Thailand Re-Entry Permit: THB 1,000 or THB 3,800
If you are leaving Thailand and coming back on the same stay, get a re-entry permit first, because leaving without one ends your permission to stay. It costs THB 1,000 for a single return and THB 3,800 for multiple returns. File form TM.8 in person at your local immigration office.
On this page
The fee is THB 1,000 for a single return and THB 3,800 for multiple returns, and you apply before you leave. If you are leaving and coming back on the same stay, you need one, because leaving without it ends your permission to stay. If you are not coming back on this stay, you do not need one.
Why you need one
Without a permit, the moment you travel out your permission to stay is deemed ended:
หากเดินทางออกไปนอกราชอาณาจักร ให้ถือว่าการได้รับอนุญาตให้อยู่ในราชอาณาจักร … เป็นอันสิ้นสุด
If he travels out of the Kingdom, the permission to stay in the Kingdom is deemed ended. Immigration Act B.E. 2522, section 39
With a permit, you carry on for the rest of your stay when you come back. The same applies to an extension: it is permission to stay a little longer, so leaving without a permit ends that too. Bring a copy of your extension stamp page to the counter.
LTR visa holders are exempt, and a DTV is already a multiple-entry visa.
Single or multiple?
| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Single entry | THB 1,000 |
| Multiple entry | THB 3,800 |
A single permit is requested before every trip, while a multiple permit is requested once and covers several trips. It is the number of trips that decides it: three singles cost THB 3,000, but four cost THB 4,000, which is more than one multiple permit. The multiple permit suits people who leave often.
A single permit also suits the wait for an extension decision. Fees are not refunded in any case, even if you cancel the trip.
Or just buy a new visa?
If you let your permission end, you start over on a new visa. Compare the fees:
| Option | Fee |
|---|---|
| Single re-entry permit | THB 1,000 |
| Tourist visa | THB 1,000 |
| Single-entry Non-Immigrant visa | THB 2,000 |
| Multiple-entry Non-Immigrant visa | THB 5,000 |
How to apply
Go in person to the immigration office before you leave. In Bangkok that is Immigration Division 1, 2nd floor, Building B (south side), the Government Complex, Chaengwattana Road. Foreigners under special laws go to Sub-division 3, 18th floor, Chamchuri Square. Some of them can also file at airport passport control on the day they depart.
Bring:
- Your passport and form TM.8 with a 4x6 cm photo.
- Copies of your passport bio page, expiry page and last entry stamp.
- Your departure card TM.6 and a copy, if you have one.
- A copy of your extension stamp page, if you have an extension.
The officer checks the form, passport and fee, then stamps the permit in your passport. The stamp allows the same length of stay you already hold.
Staying a few months?
If you are settling in for a while, plan the permit trip for a weekday: the handbook lists service Monday to Friday, except official holidays. Counter hours are 08.30 to 16.30, with a lunch break, and hours can differ by office. The handbook gives a total of 40 minutes at the counter, so leave room for a queue on top.
The permit is for a foreigner who is already permitted to stay temporarily. If you entered visa-exempt and want to stay longer, you can ask for an extension of up to 30 days. For tourism it is a single grant of no more than 30 days, so do not plan a long stay around it.
Mistakes to avoid
- Flying out without a permit, which ends your permission.
- Forgetting the extension stamp copy.
- Expecting a refund if you cancel.
- Buying four singles when one multiple is cheaper.
- Assuming the airport counter is open to everyone, when it serves special-law groups only.
Step by step
- Decide single or multipleA single permit costs THB 1,000 and a multiple permit THB 3,800.
- Prepare form TM.8 and a photoBring your passport and form TM.8 with a 4x6 cm photo. Add a copy of your extension stamp page if you have one.
- Apply in personGo to the immigration office before you leave Thailand. In Bangkok, use Immigration Division 1 at the Government Complex.
- Collect the stampThe officer stamps the re-entry permit in your passport.
