What it means
A re-entry permit is an immigration endorsement that preserves your extension of stay when you depart Thailand internationally and return. Without a re-entry permit, leaving Thailand while you hold an extension of stay cancels the extension upon departure — you re-enter as though starting fresh on tourist or visa-exempt status, losing the extension period you have already paid for and documented. Single re-entry permits cost ฿1,000 and authorise one departure and return within the extension period. Multiple re-entry permits cost ฿3,800 and cover unlimited international departures and returns for the remaining extension period. Re-entry permits are issued using Form TM8 at any immigration office, at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airport international departure halls, and at some regional airport immigration counters.
Why it matters in Pattaya
Pattaya's expat community travels frequently: visa runs (though increasingly unnecessary with DTV), family visits home, medical appointments in Singapore or Bangkok, holidays in neighbouring countries, and regional business trips. Forgetting to obtain a re-entry permit before departing on an annual extension is one of the most costly and preventable immigration mistakes in Pattaya. Officers at Jomtien routinely remind extension applicants to get a re-entry permit at the same visit — take the advice seriously and get the multiple re-entry (฿3,800) if there is any possibility of international travel in the coming year. The cost savings of single over multiple are minimal if you take even two trips annually, and the consequences of leaving without any permit are severe — you lose your extension entirely.
When you need it
- Any international departure from Thailand while holding an extension of stay — Non-O retirement, Marriage Non-O, DTV extension, Non-B employment, or Education ED.
- Medical evacuation or emergency international travel — airport immigration counters can issue TM8 at departure gates, but queue times can be very tight at major airports. Obtain it in advance at Jomtien where possible.
- Planned holidays abroad — get the multiple re-entry permit at your extension appointment for the entire year rather than each time you travel.
- Border crossings by road — the re-entry permit requirement applies equally to land border crossings at Aranyaprathet, Nong Khai, or Mae Sot.
Common mistakes
- Departing on an extension without any re-entry permit. Your extension is immediately cancelled at the exit immigration stamp. You return as a tourist. This is the most common and preventable expensive immigration mistake in Pattaya.
- Choosing single re-entry when you travel multiple times. Three single re-entry permits (3 × ฿1,000 = ฿3,000) costs almost as much as one multiple (฿3,800). The multiple is almost always better value if two or more international trips are possible.
- Confusing re-entry permit with DTV entry. DTV is already a multiple-entry visa — DTV holders do not need re-entry permits for DTV entries. Re-entry permits apply specifically to holders of extensions of stay on Non-O, Non-B, and ED status.
- Getting only an extension at Jomtien and forgetting TM8 at the same visit. Officers issue both TM7 (extension) and TM8 (re-entry) at the same counter — ask for both simultaneously rather than making two trips.
Related: Extension · TM8 form · DTV (no re-entry permit needed) · Jomtien Immigration.
Walkthrough: Re-entry permit Pattaya 2026 · Re-entry permits guide
Related terms
TM8 · Extension · Overstay · Immigration Bureau
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