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Answered13 days ago

Do I need a re-entry permit if I leave Thailand on a 60-day tourist visa to visit Laos?

Barry *********
asked Oct 18, 2026
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I have a 60 day tourist visa. If I go to Laos do I need to get a re entry permit to get back to Thailand. My visa is good until November 11 and want to go to Laos next week and come back before my visa expires.
Answer summary
If you have a 60-day tourist visa and plan to leave Thailand for Laos, you will need to consider whether to obtain a re-entry permit. Without a re-entry permit, your visa will become invalid upon exit. Discussions indicate that if your visa is indeed a single-entry tourist visa, you can purchase a re-entry permit at the immigration office before leaving, which would allow you to return without issues. However, if you are on a visa exemption, a re-entry permit is not applicable, and you will receive a new 30-day visa exemption upon re-entry. It's recommended to clarify your visa status with immigration before leaving.
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Kevin **********
Kevin **********
Re entry needed
Wannikea *********
Wannikea *********
It's kind of pointless to get a reentry permit for a current stamp only good till November 11th. It doesn't extend your stay whatsoever. Just exit, go visit Laos, and return on a 30-day Visa exempt entry stamp.
Michael *******
Single entry visa?
Colin *******
Colin *******
You dont have to leave, you can go to Thai immigration and get a 30 day extension for 1900 baht, make sure you have a tm30 and the tm30 will determine which immigration you need to apply
Proficient**********
Proficient**********
you can no problem ..you are welcome
Michael *******
Michael *******
Single entry visa?
Barry *********
Barry *********
OP
Michael Hayes yes
Michael *******
Michael *******
Barry Sproule if your entry to Thailand is less than 30 days before going to Loas and you re enter Thailand before 11th nov (when your 60 day visa expires) then use your visa then. If youve used your visa already then its single entry so coming back in eould either have to be less than 30 days or another visa.
Jeff *************
Jeff *************
Ask immigration at the Border before you go to Laos, they will let you know I think you can get a reentry stamp there if needed
Greg ***********
Greg ***********
Here a short lesson on correct wording:

*** a VISA is a permit to ENTER a country.

*** a STAY PERMIT is a permit which allows you to stay in a country.

*** a VISA is not a STAY PERMIT and vice versa.

*** When you enter Thailand on a single-entry visa, you get stamped in for the visa-type related length of an ADMITTED STAY.

The visa itself expires or becomes invalid for further use.

*** upon entering Thailand, you will receive a STAY PERMIT stamp in your passport.

For the duration of this stay permit, you can buy a RE-ENTRY PERMIT.

