Re-entry permits in Thailand
If you have a long stay visa in Thailand given by the Thai Immigration Bureau for example the Thai retirement visa which is the most popular type of visa, then this is one of the most important things that you must remember!!,
If you wish to cross a land border let’s say Cambodia or you wish to leave Thailand via the airport you must obtain a re-entry permit or risk losing your long stay visa!
The re-entry permit is designed to protect your visa so if you leave Thailand when you return your visa will still be intact and you will have no fear of it being taken away.
If you do not have a re-entry permit when you arrive back in to Thailand the Thai Immigration officer will disregard your old long stay visa and stamp you with a visa on entry meaning you will have to start the whole process again of obtaining a non immigrant visa and extension.
When you have a one year visa and you think you may be leaving Thailand then it is advisable to obtain a re-entry permit in advance of traveling just in case you need to leave quickly or you have an emergency.
The re-entry form at the Thai Immigration is called a TM8 and can be downloaded before you arrive at the Immigration office or they have many available there. It can be a good idea to download it and fill it in at home before you go.
The Thai re-entry permit is offered in two formats a single entry permit costs 1000 baht and allows you to travel one time.The second is a multiple entry permit which allows you to go in and out of Thailand as many times as you desire and lasts until the expiry of your visa extension, a multi entry permit costs 3,800 baht.
The multiple entries seem to be the favorite amongst expats residing or working in Thailand.
The form TM8 covers both options you just mark on the form the amount of entries that are required.
When you arrive at the Thai Immigration office you must take the following with you.
- Passport
- Copy of passport incl. details page, visa page and a copy of the white TM6 card.
- One passport photograph
- TM8 application form
The Immigration Officer will normally try and complete the task the same day depending on how busy they are at the time you arrive. Never leave it until the last moment obtain the re-entry permit in good time.
It is possible to obtain a re-entry permit at Suvarnabhumi airport immigration, however this is subject to the discretion of the immigration officer who you speak to and we do not advise that you leave it until the last minute.
Re entry permit problems
I have seen a problem recently that seems to becoming more common and it is with regards to people with long stay visas i.e. a retirement visa in Thailand, If you decide to change and work in Thailand and you have a retirement visa then you cannot work on this visa type so you have to leave Thailand and return on a business visa what you have to be careful of is if you have a re entry permit covering your current visa then you must point out to the Immigration officer you wish to enter on the business visa or they will stamp you in on your already standing visa meaning you will have to leave and re enter again usually on a visa run so this is something to look out for. These are unusual circumstances but I have seen 3 people in 1 week with the same problem.
Ask us a question
Ray N.
04:06 01 Dec 23
If you are considering to get married to your thai partnerThen I recommend key visaIt was a stress free procedure thanks to kook who was very professional, and arranged everything for us in a very short time periodMany thanks Ray and kai
Chris S.
04:03 23 Nov 23
Good visa agent. Ann is Thai but succeeded the business from her falang husband who recently passed to the best of my knowledge. She is efficient and knowledgeable and my visa process was less expensive than my experience in Phuket as well. I would recommend Key Visa to future Visa seekers.
Jeffrey W.
02:55 16 Nov 23
Super easy process. I got everything I needed done. It was taken care of quickly after the first session which included getting a Thai bank account and my O retirement visa. Very professional service
Anthony P.
04:45 11 Nov 23
This has been my "go to" visa/passport agency for the last 10 years. They have always been friendly and professional..........have never let me down. Recommended by me 100%.
garry B.
08:28 07 Nov 23
It took about 3 weeks for the UK to process my daughter's passport. We had to send better quality pictures and documents, which caused a slight delay beforhand, but overall, their service was excellent. I'm grateful to the Key Visa staff for their help in renewing my daughter's passport, and I would definitely use their services again.
Oi Y.
06:39 06 Nov 23
This is the 2nd time I have used Key Visa and the service they provide is fantastic the 1st was with Darren was just so good he told me every step of the process and what I needed to do and bring in with me he made sure I understood how and what would be the process of applying for my Visa to stay in Thailand. And with the passing of Darren his wife Ann has kept the business running which I am so grateful for as they in my opinion are the best service you can get. We have now engaged them to do a visa for my Thai partner for a visit to Australia to see and spend time with my Aussie family and see some of Australia as she so wants to see snow. Once again I thank you Ann and all her staff for their help and support
t4toph
11:39 16 Oct 23
Today was my worst nightmare .. dealing with a problem ... I can't commend enough how GREAT k Aun & the staff of Key Visa went above & beyond to help me .. I have used their service for several years & wouldn't hesitate to to use professional agents .. that guarantee their work ... I am eternally grateful.. best wishes ... toph ...
