re-entry permit upon arrival at chiang mai airport

[watgate]

Although I have a re-entry permit upon my arrival in Chiang Mai this September, I am going to need another one since I am planning on going to Myanmar with my g/f. Does anyone know if you can get a re-entry permit at the airport immigration upon your arrival there?

[MESmith]

You can get the re-entry permit just before going through immigration, on your way out of the country.

[uptheos]

You can get the re-entry permit just before going through immigration, on your way out of the country.

Are they open all the time flights are leaving, night time too?

[uptoyoumyfriend]

yes,they are supposed to be,it is the immigration and they process people leaving the country.

[MESmith]

You can get the re-entry permit just before going through immigration, on your way out of the country.

Are they open all the time flights are leaving, night time too?

I think I got mine at 8pm.

[watgate]

I know they aren't open on the weekends because I departed Thailand on March 15 ( a Sunday) and there was no one at immigrations at the airport. My luck I will wait until I am ready to leave the country for my excursion to Myanmar and no one will be at the immigration desk at the airport and then I am S.O.L.

[mesquite]

This is one reason I always get a multiple re-entry permit when I get my annual visa extension. In doing that I never have to worry about these things.

[NancyL]

I know they aren't open on the weekends because I departed Thailand on March 15 ( a Sunday) and there was no one at immigrations at the airport. My luck I will wait until I am ready to leave the country for my excursion to Myanmar and no one will be at the immigration desk at the airport and then I am S.O.L.

Any time you're boarding an international flight you will be able to get a re-entry permit. After all, they have Immigration officers there checking your passport. What if you're on overstay? Someone has to be working at that little counter just to the left after you go thru the final security screening into the international boarding area. That's where you pay your overstay fine AND get your re-entry permit.

I'm sorry, but I just don't believe that no one was at Immigration on March 15 if you were leaving on an International flight.

*****************************************

Now getting back to the OP's question. He asked if it's possible to purchase a re-entry permit upon ARRIVAL on a flight at the airport. Nope. Can't do. I thought the same thing. I arrived on an International flight last week and used my re-entry permit. I asked if I could buy a new one for the next flight and it's "no can do". The place to purchase one is in the exit hall, not the arrival hall.

[watgate]

When I was leaving for the US back on March 15,2015 I asked several Thai folks who were working and they all said that immigration desk not open on weekend. One led me to the immigration desk and there was no one there. With that said, now I am not sure if I was led to the correct area. It was on the ground level where you check-in and I was led to a desk on the same ground level where it did say immigration.Now Nancy is referring to "a little counter just to the left after you go thru the final security screening into the international boarding area" so I am now wondering if maybe I was not at the proper immigration area.

[mesquite]

When I was leaving for the US back on March 15,2015 I asked several Thai folks who were working and they all said that immigration desk not open on weekend. One led me to the immigration desk and there was no one there. With that said, now I am not sure if I was led to the correct area. It was on the ground level where you check-in and I was led to a desk on the same ground level where it did say immigration.Now Nancy is referring to "a little counter just to the left after you go thru the final security screening into the international boarding area" so I am now wondering if maybe I was not at the proper immigration area.

Sounds like you were not in the correct area. It is where Nancy said it was.

Remember when the Thais do not know something, they don't say that; they make something up.

[TheAppletons]

When I was leaving for the US back on March 15,2015 I asked several Thai folks who were working and they all said that immigration desk not open on weekend. One led me to the immigration desk and there was no one there. With that said, now I am not sure if I was led to the correct area. It was on the ground level where you check-in and I was led to a desk on the same ground level where it did say immigration.Now Nancy is referring to "a little counter just to the left after you go thru the final security screening into the international boarding area" so I am now wondering if maybe I was not at the proper immigration area.

The counter for obtaining your re-entry permit is upstairs, after security, but before you hand over your passport to the Immigration Officers at the podiums. As soon as you pass through security, look directly to your left and there it is.

It's open any time an international flight is departing and you must already have your boarding card to get to the area.

[Suradit69]

I know they aren't open on the weekends because I departed Thailand on March 15 ( a Sunday) and there was no one at immigrations at the airport. My luck I will wait until I am ready to leave the country for my excursion to Myanmar and no one will be at the immigration desk at the airport and then I am S.O.L.

" there was no one at immigrations at the airport."

How could you leave Thailand and board an international flight without passing through immigrations?

