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Pros and Cons of Getting Re-entry Permit in Airport and Immigration Office


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I did an out/in to get my Admitted until date 22 March, 2020 of my O-A visa. The visa expired March 28. I am leaving Thailand the first week of April for 6-month and will be back in October. So, I need a re-entry permit. What're the pros and cons of getting it at immigration office and at BKK airport? 

 

At airport

Pros: No pic, no visit to immigration, no standing in queue, every thing is handled nicely at airport (from my experience).

Cons: Must arrive at the airport well in advance, must not forget when in a hurry (disaster)

 

What are the other advantages of getting it at the airport vs. at an immigration office?

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if you are flying business class, there is not a re-entry permit desk in that designated immigration area.  i read here that you can ask the IO to take you to the re-entry desk for processing, etc...  but as i recall, the report i read was not a first hand report by someone who did it.

 

one issue with getting it at the airport is potential blood pressure build.  you sit waiting for the re-entry permit process and watch the immigration lines grow longer and longer as you wait.  that was my experience once, the other time is was the opposite, the lines got smaller. 

 

but since then, i chose to get my re-entry permits at CW, it doesn't take very long.  show up at 9:15 and the wait isn't more than an hour (my commute each way is about 45 minutes via MRT/taxi then taxi/MRT).  not sure what immigration office you use.

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Its a no brainer.  Every time I'm at CW for annual extension, I don't even bother with the reentry permit. I get it airport. All chat about charge etc is up to you. Avoid that... download form fill out attach you pic. At DM never taken me more than 15 minute. Swampy bit longer sometimes. At swamp if can't be bothered with form and pic, they do it for 200baht. The folk that obtain it at imm I think are mainly from small imm offices. Never been to the CW ZOO

Edited by DrJack54
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51 minutes ago, buick said:

if you are flying business class, there is not a re-entry permit desk in that designated immigration area.  i read here that you can ask the IO to take you to the re-entry desk for processing, etc...  but as i recall, the report i read was not a first hand report by someone who did it.

 

one issue with getting it at the airport is potential blood pressure build.  you sit waiting for the re-entry permit process and watch the immigration lines grow longer and longer as you wait.  that was my experience once, the other time is was the opposite, the lines got smaller. 

 

but since then, i chose to get my re-entry permits at CW, it doesn't take very long.  show up at 9:15 and the wait isn't more than an hour (my commute each way is about 45 minutes via MRT/taxi then taxi/MRT).  not sure what immigration office you use.

The part about io escort is misleading. At swampy reentry office is before passport control. At DM its just other side passport control. For anyone not familiar with process at DM. You get in line same everyone else. Mention to io your obtaining reentry. They will not take your tm6.

As for comment about obtaining reentry CW. 

Sine anyone flying out of los would already be at airport 15 minute process time is nothing compared to wasted trip to CW

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I have gotten them at BKK and at CW. It was easy at BKK. However I need one for a 2AM flight Tuesday at DM. I will go to CW tomorrow morning because I am afraid that something will happen and if I cant get it at DM I will have to give up an expensive ticket rather than give up my new extension. Once you go to the airport the only back up plan is to not sign out or get on the plane! 

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5 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

The part about io escort is misleading. At swampy reentry office is before passport control. At DM its just other side passport control. For anyone not familiar with process at DM. You get in line same everyone else. Mention to io your obtaining reentry. They will not take your tm6.

As for comment about obtaining reentry CW. 

Sine anyone flying out of los would already be at airport 15 minute process time is nothing compared to wasted trip to CW

But are they open 24/7 for sure 100%?

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13 minutes ago, onekoolguy said:

But are they open 24/7 for sure 100%?

Yes. Just one added comment. If your flying very late... Say midnight, the office esp DM may be unattended. All that means is you might wait perhaps 15 mins before io comes to office. So if late flight just allow all up ~ 30 min for process. Normal hours ~15-20

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20 minutes ago, onekoolguy said:

I have gotten them at BKK and at CW. It was easy at BKK. However I need one for a 2AM flight Tuesday at DM. I will go to CW tomorrow morning because I am afraid that something will happen and if I cant get it at DM I will have to give up an expensive ticket rather than give up my new extension. Once you go to the airport the only back up plan is to not sign out or get on the plane! 

Sir, I just read your post. Do not waste time/day CW.

100% You can obtain reentry permit DM 27/7

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I got reentry permit at Suvarnabhumi last Friday about 11am. Had paperwork, picture passport and cash in hand. There were 5 people already being processed. I handed in docs and was given back completed in about 8 minutes. Nice lady io directed me not to join the long queue but to a shorter queue in front of the desk. Much, much easier than getting it done at CW. 

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17 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

The part about io escort is misleading. At swampy reentry office is before passport control.

i'm not sure i understand your response here.  the reentry office is before passport control but it is not located in the premium lane(business class)/immigration hall.  that is the point i was/am making. i fly business class mostly (long haul) and can't obtain one in that hall.  you have to go to another hall to get it and supposedly you can get an escort to do so but i've never heard/read a first person account of this.  although it sounds reasonable, i'm not willing to roll the dice until i'm 100% sure of it as leaving w/o one would void my extension. 

 

i fully understand why the vast majority of people would do it at the airport rather than go to CW, especially if they are flying economy class and will pass the permit desk after they clear security and before the line up for immigration control.  i did obtain two at BKK when i was doing short haul econ trips as i described in my original post.

 

i don't have a busy schedule in bangkok and a trip to CW for a re-entry permit (multiple) is nothing like going to apply for an extension of your stay - visa exempt, tourist visa, or non imm O.  the reentry permit process is pleasurable in comparison to the extension process !!!

