If you hold a Thai visa and wish to depart the country and return before your visa is up, you will need to procure a Re-entry Permit Thailand before you depart from Thailand.
Perhaps you are on holiday doing a tour of the region and want to return to Thailand before heading home, or maybe you reside here with a long-term Thai visa and wish to visit another country and return to continue your residence.
In either case, if you don’t get a re-entry permit, your visa will be canceled after you leave Thailand even if you have a long period remaining on its duration.
This permit is issued by Thai Immigration and lets you leave Thailand and return on the same visa that got you into the country the first time. The re-entry permit IS NOT a visa or stay extension. It has no effect on the duration of your visa or the stay limit your visa imposes.
When planning on leaving Thailand and returning, first check your visa’s duration. If your visa expires while you are out of the country, you cannot use it to re-enter Thailand, even if you have a re-entry permit. You will need to apply for a new visa while abroad or rely on either the Visa Exemption or Visa on Arrival program (if you qualify).
There are two kinds of re-entry permits in Thailand:
- Single Re-Entry Permit: Allows you to return to Thailand on the same visa once. If you leave again, you will need another permit.
- Multiple Re-Entry Permit: Allows you to leave and re-enter Thailand freely for the duration of your current visa.
If you are leaving Thailand and you know that you will be getting a different visa to return, you don’t need a re-entry permit.
Thai visas generally fall under two categories: single-entry and multiple-entry.
A single-entry visa, as the name suggests, is only valid for one entry to Thailand regardless of how long you stay. If your visa is good for 60 days, but you leave on day 20, you cannot enter Thailand again on the same visa unless you acquire a re-entry permit before leaving.
Many tourist visas and even some long-term non-immigrant Thai visas are single-entry visas. If you plan to leave Thailand and return on the same visa, you will need a re-entry permit if you hold one of these visas:
- Single-Entry Thai Tourist Visa
- 90-Day Non-Immigrant Visa
- Thailand Marriage Visa
- Thailand Retirement Visa (1-year OA visa)
The other kind of Thai visa is the multiple-entry visa. These visas allow you to leave Thailand and re-enter on the same visa with no limits. You can travel in and out of the country with no need to worry about obtaining a re-entry permit.
These are long-term Thai visas that are intended for residents and frequent visitors. The multiple-entry visas available in Thailand include:
- Multiple-Entry Thai Tourist Visa
- Thailand Elite Visa
- Thailand Long-Term Resident Visa
- Destination Thailand Visa
- Thai Retirement Visa (5-year OX visa)
- Thai Business Visa
How to get a re-entry permit in Thailand?
Fortunately, getting a re-entry permit in Thailand before you leave is quite easy. If you are leaving Thailand from an international airport, you can apply for a re-entry permit at the immigration checkpoint on the day you leave.
Be sure to arrive earlier than you normally would so that you do not miss your flight, as you will have to fill out the application form (available at the checkpoint) then wait for approval. Typically, this takes no more than 15-30 minutes, but it’s better to be safe than sorry, so give yourself plenty of extra time if you will be applying before your flight.
Alternatively, you can apply for a re-entry permit at any Thai Immigration Office before your date of departure. While you can do this in advance of your trip, it will take longer to process than if you apply at the airport.
Documents required for a Thai re-entry permit
Whether you apply at the airport or an immigration office, you should prepare all required documentation beforehand to avoid delays. The documents required for a Thailand re-entry permit include:
- Your current passport with your current Thai visa and/or entry stamp
- Photocopies of relevant passport pages, which are:
- Biodata page
- Any personal data amendment pages
- Page with most recent entry stamp
- Extension of Stay stamp (if applicable)
- A passport-sized photo of yourself
- Re-entry permit application form TM.8 (you can find this online and print it out)
- TM.6 arrival card (if you have one)
How much does a Thailand re-entry permit cost?
The cost depends on which kind of re-entry permit you are applying for.
- Single Re-Entry Permit: 1,000 baht
- Multiple Re-Entry Permit: 3,800 baht
These fees typically must be paid in cash.