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Single Re-Entry Or Multiple


gawguy

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I went to Immigration at Jomtien today, May 10, 2012, unable to get totally clear on what I needed before I went. I have never seen the place so packed. I got to the help desk around 11.40AM and the man in charge couldn't get a handle on what I needed. He tried to direct me to 90 Day check up, which I didn't need as I'd only been here 5 wks. He didn't want to look in detail and he didn't have time and he wasn't especially nice about it. (BUT I want to say that I couldn't do his job for three days. The stress of would kill me! I'm not complaining about him.) I went in thinking I would get some help, but in that environment it couldn't happen.

 

My need wasn’t evident to them because I have Permission to Stay until April 9, 2013. But I’m leaving June 18, 2012 and want to return October 5, 2012. My Non-Imm OA Visa says “Enter before September 13, 2012.†Oct 5 is after Sept 13, so I thought that was what I needed to deal with.

 

Thai Home had responded to a previous post before, some things were understandable, others not. He knows what he’s talking about, but I couldn’t sort it out. I tried to PM him a couple of days ago but have not heard back. So there I was, in a stampede. Because of the time I was told "Lunchtime, come back 13.00.†I went back 12.45, was given a number and told "Come back 14.00."

 

When my number 151 finally came up around 14.30 I went to the appropriate desk for my allotted 30 seconds and asked what is difference between single or multiple re-entry? I was only told the price difference, which I think I heard in the din and the rush: "1,000 baht single, 3,800 baht multiple." 4 times difference in price. I had ONE SECOND to decide and I didn't know if I had a use for multiple. I'm only going to re-enter twice at the most in the next year. So I got a single re-entry. I was guessing I could get another Single Entry next time, thus saving 1,800 baht. Maybe that was the wrong thing to do ??

 

Now I'm back in my room, reviewing what TH had written in his response, which turns out to be: "..get a multiple re-entry permit and so that each time you leave and enter and they will continue to give you a permission to stay stamp with an (April) 2013 date." In a later response he said, "What can be done is for the permission to stay stamp to be extended for up to one year at time by showing you are over 50, have 800k THB in bank or income of 65k THB a month. When getting that extension it is advisable to get a re-entry permit which will allow you to leave the country and return keeping that extended permission to stay stamp valid."

 

So there's part of my confusion. It's not clear how those things fit together. I’m not sure if my Single Re-Entry conflicts with some mysterious Visa rule.

 

I absolutely want to have my Permission to Stay stamp extended one year at a time. I have over 800,000 in Thai bank, in fact I went to my bank yesterday and got the confirmation letter (paid 200 baht - who knew?) which it turned out I didn’t need today. But I have it if someone thinks I need to go back and get multiple, if I can even re-do or do-over at this point.

 

AND when TH says “"What can be done is for the permission to stay stamp to be extended for up to one year at time ….†I HAVE NO IDEA HOW I COULD COMMUNICATE THAT in that environment.

 

SO…should I go back now with my letter from the bank and change to multiple? If so please explain why.

 

It certainly a character-building experience. I am trying to apply a bit of Buddhist mindset to such situations. So I meditated on confusion and frustration while waiting, the idea being that we can’t control what is imposed upon us, but we might be able to control our response to it.

 

Thank you in advance for any possible help,

Gaw Guy

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This is one of the reasons why I was so keen to quiz Coss on his ability to commute between Laos and Thailand at will, (presumably) getting a 30-day stamp each time in whichever country he had just entered. I know that doesn't help gawguy, but its part of my initial plan for 2014 - I want to be able to see PI, Cambo and possibly even Brazil before I commit to a longer stay. Methinks there are different rules in place at Nong Khai vs Swampy ....

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.... and asked what is difference between single or multiple re-entry? I was only told the price difference, which I think I heard in the din and the rush: "1,000 baht single, 3,800 baht multiple." 4 times difference in price.

I think you heard wrong. I believe it is 1,900 baht for the single, and 3,800 baht for the multiple. Twice the price of a single. I go for the multiple as that means I can jump on the plane at any time how many times I want to without fear of retribution when I come back within the visa time frame. The single means another trip to immigration once you've used it.

 

Since you've got the single, live with it until after you've used it.