[Suradit69]

When I was leaving for the US back on March 15,2015 I asked several Thai folks who were working and they all said that immigration desk not open on weekend. One led me to the immigration desk and there was no one there. With that said, now I am not sure if I was led to the correct area. It was on the ground level where you check-in and I was led to a desk on the same ground level where it did say immigration.Now Nancy is referring to "a little counter just to the left after you go thru the final security screening into the international boarding area" so I am now wondering if maybe I was not at the proper immigration area.

Sounds like you were not in the correct area. It is where Nancy said it was.

Remember when the Thais do not know something, they don't say that; they make something up.

"Remember when the Thais do not know something, they don't say that; they make something up."

When "the farangs" don't know something they go ahead and post it on Thai Visa anyway.

[NancyL]

When I was leaving for the US back on March 15,2015 I asked several Thai folks who were working and they all said that immigration desk not open on weekend. One led me to the immigration desk and there was no one there. With that said, now I am not sure if I was led to the correct area. It was on the ground level where you check-in and I was led to a desk on the same ground level where it did say immigration.Now Nancy is referring to "a little counter just to the left after you go thru the final security screening into the international boarding area" so I am now wondering if maybe I was not at the proper immigration area.

That Immigration desk on the first floor check-in area isn't the one that issues re-entry permits. The function of that particular desk has always been a mystery. I stopped there once during the week to ask if I could get a re-entry permit (no, get that upstairs before a flight), submit a 90 day report (ha, ha go to the office down the road). So what do they do at that desk? At that point they seemed not to understand my flawless Thai questioning.

Anyway, if your flight was indeed going direct to Burma from the CM Airport, you could have bought a re-entry permit at the little counter along the left wall, right after you went thru the final security screening on the second floor, just before the podiums where the Immigration officials check your passport before you board your flight.

[watgate]

Thanks for the input, even Suradit 69 who likes to be caustic and revels in individuals supposed foibles. I now realize that I was clearly in the wrong area. I am planning on taking a trip to Myanmar with my gf upon my return to Chiang Mai this Sept. I can either go to immigrations in Chiang Mai or wait and get my re-entry permit prior to departing for Myanmar.

[LivinLOS]

I know they aren't open on the weekends because I departed Thailand on March 15 ( a Sunday) and there was no one at immigrations at the airport. My luck I will wait until I am ready to leave the country for my excursion to Myanmar and no one will be at the immigration desk at the airport and then I am S.O.L.

Thats impossible.. If theres an international flight there must by definition be immigration staff to process you out of the country by air.

No staff means you cant leave.. And yes the usual counter staff will leave the counter and go and open up the re-entry office area to issue one if no ones at the official desk.

[LivinLOS]

When I was leaving for the US back on March 15,2015 I asked several Thai folks who were working and they all said that immigration desk not open on weekend. One led me to the immigration desk and there was no one there. With that said, now I am not sure if I was led to the correct area. It was on the ground level where you check-in and I was led to a desk on the same ground level where it did say immigration.Now Nancy is referring to "a little counter just to the left after you go thru the final security screening into the international boarding area" so I am now wondering if maybe I was not at the proper immigration area.

Wrong area.. Its ALWAYS in any international airport, right at the immigration check out desks..

In CNX its the space just to the left of the check out desks, upstairs, but often unstaffed, you just wave to an officer who is at the desks and one leaves the desk, comes over to the little counter room and processes it there.

There is ALWAYS immigration.. You cant leave the country without stamping out and those same officers can issue the re-entry.

Edited May 19, 2015 by LivinLOS

[invex]

hahahahaha

That immigration counter at CNX has been there a few years only. There was NONE before and it is NOT always open. That belief costed me my my just renewed 1 year visa coming back from Indonesia. Arriving in BKK it was canceled as I did not have my re-entry permit.

Get prepared BEFORE leaving for the airport and use those imigration counters at the airports as a last resort only.

You all not remember there was NO possibility to get a re-entry permit even at the BKK airports ! A few years back only and easy to find Thaivisa topics on this.

This is Thailand.

LivinLOS: "There is ALWAYS immigration.. You cant leave the country without stamping out and those same officers can issue the re-entry."

Completely FALSE information. The officers stamping your passport and collecting the overstays CANNOT issue you a re-entry !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Konini]

This is one reason I always get a multiple re-entry permit when I get my annual visa extension. In doing that I never have to worry about these things.

Ditto, but note that they cannot be done on the same day any more; you have to go back the following day or whenever you like before you leave the country. This is my understanding of it, and everything could be changing anyway with new offices and staff in the pipeline.

