Many foreigners who live in Thailand on a yearly extension of stay, whether for retirement, a Thai spouse or study, make the same mistake: they fly home for a short trip without a re-entry permit. When they come back, the year-long extension is gone and the whole visa process starts again.
This guide explains what a re-entry permit is, who needs one, the difference between single and multiple, the documents and where to apply.
What a re-entry permit is
A re-entry permit is approval from an immigration officer, obtained before you leave, that keeps the permission to stay you already hold.
Section 39 of the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979) says that a foreigner with temporary permission to stay loses that permission on leaving the Kingdom, unless an officer approved their return before departure. In that case, if they are not barred under Section 12 when they come back, they may stay for the time remaining.
Two points to remember:
- A re-entry permit does not extend your stay. It only keeps your existing end date. If the permission runs out while you are abroad, the permit is worthless.
- The permit ends with your current permission. After every new extension you need a new re-entry permit.
Who needs one before leaving
You have an extension of stay (retirement, Thai family, study): you need a permit before every departure. This is the group that gets caught most often.
You entered on a single-entry visa and are still inside the permitted stay: if you want to leave and come back to use the remaining days, you need one too.
You hold a valid multiple-entry visa and have not extended in Thailand: each return is a new entry on the visa, so you do not need one. Once you extend in Thailand, you are in the first group.
You are a permanent resident: you do not use the TM.8 re-entry permit. Under Section 50, your residence certificate must be endorsed by an officer before you leave. The endorsement is valid for one year and covers several trips within that year.
Single or multiple
| Type | Fee | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Single | 1,000 baht | One departure and return |
| Multiple | 3,800 baht | Any number of trips until your current permission ends |
Both types expire on the end date of the permission stamped in your passport, whenever you buy them, and the fee is not refundable.
Example. David has a retirement extension until 30 June 2027 and expects to fly out three times before then.
- Three single permits: 3 × 1,000 = 3,000 baht, and a trip to immigration before each flight.
- One multiple permit: 3,800 baht, valid until 30 June 2027.
From four trips, the multiple permit is cheaper (4 × 1,000 = 4,000 baht) and saves the repeat visits. When David renews his extension in June 2027, he needs a new permit.
Where to apply and what to bring
You must apply in person, normally at the immigration office for the area where you live. In Bangkok that is Immigration Division 1 at the Government Complex on Chaeng Watthana Road. You can also apply at airport passport control on the day you fly.
Documents listed by Immigration:
- Passport
- Form TM.8 with one 4 × 6 cm photo taken within the last 6 months
- Signed copies of the passport pages: personal data, expiry date, any amendments, the latest entry stamp and any extension stamp
- TM.6 arrival/departure card and a copy, if you have one
- If you are under a condition not to leave Thailand: approval from that authority first, with the original and a copy
- The fee
The Immigration Bureau's public handbook gives about 50 minutes once the documents are complete. The officer stamps the permit in your passport and gives you a receipt. Before leaving the counter, check that the stamp is the type you asked for and that its date matches the end of your permission.
If you have already left without one
Under Section 39, your extension ended the day you left. There is no way to apply for it from abroad. On return you only get the stay that comes with the way you entered that time, and you start the visa or extension process again under the rules of that visa.
Put the re-entry permit on your travel checklist, next to checking your passport's expiry date.
Other things to know
- 90-day reports: after you leave and come back, the 90 days start again from your arrival date.
- Questions: the Immigration Bureau hotline is 1178.
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