Alan J.
01:24 13 Oct 23
Non imm "O" extension quick efficient no hassles service.
Birol O.
00:30 15 Sep 23
Very knowledgeable and excellent customer service. Best visa agent ever.
Pou K.
14:08 05 Sep 23
Great Visa Company Located in Pattaya Thailand which offers reasonable prices and noteworthy services
Clive B.
06:23 25 Aug 23
UK passport renewed in just over 3 weeks, very professional staff, can’t thank them enough, highly recommended
Strawman C.
10:13 21 Aug 23
Excellent.
D S.
14:09 18 Aug 23
Good and reliable service
David G.
06:52 01 Aug 23
Steve T.
04:30 30 Jul 23
Always excellent service for this retired American.
Stephen L.
04:22 27 Jul 23
Excellent service. I got my retirement visa here it was quick and painless.
J T.
13:29 21 Jul 23
So far so good. If you want to make some money in Thailand, don't open a bar, get into opening a visa consultant agency.However this agency has been good so far on a small matter l used them for.I definitely recommend them.
Michael M.
08:53 15 Jul 23
We have been trying for a long time to get an Australian tourist visa for our Thai friend. We applied in the past using an Australian immigration lawyer based in Australia and the application (which was expensive and time consuming) was rejected for lack of evidence (intention to return to Thailand etc). Second time round we used Gemma from Key Visa and were successful. Unlike our first agent/lawyer, Gemma examined our evidence in detail and gave suggestions as to where it could be improved. It's clearly beneficial to use an agent who is familiar with this specific visa stream (ie someone in Thailand familiar with getting Thai people into Australia) and the "no win, no professional fee" clearly incentivizes them to help as much as possible. As always in Thailand the service is not perfect and there are some communication gaps etc, but we are very happy with the outcome and would recommend these guys 100%.
gary K.
14:41 14 Jul 23
Andy W.
11:20 12 Jul 23
Once again i would like to thank the staff at keyvisa for there service .
The P.
06:10 06 Jul 23
Excellent, professional, trustable Agency. The best Visa Agency services I've been use in many years here in Thailand. A little issue... They told that my passport will back in 30 days. Actually 33 days..
Tim M.
14:53 27 Jun 23
Got my first retirement visa with these. Great service. Everything sorted by them.
Charles Robert H.
00:53 16 Jun 23
Very helpful. The place to go if you want solutions to your visa problems.
Robert P.
00:40 05 Jun 23
Very fast, simple smooth, efficient service.
Lewi L.
03:04 21 May 23
If you need assistance with any visa related this is the place in Pattaya.
Stephen A.
07:41 05 Mar 23
Key visa was the best. Sadly the owner, Darren, past away December 22.
danny W.
03:43 13 Feb 23
Absolutely fantastic service great staff totally stress free and professional services I highly recommend.
Bob C.
11:33 09 Feb 23
Dave C.
14:30 08 Feb 23
been using this company for years, great service.
Keith J.
04:01 26 Jan 23
Tom A.
23:04 21 Jan 23
kook A.
10:17 18 Jan 23
DAVID C.
06:47 17 Jan 23
Recently obtained a visa for myself and British passport for my partner..No hassle no immigration queueing. Great staff great service thank you Key Visa Thailand…..
Frank J.
10:43 01 Jan 23
Very helful and efficient.
Francisco M.
08:20 31 Dec 22
I went to key visa company for a consultation about marriage visa. it turned out they don't do that type of visa but there was another option and the lady was professional and courteous. but since my visa is not finalized I can't honestly give a full report on visa company.
tony L.
01:17 30 Dec 22
The service and support I received from Darren & his Team in relation to a recent Passport Application for my son was exemplary.The service & professional way in which they expedited the application & explained clearly each step of the process's involved, was faultless.All of which resulted in a speedy & positive result.Darren & TeamThank you very much & I wish you all,A Very Happy & Prosperous New Year 2023 ( post Covid)Tony
Kristijan C.
16:48 22 Dec 22
Great helpful staff
Sean T.
11:39 21 Dec 22
Job done, Thank you team and sorry to hear of the passing of Darren 🙏
Thomas K.
14:21 13 Dec 22
Thank you for your reply, but there is no ringtone or pickup when ringing your office and none of my mails and messages have been answered.
Michael S.
