Re-entry Permits at the Bangkok Airport
Replies: 8 - Last Post: Oct 5, 2012 9:40 PM Last Post By: losing_touch
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FCG, when you have certain types of visa here (usually attached to a Work Permit) and it's renewed for another year, (2 years now, I think - our agent always does it), you need to get a re-entry permit before leaving Thailand for any reason. It's stupid really, but it's the equivalent of re-activating the visa (which they already gave you - but it's the TIT factor). This is normally done at a local Immigration office. Even though, yes, the airport operates 24/7 that particular desk and function closes at midnight. Leaving without the re-entry is a big deal!7
FCG, as Mike said, people like me get a multi-entry. If you work here and just trip home or to Bali once a year, then the single re-entry is cheaper.No, they don't shoot you if your forget - but going out without it voids everything attached to it. One simply wouldn't leave the country until it had been sorted, and I know of only one man who did - untold dramas that took lots of brown bags and tears to rectify.
Similartly, two Dutch friends on Retirement Visas who spend half a year here and half a year back in Euroland went to renew their visas. When the Immigration Dept checked the bank records, they calculated that the required funds were deposited TWO WEEKS later than the required cut-off date. Renewal was refused and they were told they'd have to start all over again to apply for visas - despite having a file that went back 12 years! Again, it took a lot of hustling and hassling to sort it out - Embassy "contacts" in the end!
Here there's an awful lot of official stuff that IS black or white - there is no grey. Luckily, with such things as motorway speeding, it's many shades of grey and NO black or white! TIT rules OK!

