A visa re-entry permit in Thailand is needed when a person who has Thailand as his temporary place of residence through an extension of stay but is planning to exit the Kingdom on a short travel abroad. Exiting without the re-entry permit in Thailand invalidates his extension of stay which would require him to re-apply for another nonimmigrant visa in order to gain entry to the Kingdom again then proceed with an application for a new extension of stay and so this is something that he must pay close attention to.
The re-entry permit in Thailand should be obtained prior to the extension of stay-holder’s exit from Thailand at the following venues:
- Suvarnabhumi Airport – Immigration Section Counter
- Thai Immigration at Suan Pluh, Bangkok
- Other immigration checkpoints
There are two options available for re-entry permit applicants, the single entry and the multiple entry.
The multiple entry is more expensive at 3,800 Baht but it is much more advantageous over the single entry which is at 1,000 Baht especially for those who are not sure if they would exit Thailand only once.
And to apply, the applicant would need to submit the following:
- A fully and truthfully accomplished TM-8 Form
- The applicable fee
- Photo (2 inches in size)
- Signed photocopies of the applicant’s passport pages containing “permit to stay”, “date of last entry to Thailand” and “identification” of the applicant.
- Photocopy of Departure Card TM. 6
The applicant may choose to apply personally or through an authorized agent of his (with letter of attorney).
The whole application process can even be finished within a day though the applicant must make sure to have all the necessary documents and the exact amount with him.
A visa re-entry permit in Thailand is sometimes called a ‘one way permits’. A person who has Thailand as his temporary place of residence through an extension of stay but is planning to exit the Kingdom on a short travel abroad needs to apply for one way permit from the Immigration Department. This kind of permit is also known as “welcome back”, or “departure” visa