 

edit:  maybe i should add that i'm not going to skip using the premium lane, 5-10 minutes to clear security/immigration, to use the economy immigration hall with the reentry desk where the time to clear can be anywhere from 30 min to a full hour (plus the time for getting the permit).

Edited by buick
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For business class priority / fast track at BKK, you enter pass initial security and bag check and then before passport control you ask and they open the door / screen to allow you to enter the main immigration area so you can walk along the back of the hall to the re-entry permit counter. Once done, you retrace your steps and pass through the door / screen and join the passport control queue in the priority / fast track hall.

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The advantage is that I used to get a multiple entry at CW Immigration but the queue is sometimes 4 hours. Then I also never used it in the end. Last time I did it at the airport and it only took 10 mins in a 5 person queue. At swampy you must enter the left hand entrance to the immigration check points.

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Have the police said that it’s OK for people to get the re-entry permit at the airports on a routine basis? I’d assumed this was something they did just for emergencies, or when people simply forget to apply for a re-entry permit locally.

I don’t think I’d risk relying on the airport unless it was an emergency and I didn’t have a chance to go to the local Immigration office. Maybe the duty IO will be taken sick and they won’t have a replacement on hand? Or maybe they’ll simply change the rules again without telling anybody and you’ll no longer be able to get it at the airport – who knows? If it all goes belly up what do you do, miss your flight or void your visa? In Jomtien Immigration it usually takes less than an hour so I don’t mind.

Yeah, I know, I’m probably way over-cautious but I really don’t want to lose my visa.

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1 hour ago, boriga said:

For business class priority / fast track at BKK, you enter pass initial security and bag check and then before passport control you ask and they open the door / screen to allow you to enter the main immigration area

who do you ask ?  an immigration officer (bypassing those standing in line) ?

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2 minutes ago, Guderian said:

Have the police said that it’s OK for people to get the re-entry permit at the airports on a routine basis? I’d assumed this was something they did just for emergencies, or when people simply forget to apply for a re-entry permit locally.

Immigration are the ones that set up the re-entry permit desks at airports and some border crossings. 

Certainly not only for emergencies.

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57 minutes ago, Estrada said:

The advantage is that I used to get a multiple entry at CW Immigration but the queue is sometimes 4 hours. Then I also never used it in the end. Last time I did it at the airport and it only took 10 mins in a 5 person queue. At swampy you must enter the left hand entrance to the immigration check points.

i've never waited more than an hour for a re-entry permit at CW.  i've done it many times, arriving about 9:15am.  i've had to get them for extensions of stay-retirement and also for tourist visa's.

 

 

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3 hours ago, Vacuum said:

Perhaps, but do you know how much extra time you'll need att the airport to be sure you won't miss your flight?

Stressful I'd say.

2 hours roundtrip to/from CW plus 1 to 2 hours waiting there, or simply allowing an extra 1 hour at the airport? I'll never be wasting time (and cost) going to CW again just for a reentry permit. Far less stressful to get it at the airport. 

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3 hours ago, buick said:

i'm not sure i understand your response here.  the reentry office is before passport control but it is not located in the premium lane(business class)/immigration hall.  that is the point i was/am making. i fly business class mostly (long haul) and can't obtain one in that hall.  you have to go to another hall to get it and supposedly you can get an escort to do so but i've never heard/read a first person account of this.  although it sounds reasonable, i'm not willing to roll the dice until i'm 100% sure of it as leaving w/o one would void my extension. 

 

i fully understand why the vast majority of people would do it at the airport rather than go to CW, especially if they are flying economy class and will pass the permit desk after they clear security and before the line up for immigration control.  i did obtain two at BKK when i was doing short haul econ trips as i described in my original post.

 

i don't have a busy schedule in bangkok and a trip to CW for a re-entry permit (multiple) is nothing like going to apply for an extension of your stay - visa exempt, tourist visa, or non imm O.  the reentry permit process is pleasurable in comparison to the extension process !!!

 

edit:  maybe i should add that i'm not going to skip using the premium lane, 5-10 minutes to clear security/immigration, to use the economy immigration hall with the reentry desk where the time to clear can be anywhere from 30 min to a full hour (plus the time for getting the permit).

I understand what your saying. Just to add point or 2. Reentry permit is before passport control at swampy and as your aware, at DM its just past imm control. Bit strange IMO but anyway. 

As for travel to CW, I guess for some that's OK depending on where you are staying in bkk. I think I'm bias as I hate the joint. Most guys posting about getting permit at imm live in other cities where maybe trip and time not big deal. 

Didn't mean to be picky. Enjoy your travels. 

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9 minutes ago, soi3eddie said:

2 hours roundtrip to/from CW plus 1 to 2 hours waiting there, or simply allowing an extra 1 hour at the airport? I'll never be wasting time (and cost) going to CW again just for a reentry permit. Far less stressful to get it at the airport. 

If its DM it will not be an hour. More likely 15 mins. Have your form all filled in. Easy peasy.

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5 minutes ago, thailen said:

I'm still a bit confused. Do I need to get the single/multi-entry permit before leaving LOS or when I return at Suvarnabhumi?

You have to obtain a re-entry permit before leaving the country. They are not issued on arrival.

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There is one possible inconvenience that can occur if you get the re-entry permit at the airport rather than CW....it happened to me.

Should you have the misfortune to lose and replace your passport, while you can get all your visa stamps replaced free at CW, you must return to the airport where you got your re-entry permit to get a replacement re-entry stamp.  Can not be done at CW like the other stamps.

Edited by dddave
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