15:42 10 Dec 22
I read today that Darren suddenly has passed away - far too early in his life.It's never too late to write a review and his services on his company - named Key Visa Co. - so I will use this review to say that I have always been satisfied helping me by his large knowledge about the visa system in Thailand.Every time I met him I was surpriced to noticed his honest and friendly commitment, and over the years I was always convinced that he was not only helpful but also indicated in his way of recognizing his customers. You could always count on him and I was never disappointed.It pains me that he has passed away at such an early age, but I believe that his customers will always remember him as a businessman who only wanted to give his customers the best possible experience and service.He will be missed!R.I.P. Darren.
C B
15:54 09 Dec 22
Seems to know about visas in Thailand
Peter W.
07:23 08 Dec 22
The Key visa team led by Darren have 18 years of experience navigating the visa minefield.I am just one of Darren’s satisfied clients.
Chris T
13:24 03 Dec 22
Fast and friendly
Ross C.
16:28 30 Nov 22
Fantastic company. Darren & his team couldn’t of been better! Polite, responsive, knowledgeable and most importantly they know what they’re doing & get the job done!! Very pleased with the entire process start to finish, me & my GF will be using the company for all of our visa needs moving forward! Thank you Darren & the team!!UK tourist visa application for Thai national.
Leo T.
09:53 25 Nov 22
Fantastic service
Christopher W.
08:01 25 Nov 22
key Visa has a proven track record. They have got me a retirement visa for years and renewed my passport without me having to go to Bangkok. They also got my daughter, born in Thailand, an English passport.Use Key Visa to sort out your retirement visa problems and for getting passports renewed or being obtained for citizens of dual nationalityExceptionally efficient
finlay S.
10:06 24 Nov 22
Had to renew my uk passport and chose key visa to deal with my application as I am up country in Chaiyaphum province.Great service from Darren and staff always quick and friendly replies to emails.Passport back in 11 weeks time it takes for uk to process.Collected by Key visa and posted by ems to me with old passport and letter to transfer visa stamps to new passport.Great service.
Michael H.
07:31 20 Nov 22
Michael “Mick” N.
11:05 19 Nov 22
Polsky E.
01:56 11 Nov 22
After attempting for 2 days to get a retirement visa myself with my Thai girlfriends help to no avail and being left totally frustrated I eventually gave up and contacted Darren. After consultation with Darren he calmly brought me back down to earth, reassuring me that the visa would be procured with little effort by myself. I left feeling very confident and reassured at what Darren had said. Yesterday I collected my passport with said visa for 15 months. Many thanks to Darren and team, Key Visa did a great job.
Bryan P.
02:53 06 Nov 22
Very pleased with the service I received here. Darren was very knowledgeable. Now my retirement Visa has been issued. I am delighted with Key Visa. Fantastic service. I am very grateful.
Tim M.
08:08 30 Oct 22
No wasting time
Martin William B.
09:43 27 Oct 22
Only go to the best !!!
Joe on the Go !
02:44 24 Oct 22
Maurice P.
10:51 21 Oct 22
Having had a difficult time renewing my UK passport I have to thank Key Visa service for their excellent help in difficult times in successfully getting my updated passport. Covid has played a big part in delays from the passport office along with increased demand and the Ukraine conflict but for those non UK residents this has caused many delays. Darren and his staff have been most helpful in ensuring this was completed as quickly as possible and I thoroughly recommend their service to anyone who are looking for this type of service. Many thanks for a five star service.
berny P.
06:23 20 Oct 22
Australian friend having problems with thai wife spouse visa, agency are being very helpful with a excellent customer service
Christopher B.
15:21 18 Oct 22
As always absolutely top class advise and speedy response - these guys have been looking after us for around twenty years and in my opinion the very best.
J T.
07:55 15 Sep 22
Thanks to Darren and his team for renewing my retirement visa and re-entry permit! I got it back in ONE DAY! Awesome service. I highly recommend Key Visa and will definitely be using them again in the future!
Brenda B.
03:16 12 Sep 22
Friendly and efficient service ...
Nicholas D.
22:35 19 Aug 22
In difficult times they got the job done. UK passport renewal in 2022. My only gripe is my emails and phone calls went unanswered during the process. I was rude to the lady in the office. Sorry about that. When we asked for my (old) passport to be sent back on short notice for the 90 day renewal they sent it back immediately. Thanks guys. Sorry for the trouble
Steve H.
06:47 12 Aug 22
Darren and his staff are friendly, helpful and most of all very knowledgeable. If you need real and accurate advice then look no further.
สาวLA.ร้อยเอ็ด C.
05:33 05 Aug 22
Ian L.
