What is a re-entry permit in Thailand and when do you need one?

*** On Immigration, a single re-entry permit costs 1000 THB. A multiple re-entry permit can be bought for 3800 THB.

You can also buy a re-entry permit at the international airports of Thailand, but NOT at the land borders. At the airport, the re-entry counter will be after the security check, but still before the EXIT counters of Immigration. If you need to buy a re-entry permit at the airport, kindly ask the officers on duty. That service can be had .

How does a re-entry permit work?

If you come to Thailand on a single re-entry 60 days tourist visa, you will get stamped in for 60 days.

“Single Entry” means, you are only allowed ONE entry – which you did when you got stamped a 60-days “admitted until” stay permit”

The visa now is “used”, i.e. it became invalid for further use when you entered.

However, let’s say, you want to visit Laos for just one week during these 60 days you have been permitted to stay inside Thailand.

You could buy a re-entry permit on Immigration for 1000 THB in order to keep this 60-days stay permit alive and still active when you exit Thailand.

But keep in mind: you would not gain any more days on top of these 60 days. The expiry date of your stay permit will remain the same.

In case you leave Thailand for Laos without a re-entry permit, your stay permit will become invalid.

So, let’s imagine you have bought a single re-entry permit, and leave Thailand on day number 25, and return and re-enter Thailand 10 days later, the re-entry permit will ensure you get stamped in for the rest of the 25 days left on you first 60-days admitted stay stamp.

The Downside: The whole procedure but would make little sense, because citizens of many countries can enter Thailand visa-exempt and will receive a 30-days admitted stay stamp. These 30 days they can extend once for 30 more days on Immigration for 1900.- THB)

Now let’s explain the next “re-entry” topic:

What is the difference between a single-entry visa and a multi-entry visa?

A multi-entry Visa type will allow you an unlimited number of entries into Thailand during its “visa validity”. For example, the Multi Entry Tourist Visa has a validity of 6 months starting on the date of issue.

On the METV .pdf visa document, this validity period is listed next to "visa must be used by" and the date.

*** You will receive a new 60-days admitted stay stamp upon EVERY entry within the visa validity period. You will need to exit Thailand before these 60 days are over, and re-enter Thailand in order to receive the NEXT 60-days permit

That’s in short how a multi re-entry permit on a METV works.

*** People who are living in Thailand on a “1-year Extension of Temporary Stay Permit” they obtained on Immigration out of a “90-days single entry Non-Imm-O Retirement or Family Visa”, will need to buy a single or multi re-entry permit, in case they plan to travel abroad during the 1-year extension period.

A re-entry permit will allow them to return to Thailand using their still valid “extension of stay permit”. By buying a re-entry permit, the whole duration of the year long stay permit is protected from becoming invalid when the holder exits Thailand.

A re-entry permit is always valid until the expiry of the 1-year Extension of Stay. A single re-entry lets you exit and re-enter one time. With a multi re-entry permit, you can exit and re-enter as many times as you want.

*** On a sidenote: There are some visa-categories with an “already built-in” multiple re-entry permit, such as the DTV, the 365-days Non-Imm-O/A Longstay Visa, the LTR or the Non-Imm-O/X Visa.

If you're visa exempt then you don't have a visa...

For me as a holder of a 1 year temporary stay (TM 7) i do not need to make a new TM 30 when returning to my home in Thailand, my TM 30 is 5 years old and immigration just check it every time i do new yearly extensions,,if not reentry permit i need restart with a visa again and then new extensions

It’s vain attempt the keep control as they think it must be strictly controlled

The tete-entry permit is for those of us who are here on a single entry visa and need to leave and return during the validity of that permit. It does not apply to visa exempt entries

In reality, it is no different to other countries. On entry, without a specific visa, you are given x amount of days for tourism.

The problem is that, in the past, like many countries found out, including the US, (border runs was the a good way to avoid having to apply for a visa), it is open to abuse.

The actual rule is not the number of times you enter within a specific period, but the real purpose of each entries. Thai Immigration officers are no different from other countries. They look for patterns in your travel and have full discretion to interpret it.

As long as your pattern does not correspond to you effectively living in Thailand without a visa, you should be fine.

If you are a genuine tourist doing border hopping to nearby countries for tourism, make sure upu have on you, if asked, an itinerary of travel, proof of enough funds and a return ticket home within the time allowed.

The problem is that many people are condescending towards the Thais and believe that the country is backwards. They then spread through social media, so called laws and facts about entering Thailand without a visa and omit to mention that they have been bucking the system for years.

Thai immigration has linked computerised data that is fully up to date and that permits them to see “false tourist” patterns the moment your passport is scanned.

You don’t as a tourist.

It's for when you come back down to earth....apologies, I'll see myself out....

Reentry permits are for people that hold certain visas or extensions of stay they are not for visa exempt tourists. If you're asking legitimate tourist and come visa exempt for a couple of weeks leave and visit another Country for a week you should not have an issue coming back to Thailand for another visa exempt visit.

A reentry permit is needed for anyone not on a multi entry visa. It is needed to keep the visa alive when you leave the country.

It does not apply to visa exempt as far as I know.

Re-entry visa is for non res b work permit.(1 example) So I am currently in China, I apply for re-entry visa PRIOR to leaving Thailand, upon reentry my visa is valid. if I reenter with no re-entry visa, my work visa is cancelled