muang the next day.

Just make sure & give yourself plenty of time.

Well I for one certainly appreciate your effort.

I am still a bit leery as to weather the policy will hold true in all cases. If I am leaving the country I want to have the assurance I can get on the plane in Chiang Mai with a multiple entry permit I purchased on the second floor there.

Immigration does not have that good a reputation. They change their policy from office to office with out a word of warning. For instance here in Chiang Mai they stopped accepting mail in 90 day no warning . Now I understand they are excepting them. I find it best to have the bird in the hand when I am dealing with them.

[Pond Life]

I'll be exiting thru CNX on 26 th, I'll update then.

[Pond Life]

Just got a multiple re entry permit @ CNX.

10 minutes, zero hassles.

I guess Cloudhopper is right.