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This is one of the reasons why I was so keen to quiz Coss on his ability to commute between Laos and Thailand at will, (presumably) getting a 30-day stamp each time in whichever country he had just entered. I know that doesn't help gawguy, but its part of my initial plan for 2014 - I want to be able to see PI, Cambo and possibly even Brazil before I commit to a longer stay. Methinks there are different rules in place at Nong Khai vs Swampy ....

 

remembering that it's 30 days into Laos, but only 15 at a land crossing into Thailand

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gawguy,

First off, you are ok and did the right thing in getting a single re-entry permit. From your post it appears that once you return in Oct 2012, you do not plan to leave again until at least your current permission to stay stamp (April 2013) expires. If you do, just go get another re-entry permit. Myself, I prefer to have the re-entry permit already in hand in case I have to leave for an unexpected reason.

 

You have an O-A visa which gives you a 365 day permission to stay stamp each time you enter until it expires (Sept 13, 2012). By getting the re-entry permit, you have preserved the permission to stay date of April 9, 2013. When you return in Oct, they should give a new permission to stay stamp of April 9, 2013. Be sure to check that before walking to far away from immigration when you return (don’t stand there in front of counter and look that is rude to person behind you). If it is wrong, there is generally a immigration person walking around behind the counters, approach them and explain the situation.

 

3 months before April 13, 2013, deposit 800k in a Thai bank and leave it there. About 30 days before April 13, 2013, get a letter from the bank certifying the balance, and take it and bankbook along with application form and apply for a 1 year extension. When you do that, go ahead and apply for a multi re-entry permit that will allow you to leave and return anytime during the year. Repeat this yearly.

 

Do not forget that if you stay in Thailand for 90 days, you need to report your address to immigration. This is fairly painless, but for many it is worth having an agent to it for you.

 

In fact, I would recommend that next April, you get an agent to go with you for the extension. I don’t know any agents in Pattaya/Jomtien, but in Bangkok, Steve, at Indo-Siam has good people that will take care of it all at very reasonable prices.

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with multiple re-entry permit there is no reason to do 90 day reporting as every trip out of LOS will reset the 90day shite counter!

 

initial visa (single entry) visa is void & wasted once entering LOS so why worry for such conditions?

 

its not rocket science ja.

permit to stay means just that. permit to re-enter is also a pretty clear english sentence.

why bother with immigration?

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with multiple re-entry permit there is no reason to do 90 day reporting as every trip out of LOS will reset the 90day shite counter!

 

initial visa (single entry) visa is void & wasted once entering LOS so why worry for such conditions?

 

its not rocket science ja.

permit to stay means just that. permit to re-enter is also a pretty clear english sentence.

why bother with immigration?

 

If the OP stays in Thailand from Oct to April next year, he will need to do a 90 day report. Many people have multi re-entry permits for their permissions to stay stamps and stay in Thailand for longer than 90 days at a time.

 

I think you are getting confused between a one year permission to stay stamp and the re-entry permit required to keep that date valid when leaving and coming back and a 90 day permission to stay stamp given when entering on a Non Imm O or B visa.

TH

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AFAIK even if one has a 12 month extension to stay either be it on an Non-Imm OM, OA, Non-Imm B or a Non-Imm ED, the requirement for 90 day reporting is still valid if one does not leave the kingdom within the 90 day period.

 

I am with Vintage Kwai on the re-entry visa, just cough up 3,800 for a multiple once you receive your 12 month extension to stay and the you are worry free / able to come and go as you wish within the 12 month window. As TH states, pay an agent (in my case Miss Fix-It) to take care of all your immigration needs, the agents have a good working relationship with immigration and work permit (if required) departments in the area where one resides and are well worth the additional 3-5K baht / annum IMHO.

 

Just my :twocents: worth

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remembering that it's 30 days into Laos, but only 15 at a land crossing into Thailand

 

Gotcha, but my point is that they are giving you unlimited visa exemptions on the Thai side - I assume you still have to get the visa for re-entry to Laos, just as I did in 2008 ? If they consider three 15-day exemptions to be 'mai pen rai' in any 3-month period, then I shall take full advantage of that in 2014. When I got my 15-day extension via the land crossing in Cambo in 2010, we were all told that we would have to get a tourist visa (or non-Imm yada-yada) at the end of that 15-days. I flew to Penang, stayed in a hideous hotel while a courier took my passport to the consulate and got my tourist visa. One of the advantages of living here is that no-one ever wants to see my passport - apparently we have a staggeringly high rate of visa overstay in Oz.

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