Re-entry or O-A?

[JWNZ]

Originally planned to be out of Thailand and returning beyond my original O-A multiple entry visa which expires in September 2015.

I have a separate re-entry stamp good until May 2016.

It is now possible I will return to Thailand before my O-A expires, that being the case:

Does my O-A then become recognised and I’m granted a further 12 months of stay?

I presume my re-entry will be cancelled as it will no longer match my new permission to stay date?

Or, can I use it if needed before its expiry date?

Thanks in advance.

[ubonjoe]

If you enter before you visa expires be sure to put the visa number on the arrival card. Then check to be sure the officer uses it instead of the re-entry permit. You will be stamped in for another year.

For all intents and purposes your re-entry permit will not be valid because it will not match your current permit to stay stamp. It would be to your advantage to get a new one after your visa expires so you get an entry equal to what your most recent entry gave you.

[KhunBENQ]

Does my O-A then become recognised and I’m granted a further 12 months of stay?

Yes.

When arriving before visa expires: just write the number of the O-A visa on the departure card before proceeding to the desk and point to the visa page. You will get an "ADMITTED UNTIL" stamp for another year.

Arriving after visa expires: write the number of the re-entry permit on the departure card and point to the page with the reentry permit.

(possible until May 16)

You will then get an ADMITTED UNTIL May 2016.

[JWNZ]

Thanks ubonjoe and Khun BENQ

I guess nominating which valid document to use on the arrival card, eliminates a possible wrong choice by the processing officer.

[OJAS]

Thanks ubonjoe and Khun BENQ

I guess nominating which valid document to use on the arrival card, eliminates a possible wrong choice by the processing officer.

But I would strongly suggest that you check whether he/she has made the correct choice before you leave his/her booth!

[JWNZ]

Explained my scenario to the officers at the re-entry desk at Suvarnabhumi 2 weeks ago and they were quite clear that if I obtained

a re-entry permit, on return, the immigration officer "must" stamp me in using the re-entry permit irrespective of my O-A visa, they were very clear on this

so I was left in no doubt, there wasn't a choice.

I have since returned using my current O-A which is due to expire.

A couple of members suggested nominating the visa or re-entry permit by choice depending on arrival, I doubt now this option is available

as I think the re-entry permit information is logged into their computer with your passport number.

[nowretired]

Explained my scenario to the officers at the re-entry desk at Suvarnabhumi 2 weeks ago and they were quite clear that if I obtained

a re-entry permit, on return, the immigration officer "must" stamp me in using the re-entry permit irrespective of my O-A visa, they were very clear on this

so I was left in no doubt, there wasn't a choice.

I have since returned using my current O-A which is due to expire.

A couple of members suggested nominating the visa or re-entry permit by choice depending on arrival, I doubt now this option is available

as I think the re-entry permit information is logged into their computer with your passport number.

Why would anyone have a re entry permit if there is a valid O/A visa in their passport ?

The re entry permit you have would appear to be invalid

[JWNZ]

Explained my scenario to the officers at the re-entry desk at Suvarnabhumi 2 weeks ago and they were quite clear that if I obtained

a re-entry permit, on return, the immigration officer "must" stamp me in using the re-entry permit irrespective of my O-A visa, they were very clear on this

so I was left in no doubt, there wasn't a choice.

I have since returned using my current O-A which is due to expire.

A couple of members suggested nominating the visa or re-entry permit by choice depending on arrival, I doubt now this option is available

as I think the re-entry permit information is logged into their computer with your passport number.

Why would anyone have a re entry permit if there is a valid O/A visa in their passport ?

The re entry permit you have would appear to be invalid

Planned travel dates were "close" to O-A expiry, did not want a situation of arriving back "after" the O-A expires due to unforeseen circumstances such as illness, injury, or flight delays, therefor a re entry was for back up.

[nowretired]

Explained my scenario to the officers at the re-entry desk at Suvarnabhumi 2 weeks ago and they were quite clear that if I obtained

a re-entry permit, on return, the immigration officer "must" stamp me in using the re-entry permit irrespective of my O-A visa, they were very clear on this

so I was left in no doubt, there wasn't a choice.

I have since returned using my current O-A which is due to expire.

A couple of members suggested nominating the visa or re-entry permit by choice depending on arrival, I doubt now this option is available

as I think the re-entry permit information is logged into their computer with your passport number.

Why would anyone have a re entry permit if there is a valid O/A visa in their passport ?

The re entry permit you have would appear to be invalid

Planned travel dates were "close" to O-A expiry, did not want a situation of arriving back "after" the O-A expires due to unforeseen circumstances such as illness, injury, or flight delays, therefor a re entry was for back up.

A re entry permit is only valid up the expiry date of the visa or extension of stay it relates to.

The permit does not add time and as already stated your re entry permit appears to be invalid as it is dated beyond the expiry date of the visa.

[TheAppletons]

Explained my scenario to the officers at the re-entry desk at Suvarnabhumi 2 weeks ago and they were quite clear that if I obtained

a re-entry permit, on return, the immigration officer "must" stamp me in using the re-entry permit irrespective of my O-A visa, they were very clear on this

so I was left in no doubt, there wasn't a choice.

