Visa re-entry permits not available at airport

The National Immigration Division at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport will no longer reinstate the re-entry permit service formerly available at the airport. All foreigners with a valid visa issued inside of Thailand who want to travel outside of Thailand must have a re-entry permit in order to re-enter on their current valid visa.

Visas issued outside of Thailand at Thai consulates and embassies are valid for the term stated on the visa but require the holder to leave the Kingdom every 90 days. These visa holders do not need a re-entry permit because the visa is permission to enter and reenter the Kingdom temporarily up to 90 days at a time, not to live here.  

Whereas a visa issued inside Thailand at an Immigration bureau office is permission to live in Thailand. Holders of this type of visa must apply for and purchase a re-entry stamp prior to departure from Thailand or their visa will be cancelled.

A single re-entry visa is 1,000 baht and can be used anytime during the validation of the visa. A multiple (unlimited) re-entry permit can be used anytime and as many times as desired during the validation of the visa. The cost of a multiple re-entry permit is 3,800 baht.

The one-page application is called a TM.8 form and is titled “Application for re-entry permit into the Kingdom.” The application form is available at all immigration offices in English and in Thai. It is also available for downloading from the internet at http://www.immigration. go.th/nov2004/download/tm8.doc. Application must be made in person. The form requires a 4 c.m. by 6 c.m. photo of the applicant.

Re-entry permits are available at Pattaya Immigration Bureau located off of Jomtien Beach Road on Soi 5. Hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. 

The issuance of re-entry permits at the airport has been cancelled since last Christmas, but other services are still the same. Those services include Arrival Immigration Checkpoint, Departure Immigration Checkpoint, Visa on Arrival, Transit visa service, Investigation and Suppression and Overstay Payment. 

An airport immigration officer told our Pattaya Times reporter, “All services are still the same, but the only thing which has changed is re-entry service” she said.

“The reason why re-entry service has been cancelled here because there are many passengers applying for re-entry permits and they miss their plane that’s why re-entry permits should be applied in advance. The official explained that it will be more practical for the passengers because after applying for the extension of a temporary stay in the Kingdom, they can apply for the re-entry right away. Everything can be done at Immigration at Soi Suan Plu in Bangkok or at Pattaya Immigration in Jomtien where issuance is more practical with a larger area and more officers ready to serve,” the immigration officer, who asked not to be identified, said.

For more information call Pattaya Immigration Call Center at 1178 or PAPPA Co., Ltd. Visa Service Division at 038 301 050, a sister company of the Pattaya Times.