04:53 08 Jul 22
Darren and his team are truly excellent offering an exemplary service. Was updated regularly as visa was processed and everything went smoothly. Darren took time to explain the process and was always available to answer questions. Highly recommended. Thank you
Wayne C
01:52 07 Jul 22
Great service from Darren and his Team, highly recommended! They get the job done courteously and professionally every time.
Chris H.
04:22 06 Jul 22
Passport renewal
Travelling O.
01:43 05 Jul 22
Good and quick service, reliable staff that can handle all visa issues within reason.
Jason M.
15:16 02 Jul 22
Great staff very helpful. Highly recommend Key Visa.
Nicholas W.
00:38 02 Jul 22
Key Visa fantastic helpful staff you want your loved ones to go home with you this is the place that will make it happen.
William F.
12:03 01 Jul 22
I received the answers I wanted. Quickly and easily
Brian C.
03:58 15 Jun 22
I have used Key Visa since moving to Thailand over 3 years ago. Darren quickly helped sort out my VISA, back then and arranged for me to open a Bank Account with Bangkok Bank which is invaluable and a must for any long term stay or ex pat. Also directed me to some one who helped me get Motorbike and Driving Licence. 3 years later and on this occasion I asked them to arrange a new 50 page UK passport along with renew VISA etc. Highly recommend Darren and his staff of front office ladies to get you sorted. Thanks
Tim F
07:59 01 Jun 22
A big thank you to Darren and the staff at Key Visa. I received prompt, courteous and professional communications and service for the annual renewal of my extention of stay and multiple reentry permit. I will be back once again this time next year. Great job!
David H.
01:04 31 May 22
T A.
06:30 27 May 22
Great staff and excellent service.Both polite and prompt.
H A
12:05 24 May 22
Professional and honest man, he extended my tourist visa in one day and at a reasonable price, definitely recommend this office.Hassan,
andy W.
03:21 24 May 22
well Darren it had been 2 years since i last saw you ,i would like to thank you and your staff for an excellent service for my visa. I can highly recommend key visa for all services and i have used them for many years .Dont go anywhere else use Key Visa
Jay R.
15:19 02 May 22
Experienced & knowledge about all things immigration and visas
John A.
07:11 20 Apr 22
Rang them to update my tourist visa from 30 day to 60 day. Was advised I needed my passport plus another passport photo. I dropped them in the office, 5 mins paperwork. Email received day later job done✔️ Took the aggro of doing it myself as a first time visitor.Staff very helpful, I'm more than happy to give Darren and his staff a 5 star review
paul C.
19:04 04 Apr 22
Very helpful and courteous.
Charles C.
07:22 28 Mar 22
Great place for expats to get visa applications completed in record time. They have great immigration contacts so you don't have to wait nearly as long as others do. Also this is only for expat visas. They don't do tourist visas.The only reason the didn't get 5 stars is because the employees are difficult to understand so I had to go in a few times instead of being able to handle things over the phone. The owner is a Brit so for English speakers he's usually always available for questions.
Thinka B.
05:27 12 Mar 22
Excellent and prompt service, very professional.
Linda G.
12:46 11 Mar 22
Key visa staff were really helpful and knew exactly what to do for my request.My application was handled efficiently and quickly and my passport returned very quickly with the stamps required.I would definitely recommend Darren and his staff if you need any visa or passport assistance.
John - C.
13:55 07 Mar 22
Excellent service from Darren and Key Visa. My only complaint was with The Thai Post office who managed to lose an EMS envelope with my passport in it. The passport was wrongly delivered to another town 20 miles away because the postal workers could not read English which was very clearly printed on the envelope. It took a whole day for my wife and the postman to track down the missing passport. Darren was very patient with me and my rantings and very supportive. I would advise anyone that has to deal with The ThaI Postal system to write their address in Thai. In the sticks very few people understand English.
Scott Y.
11:51 26 Feb 22
I have known Darren many years and he has helped me with a range of visa processes during my time in Thailand over the past 15 years. Professional, honest, hardworking and a pleasure to do business with. His staff are friendly and welcoming and they will assist you every step of the way. I recently lost my job and thus had my work permit cancelled and Darren assured me he could help and that's exactly what he did. A pleasure to know. If you need any help and advice with visas, give him a visit - you won't be disappointed. Cheers for your help and kindness!
Jura K.
08:03 24 Feb 22
Very good service. Thanks.
andrey tkachev T.
10:44 16 Jan 22
Very efficient and fast service . Despite the expected slowdown due to the New Year holidays and Covid, Darren and his team did everything possible to solve my problem in a timely manner. I will definitely come here again.