[LivinLOS]

hahahahaha

That immigration counter at CNX has been there a few years only. There was NONE before and it is NOT always open. That belief costed me my my just renewed 1 year visa coming back from Indonesia. Arriving in BKK it was canceled as I did not have my re-entry permit.

Get prepared BEFORE leaving for the airport and use those imigration counters at the airports as a last resort only.

The officers who stamp you out of the country, at any airport that has an international exit option, can also issue re-entry permits..

As its part of the system to always have officers at an international exit.. its also part of the system tjhey can always give the re-entry. You failing to get one prior to being stamped out isnt proof they couldnt give one, only proof you didnt get it.

[bangmai]

I didn't want to risk it, so I just went to Immigration Office and got mine several days before the flights. The herd has usually thinned by 15:30, and if you don't go right before or after a Holiday; you don't even have time for a smoke. Always seems to be somebody doing something with two passports that holds up the line.....

[invex]

to livinLOS:

This is a serious issue for many people. Get your facts right and do not give false information that could bring a lot of problems to others.

THOSE OFFICERS STAMPING YOU OUT OF THAILAND CANNOT ISSUE YOU A RE-ENTRY PERMIT. Simple.

[ovenman]

to livinLOS:

This is a serious issue for many people. Get your facts right and do not give false information that could bring a lot of problems to others.

THOSE OFFICERS STAMPING YOU OUT OF THAILAND CANNOT ISSUE YOU A RE-ENTRY PERMIT. Simple.

You might want to dial it down down a bit, chief. I was told by the Chiang Mai Airport departures immigrations officers themselves that somebody there will always assist you with a re-entry permit, whether the counter appears to be manned at a given time or not. An officer will come over to assist you if you simply stand at the unmanned re-entry permits counter.

[TheAppletons]

to livinLOS:

This is a serious issue for many people. Get your facts right and do not give false information that could bring a lot of problems to others.

THOSE OFFICERS STAMPING YOU OUT OF THAILAND CANNOT ISSUE YOU A RE-ENTRY PERMIT. Simple.

You might want to dial it down down a bit, chief. I was told by the Chiang Mai Airport departures immigrations officers themselves that somebody there will always assist you with a re-entry permit, whether the counter appears to be manned at a given time or not. An officer will come over to assist you if you simply stand at the unmanned re-entry permits counter.

Yeah, agreed. I've been told the same thing and had no problems obtaining one on the way out at CNX.

(There's always someone who doesn't get the memo, isn't there?)

[invex]

To all not reading prior posts, again:

This was the statement:

"The officers who stamp you out of the country, at any airport that has an international exit option, can also issue re-entry permits."

This was my reply"

"THOSE OFFICERS STAMPING YOU OUT OF THAILAND CANNOT ISSUE YOU A RE-ENTRY PERMIT. Simple."

[mascarabertha]

I didn't want to risk it, so I just went to Immigration Office and got mine several days before the flights. The herd has usually thinned by 15:30, and if you don't go right before or after a Holiday; you don't even have time for a smoke. Always seems to be somebody doing something with two passports that holds up the line.....

i agree--no time for a smoke or even to "knock back a few" quite a picture you paint of yourself

[LivinLOS]

to livinLOS:

This is a serious issue for many people. Get your facts right and do not give false information that could bring a lot of problems to others.

THOSE OFFICERS STAMPING YOU OUT OF THAILAND CANNOT ISSUE YOU A RE-ENTRY PERMIT. Simple.

Yes they can.. if the desk is closed.. They leave that desk and go to the counter and issue one.. I have done it multiple times.

You can ALWAYS get a re-entry permit when leaving the kingdom by air.

[LivinLOS]

To all not reading prior posts, again:

This was the statement:

"The officers who stamp you out of the country, at any airport that has an international exit option, can also issue re-entry permits."

This was my reply"

"THOSE OFFICERS STAMPING YOU OUT OF THAILAND CANNOT ISSUE YOU A RE-ENTRY PERMIT. Simple."

Yes they can.. they are empowered to do so.. they do not do so at the check out counter.. They direct you to the correct location if others are manning it.. However if no one is manning the other counter, they will close one of the check out desks, and go and do it for you.

Once again.. You can always get a re-entry permit at any airport that offers international flights when leaving the country !! If the location that issues these appears closed, simply go to the check out desk officers and ask for one BEFORE they check you out. The have to issue one.

This was my reply"

"THOSE OFFICERS STAMPING YOU OUT OF THAILAND CANNOT ISSUE YOU A RE-ENTRY PERMIT. Simple."

2 times in the last 3 years I have gained my re-entry permit from these people you claim cant do it.. Simple !!