This re-entry permit will keep your original stay permit alive and active, should you exit Thailand before your original stay permit expires.
Barry *********
Barry *********
OP
Greg Alexander this is my fourth time entering Thailand this year from the air. Will I have a problem with a 30 day exempt entering from Laos.This being the fifth time.
Ralph *******
Ralph *******
Barry Sproule I was told by the Thai embassy that it’s a maximum of 90 days within 6 months.
Greg ***********
Greg ***********
Ralph Tyson A Thai embassy has no say in Immigration matters. I would not believe in anything an embassy staff tells me about Thai Immigration rules. While this sounds indeed like a "rule-of-thumb", an Immigration officer has the absolute discretion to decide otherwise
Greg ***********
Greg ***********
Barry Sproule nobody can answer this question. It is up to the discretion of the Immigration officer at the border. If he thinks you are misusing visa-exempt entries or tourist visa for a longstay in Thailand, you will get pulled aside and questioned about your intentions. . . From a certain amount of stay within a 1-year period (starting at around a total 150 days) you can be denied entry
Betty *********
Betty *********
Greg Alexander i did not know you could get a re-entry permit on a 60 day single entry Tourist visa ??
Greg ***********
Greg ***********
Betty Hurford you can get a re-entry permit on any stay permit which you got upon entry on a visa. You just cannot get a re-entry permit on a visa-exempt entry. . . . . . The only question is: does it make sense to get a 1000 Baht re-entry permit to keep 60 days stay permit alive? You can do a border run and receive a 30-days visa exemption.
Ralph *******
Ralph *******
Greg Alexander Higher risk of being turned away.
David *******
David *******
If you look at the actual visa it says ‘single entry’.
Barry *********
Barry *********
OP
David Cross yes. I see now.
Nigel ********
Nigel ********
Visa expires on departure, but you can get 30 days on arrival back in Thailand
Greg ***********
Greg ***********
Nigel Seddon a single entry 60-days tourist visa "expires" when you enter on it, not on the departure. He has a 60-days stay permit that will expire if he exits without a re-entry permit. He can keep the 60-days stay permit alive and active if he buys a re-entry permit for it
Greg ***********
Greg ***********
Barry Sproule . . .you don't have a 60-days tourist visa anymore, it already expired when you entered. You can buy a re-entry permit for the 60-days stay permit you got stamped when you entered on a 60-days Tourist Visa by September 12. Unless of course if you entered visa-exempt and you erroneously call it "60-days tourist visa", then you are wrong, because you cannot get a re-entry permit on a visa-exempt stay permit
Elías ********
Elías ********
Do you have a visa? Or a visa exemption? Needles to say, they're NOT the same.
Greg ***********
Greg ***********
Elías Molina don't you forget, there used to be a "60-days visa-exemption" before September 15. He entered by September 12, so he can actually have entered on a visa-exemption and just calls it wrongly, or on a REAL 60-days Single Entry Tourist Visa
Barry *********
Barry *********
OP
Greg Alexander it is a real 60-day single entry tourist visa.
Greg ***********
Greg ***********
Barry Sproule OK, good to know, thanks for clarifying
Ralph *******
Ralph *******
Elías Molina He says tourist visa.
Barry *********
Barry *********
OP
Ralph Tyson tourist e-visa but I see now single entry. Can I go to immigration and get a re entry permit.
Ralph *******
Ralph *******
Barry Sproule Yes. At the airport as you leave.
Elías ********
Elías ********
Barry Sproule yes, you can
Ronny *********
Ronny *********
Barry Sproule You indeed need to go immigration to get a re entry permit it cost you 1000 THB be careful this not possible for over land borders What you could do if you need to cross a landborder is coming back on visa exempt (if you are allowed to enter without visa) for 30 days, but than you got to watch, this is limited by 2 land border crossings a year
Greg ***********
Greg ***********
Ralph Tyson we know many people call the visa-exempt entry a "get a tourist visa on arrival"
Greg ***********
Greg ***********
If you REALLY entered on a 60-days single entry Tourist Visa, this visa is already expired, you got a 60-days stay permit, which you can keep alive and active if you buy a single re-entry permit for 1000 THB at the Immigration office. Please be aware that you cannot buy a re-entry permit at a land border
Barry *********
Barry *********
OP
Greg Alexander Thank you. I should be able to get a re entry permit here in Ubon Ratchathani
Kool *******
Kool *******
Barry Sproule you are aware that you get a visa exempt entry coming back into Thailand for 30 days for free. The re-entry permit is bt1000. You can be a tourist, and visit other countries, then come back by land border twice a year. Just have your ticket leaving Thailand.
John **********
John **********
@Kool ******
a maximum of 2 times per year. Entry is still at the discretion of the immigration officer
Greg ***********
Greg ***********
Kool Breez to get admitted for a visa-exempt entry, that's depending on his entry and stay history of the recent 12-18 months
GreenPa*******
GreenPa*******
Not sure you can get a re entry permit on a 60 day exempt.

You arrive September 12th and stamped in on a 60 day exempt which would take you to Nov 11th. It changed to 30 day exempt on 15th September.

So it is not a visa but an exempt stay.

So if you leave and come back you will get a new 30 day exempt.

Unless of course you bought the SETV. "Single" entry tourist visa which is about $40
Ralph *******
Ralph *******
GreenPapaya279 He says he has a 60 day tourist visa. That’s the SETV, not visa exempt.
Greg ***********
Greg ***********
Ralph Tyson he doesn't have a 60-days Tourist Visa. If he entered on a SETV, the visa became invalid when he entered 😎 and he would be on a "60-days stay permit", not on a visa
Greg ***********
Greg ***********
GreenPapaya279 He entered on a SETV, and of course he can get a single re-entry permit for 1000 THB on Immigration to keep his 60-days stay permit alive and active
GreenPa*******
GreenPa*******
Greg Alexander either way I doubt he will get a re-entry as both are valid for a single entry!
Graeme *******
Graeme *******
That's what I never understand get a tourist visa 60 days fine, but leaving after two weeks.
Rud **********
Rud **********
Graeme Drake Why do you think he wants a re-entry slip, he is coming back.. and if its expiring 11 nov, he has already been there for how many weeks ? 5
Elías ********
Elías ********
Graeme Drake some people do need a visa to enter, even if it's just for one day. Not all citizenships are elegible for the visa exempt, especially now after September 15th they reduced the elegibles countries even more (not affecting the principal markets of course)
Stephen *******
Stephen *******
Depending on your travel history and entries into Thailand on visa exempt entries, it may be wise to get a re-entry permit to ensure that you can re-enter without a problem. They may also question you when you leave if you can be sure that you can come back in again or they may stop you going. Your existing visa is canceled once you depart.
Greg ***********
Greg ***********
Stephen Woods he doesn't have a visa, it already expired on his first entry . He can buy a re-entry permit for the 60-days stay permit he got stamped when he entered by September 12. Unless he entered visa-exempt and erroneously calls it "60-days tourist visa", then he is wrong, because he cannot get a re-entry permit on a visa-exempt stay permit
John **********
John **********
If you leave without a re-entry permit your visa will terminate on exit
Greg ***********
Greg ***********
@John *********
his tourist visa already got terminated when he entered on it. Now he has a stay permit
Barry *********
Barry *********
OP
@John *********
wasn’t sure. That what I thought.

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