I have a 1 year visa.

Before I leave Thailand I always get a re-entry permit.

My question:

Can I come back into Thailand (overland) and not use the re-entry permit? Instead just ask for the 15-day visa exemption?

ie: could I spend two weeks in Thailand, get out again, and still have my re-entry permit for when I come back to stay?

Thanks! Mark

p.s. This happened accidentally to me years ago. I came back in, and they didn't notice my visa, and gave me 30 days. Immigration CM fixed it for me, but I have always wondered if it could be done normally...

Believe you mean you have a one year extension of stay rather than a multi entry visa (which would always provide a new 90 or one year stay). If you do not use the re-entry permit your extension of stay would end and you would only be allowed to stay for the period of entry (that is what the re-entry provides - the same period of entry you had before leaving). So if you did as you suggest your re-entry permit would no longer be valid as it would not be for the current permitted to stay (the new 15 day entry) so could not be used.

Thanks for that, but I am not sure I understand your argument.

Yes - I have a one year extension...

I believe that if someone arrives with a tourist visa in their passport, they can still enter on a visa exemption (15/30days), and use their tourist visa later.

So I am still not sure why i couldn't come in on a visa exemption (overland), and get out of Thailand within 15 days. Then a month later use my re-entry permit to come back in on my one year extension.

Obviously I would have to ask for the 15 days at the border, but why would they say no? It is a visa 'exemption' that I am asking for, not a different type of visa...

Thanks again

Edited February 1, 201313 yr by wjmark

You cannot do that. You must have and use the re-entry permit or you lose your 1 year extension of stay.

As said you would loose your extension and have to start all over again.

If you have a multiply re-entry permit what is the argument just use it again and again until the extension of stay expires. It is also uncommon for someone holding a visa to be allowed entry on a 30 day or 15 day entry, it has happened but not something immigration does on a regular basis. If you are adament go ahead and try the 15 day entry and see what they say.

A visa exempt entry would end the extension of stay and re-entry permit.

If you have a multiply re-entry permit what is the argument just use it again and again until the extension of stay expires. It is also uncommon for someone holding a visa to be allowed entry on a 30 day or 15 day entry, it has happened but not something immigration does on a regular basis. If you are adament go ahead and try the 15 day entry and see what they say.

Thanks for this. I actually don't have a multiple re-entry permit. Just thought I would try to find out if I could go back in to Thailand for just 10 days without having to get another single re-entry permit...

I may try at the border, and if they say no, no problem!

Thanks everybody...

If you have a multiply re-entry permit what is the argument just use it again and again until the extension of stay expires. It is also uncommon for someone holding a visa to be allowed entry on a 30 day or 15 day entry, it has happened but not something immigration does on a regular basis. If you are adament go ahead and try the 15 day entry and see what they say.

Having a tourist visa in my passport and entering with a 30 day visa exempt rather than using the visa

I have done several times, in BKK.

I show them the visa, and ask if they can give me 30 day rather than using the visa.

They immediately agree to that, no problem and no questions asked.

They allow it wth a tourist visa sometimes, but not on an extension of stay.

it would mean the end of the extension of stay. Get the extra re-entry permit.

Thanks for this. I actually don't have a multiple re-entry permit. Just thought I would try to find out if I could go back in to Thailand for just 10 days without having to get another single re-entry permit...

I may try at the border, and if they say no, no problem!

Thanks everybody...

You can do it but as written multiple times your extension of stay and existing re-entry permit will immediately become invalid as soon as they stamp the 15 day permit to stay you would get.

That stamp will replace you current permit to stay granted by the extension which also means you no longer have a non immigrant visa entry. Meaning that you would then have to get a new non immigrant O visa before being granted a new extension.