Not confirmed: Whether the airport counters issue permits to travellers outside the special-law groups is not confirmed. File at your local office before the flight. Whether a visa-exempt entry counts as a temporary stay for the permit is not stated either.
Common questions
How much is a Thai re-entry permit?
A single permit costs THB 1,000 and a multiple permit THB 3,800.
Is the re-entry permit fee refunded if I do not travel?
No, fees are not refunded in any case.
Which permit fits while I wait for an extension decision?
The single permit suits the wait for the extension result.
When does the multiple permit pay off?
From the fourth exit: four single permits cost THB 4,000 in all, more than one multiple permit at THB 3,800.
What do I bring to the counter?
Bring your passport and form TM.8 with a 4x6 cm photo. Add passport page copies and a copy of your extension stamp page if you have an extension.
Do LTR visa holders need a re-entry permit?
No, LTR holders are exempt from the re-entry permit.
Read next
Sources and reader comments
Official sources:
- Immigration Division 1 (Bangkok): fee schedule, Ministerial Regulation No. 27 (B.E. 2546) (archived 23 Jun 2024) (opens in a new tab)
- Immigration Division 1 (Bangkok), English page: Re-entry Permit (archived 8 Aug 2024) (opens in a new tab)
- Tak Immigration (ตม.จว.ตาก): Re-Entry Permit guide, Immigration Bureau, uploaded May 2025 (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
- Thailand BOI, LTR Visa Thailand - Long Term Resident Program (ltr.boi.go.th) (opens in a new tab)
- Immigration Act B.E. 2522, consolidated Thai text with amendment footnotes (Phuket Immigration Office copy, last footnote 2018) (opens in a new tab)
Show 4 more sources
- Royal Thai Trade and Economic Office Taipei: Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) (opens in a new tab)
- Immigration Bureau Public Handbook: Application for Re-Entry Permit to Return into the Kingdom (TM.8), hosted on phangngaimmigration.go.th, published 8 Nov 2019 (opens in a new tab)
- Royal Thai Embassy London: Visa Exemption and Visa on Arrival Schemes (opens in a new tab)
- Immigration Bureau Order 12/2568 on temporary stay (23 Jan 2025), PDF hosted by Chiang Rai Immigration (opens in a new tab)
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Comments (5)
Ok-Needleworker-3486
Yes METV isn't for long term stays, you are already at 86days and have been given a warning. If you plan to stay longer consider a DTV otherwise an agent.
Pinknailzz69
Show them a copy of your employment contract from where you are on sabbatical. Show them your lease for wherever your home is. Show them your return ticket back to your home country. Otherwise your travel pattern exactly matches the ones of visa scammers/remote workers/gig employees.
View all 5 comments
milkteahalfsw33t
I’ve heard that Elite has warned people away from applying if they’ve held an ED visa within the last 3 years. Many are getting denied currently based on having had the ED…even those who attended reputable schools. But even if they don’t immediately reject you bc your school is accredited, they’ll ask the school for attendance records. Not sure how good your chances are of approval, sorry to say.
NokKavow
You're entering on Oct 9, and allowed to stay until Oct 13. What is the point of this exercise, are you hoping to get an ED-based extension from Oct 13 onward? Are you (and the school) ready to apply for that extension on time? It's entirely possible that they'd let you into the country but not give you the extension (if you've been "studying" for a while, but have mostly been out of the country). Unless you think your chances of getting the extension are high, I'd I'd rather get a 60-day tourist visa, enter after Oct 13, and have a (relatively) clean slate, at least for the following 2 months. You're not guaranteed entry, but might have a stronger case than "I'm clearly not studying, please give me an ED extension".
Greg25kk
If you're denied entry at a land border then you're simply not allowed to cross the border. If you're denied entry by air then you're placed in the immigration detention centre until your flight out of Thailand. What happens to your belongings and such really depends on a number of factors like your landlord and if you have any friends with access to your condo. They aren't going to let you in because you have a lease and you need to collect some things.