bluesofa Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 (I have done a search on this phrase, buy couldn't find a post regarding it.) About a year ago I left LOS for the UK, not certain what date I would be returning. At immigration at Swampy, I noticed that under my exit stamp there was another stamp in Thai script. Unfortunately I didn't check it until I was in the departure lounge, so missed the chance to ask the immigration staff about it. From my own translation of the text, it seems to say that if you leave the country without a re-entry permit, your visa will be cancelled. Now that is obvious to me, but why would they stamp it, when on the facing page was my re-entry permit? Why also, is it in Thai and not English - surely they wouldn't need this stamp to remind other immigration staff of the rule? Now I have a Non "O" with a 12 month retirement extension. I noticed last week at the local immigr. office they have stamped the exact same text below the extension. Can anyone enlighten me as to the reason for the use of this stamp please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario2008 Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 It is a friendly warning, that would have been better in English. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrtmedic Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 Interesting. Below the "extension of stay" stamp in my passport is a clear reminder, in English, to the effect that a re-entry permit is required, if leaving the country, to keep the extension alive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesofa Posted August 27, 2013 Author Share Posted August 27, 2013 Thanks Mario. You say it's a friendly warning, but it looks like they've missed the point, from what you say. It must be the usual Thai government efficiency then! Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario2008 Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 There simply is no reason for immigration to check if you have a re-entry permit, although some helpful officers do check it so they can remind you. The re-entry permit is not needed to leave the country, only to re-enter the country. Than you need to show it and will it be checked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesofa Posted August 27, 2013 Author Share Posted August 27, 2013 Hi again Mario, Sure, I'm well aware that you need the re-entry permit to come back in, not to leave. OK, my question was as to the reason for stamping it at all. That has been answered by you saying it's a friendly warning (baffling it being in Thai, not English - twice - in my case). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario2008 Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 I'm saying he just stamped it in your passport in routine, despite that you had a re-entry permit as it was routine and dind't check too closely if you had a re-entry permit or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrry Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 (edited) Generally the re-entry permit is granted only after the visa or extension as it applies to the Visa. It would seem reasonable to process the visa completely befor starting the re-enty process. Edited August 27, 2013 by harrry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesofa Posted August 27, 2013 Author Share Posted August 27, 2013 Harry, Yes, a year ago when departing Swampy I already had a re-enty permit (as I said, it was on the facing page to the stamp in Thai saying my visa would be cancelled without one) That was a re-entry for a Non "B". That extension was processed, hence being given a re-entry permit for it. Or have I mis-understood you here? I wonder if immigr. had a further batch of these stamps made and someone forgot to translate the text into English? It's only a question - as to why someone would miss the obvious and stamp it in Thai when not everyone could read it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suradit69 Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 Interesting. Below the "extension of stay" stamp in my passport is a clear reminder, in English, to the effect that a re-entry permit is required, if leaving the country, to keep the extension alive. Same with mine along with the need to report every 90 days, both notices in English. Maybe the officer who stamped it in the passport for the OP grabbed the Thai language stamp in error. Not everything that happens in Thailand involves some unfathomable mystery. Thai is the official language after all and things written in English are just a concession to some visitors. I doubt they have the stamps in German, Swedish, Japanese, Russian etc. So for some people having it in English would be meaningless too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryLH Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 "Generally the re-entry permit is granted only after the visa or extension as it applies to the Visa." No, it applies to the current 'permission to stay' date. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesofa Posted August 27, 2013 Author Share Posted August 27, 2013 Interesting. Below the "extension of stay" stamp in my passport is a clear reminder, in English, to the effect that a re-entry permit is required, if leaving the country, to keep the extension alive. Same with mine along with the need to report every 90 days, both notices in English. Maybe the officer who stamped it in the passport for the OP grabbed the Thai language stamp in error. Not everything that happens in Thailand involves some unfathomable mystery. Thai is the official language after all and things written in English are just a concession to some visitors. I doubt they have the stamps in German, Swedish, Japanese, Russian etc. So for some people having it in English would be meaningless too. My extension of stay stamp has the reminder for re-entry and 90 day notification in English. What I have is the additional stamp below in Thai, hence my original question asking regarding the reasoning behind it (if there is any), having happened twice to me. I can see the officer could have grabbed the wrong stamp, but twice, and at two different immigration locations when it has the info in English already - or am I paranoid - ha ha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrry Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 "Generally the re-entry permit is granted only after the visa or extension as it applies to the Visa." No, it applies to the current 'permission to stay' date. Yes but they grant it after issuing the visa. They cannot issue a Re-entry permit without a visa having been issued. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopburi3 Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Re-entry stamps are issued for permitted stays and extensions of stays - not for visas. They act as your visa for new entry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Jarse Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Re-entry stamps are issued for permitted stays and extensions of stays - not for visas. They act as your visa for new entry. My UK passport expired earlier this month and had to have relevant stamps transferred to a new passport (Non I O based on marriage ). In the old passport is a Multiple re-entry permit. Immigration did not transfer this into the new passport. If I leave Thailand and return can I use the old passport in conjunction with the new one to re enter or will I have to pay for another re-entry permit for the new passport? Advice appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crossy Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 It's a two step process, you should have had the re-entry transferred after you did the stamp transfer. I would return to immigration to get the re-entry transferred, you can get a new one there if they cannot transfer for some reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopburi3 Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 The re-entry permit expires at expiration of current stay stamp and is marked as such; so is it still valid? If your passport has expired so has the original stay/re-entry permit I suspect. You will need a new re-entry permit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merijn Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 (edited) The stamp the OP refers to is sometimes used when the officer sees that there is no re-entry permit or misinterpreted the dates on the re-entry permit in the passport which happened in this case. Normally they don't care about this as you don't need a re-entry permit to leave the country but in this case he probable saw the re-entry permit and tought that it was expired or something like that. The stamp reminds the border officer at his next trip to Thailand that the person left the country without re-entry permit and lost his extension of stay. I'm not 100% sure that this is the case for the OP but i know that there is a stamp for this reason. The English stamp referred by some people is used when applying for the extension and mentions that an re-entry permit is required before leaving the country. Edited August 28, 2013 by merijn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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