I have since returned using my current O-A which is due to expire.

A couple of members suggested nominating the visa or re-entry permit by choice depending on arrival, I doubt now this option is available

as I think the re-entry permit information is logged into their computer with your passport number.

Why would anyone have a re entry permit if there is a valid O/A visa in their passport ?

The re entry permit you have would appear to be invalid

Planned travel dates were "close" to O-A expiry, did not want a situation of arriving back "after" the O-A expires due to unforeseen circumstances such as illness, injury, or flight delays, therefor a re entry was for back up.

What am I not understanding here? If your O-A had expired then you'd have nothing to "re-enter" upon.....no existing permission to stay. You'd just get a 30 day visa exemption upon arrival.

I agree with nowretired in that you appeared to have had a re-entry permit that is tied to nothing.

[JWNZ]

Ill simplify the complete thread into a shortened version.

When travelling I had an O-A close to expiry

I also had a permission to stay stamp to stay until May 2016 applied during previous travel re-entry on the same O-A

Had I opted for a re-entry, it "would" have been tied to the above stamp (May 2016)

Short story, I have arrived back in time and have permission to stay until Aug 2016.

Explained my scenario to the officers at the re-entry desk at Suvarnabhumi 2 weeks ago and they were quite clear that if I obtained

a re-entry permit, on return, the immigration officer "must" stamp me in using the re-entry permit irrespective of my O-A visa, they were very clear on this

so I was left in no doubt, there wasn't a choice.

I have since returned using my current O-A which is due to expire.

A couple of members suggested nominating the visa or re-entry permit by choice depending on arrival, I doubt now this option is available

as I think the re-entry permit information is logged into their computer with your passport number.

Why would anyone have a re entry permit if there is a valid O/A visa in their passport ?

The re entry permit you have would appear to be invalid

Planned travel dates were "close" to O-A expiry, did not want a situation of arriving back "after" the O-A expires due to unforeseen circumstances such as illness, injury, or flight delays, therefor a re entry was for back up.

What am I not understanding here? If your O-A had expired then you'd have nothing to "re-enter" upon.....no existing permission to stay. You'd just get a 30 day visa exemption upon arrival.

I agree with nowretired in that you appeared to have had a re-entry permit that is tied to nothing.

[Sophon]

Explained my scenario to the officers at the re-entry desk at Suvarnabhumi 2 weeks ago and they were quite clear that if I obtained

a re-entry permit, on return, the immigration officer "must" stamp me in using the re-entry permit irrespective of my O-A visa, they were very clear on this

so I was left in no doubt, there wasn't a choice.

I have since returned using my current O-A which is due to expire.

A couple of members suggested nominating the visa or re-entry permit by choice depending on arrival, I doubt now this option is available

as I think the re-entry permit information is logged into their computer with your passport number.

Why would anyone have a re entry permit if there is a valid O/A visa in their passport ?

The re entry permit you have would appear to be invalid

Planned travel dates were "close" to O-A expiry, did not want a situation of arriving back "after" the O-A expires due to unforeseen circumstances such as illness, injury, or flight delays, therefor a re entry was for back up.

A re entry permit is only valid up the expiry date of the visa or extension of stay it relates to.

The permit does not add time and as already stated your re entry permit appears to be invalid as it is dated beyond the expiry date of the visa.

Nothing wrong or invalid with the OP's re-entry permit.

A re-entry permit is always tied to the permission to stay the person has when the permit is issued, it is never tied to a visa. In this case

, when the OP applied for a re-etry permit he had a multi entry Non-Immigrant OA visa valid for entry until September 2015 and his current permission to stay allowed him to stay until May 2016 (i.e. his latest entry was done in May 2015). The re-entry permit protects the permission to stay, so will be valid until the same date as the current permission to stay - in this case May 2016. It doesn't matter that his OA visa expires before that date.

Sophon

[nowretired]

Sophon

You are correct .

My error !

[Maestro]

There remains the question whether the unused re-entry permit valid for re-entry until 16 MAY 2016 remains valid, ie if he leaves Thailand for example in December 2015 and returns in January 2016, will he, on his arrival in Thailand, get permission to stay until the September 2016 date of expiration of his previous permission to stay?

[JWNZ]

There remains the question whether the unused re-entry permit valid for re-entry until 16 MAY 2016 remains valid, ie if he leaves Thailand for example in December 2015 and returns in January 2016, will he, on his arrival in Thailand, get permission to stay until the September 2016 date of expiration of his previous permission to stay?

If the "potential" re-entry was unused (highly unlikely as immigration are required to stamp you in on a re-entry if you have one)

It would become void as it would no longer match the updated permission to stay stamp.

[Maestro]

The fact is that he got a new permission to stay for one year based on his still valid multiple-entry non-O/A visa. If he had been allowed entry on the basis of his re-entry permit he would have been given permission to stay only until 16 MAY 2016.