Re-Entry Permit for Retirement Visa Holders

Retire in Phuket without immigration queues or Thai paperwork stress. Our local team prepares the documents, coordinates the Thai bank account and attends the Phuket Immigration visit with you.

  • Eligibility, timing and funds checked before you act
  • Mistakes caught before they cost you an immigration trip
  • Clear route for Non-O, Non-O-A or tourist-to-retirement
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Re-Entry Permit for Retirement Visa Holders
Based in Phuket, not offshore
We go to immigration with you
Your details stay private
Thai bank account sorted
Clear costs, told upfront
Last reviewed:
| Sources: immigration.go.th

Table of Contents

A Re-Entry Permit keeps a Thailand Retirement Visa valid when the holder leaves the country. Without one, the visa is void on exit and the retiree must re-apply from scratch. Single re-entry costs 1,000 THB, multiple 3,800 THB. Apply at Phuket Immigration in Phuket Town or at Phuket International Airport before your flight. Final approval rests with Thai authorities.

What is a Re-Entry Permit?

A Re-Entry Permit is a stamp issued by Thai Immigration that preserves your current permission to stay when you leave Thailand. The Retirement Visa extension grants you up to one year of stay; that permission is automatically cancelled when you leave the country unless you have a valid Re-Entry Permit at the moment of departure.

Why Retirement Visa holders need it

  • Without a Re-Entry Permit, leaving Thailand voids the yearly extension. On return, you start over with a fresh tourist stamp.
  • With a Re-Entry Permit, the extension and the 90-day cycle remain intact when you return.
  • The cost of a Re-Entry Permit is small compared to the cost and disruption of restarting the visa process.

Single vs multiple Re-Entry Permit

  • Single re-entry: 1,000 THB. Use it for one specific trip out and back. Most cost-efficient if you only travel once during the year.
  • Multiple re-entry: 3,800 THB. Unlimited departures and returns during the validity of your current permission to stay. Worth it from roughly the fourth trip onwards.

Re-Entry Permit cost

The cost is fixed by Thai Immigration:

  • Single re-entry permit: 1,000 THB.
  • Multiple re-entry permit: 3,800 THB.
  • At the airport: same official fee, often slightly faster on the day of travel.

See the full case-specific pre-check.

Documents required

  • Passport with current Retirement Visa extension stamp.
  • TM8 application form for the Re-Entry Permit.
  • One recent passport-size photo.
  • Copies of the passport biodata page and the current extension stamp.
  • The 1,000 THB or 3,800 THB fee in cash.

Where to apply in Phuket

Two practical options for retirees in Phuket:

  • Phuket Immigration office (Phuket Town): apply any time before your flight. Best done at the same visit as a 90-day report or TM30 update.
  • Phuket International Airport: apply on the day of departure before check-in. The airport counter is open at standard Immigration hours; for early or late flights, plan to do this at the Phuket Town office in advance.

Airport vs Immigration office

The airport counter is convenient for last-minute travel, but the queue depends on the day. We recommend that retirees who already plan to visit Phuket Immigration for another reason — 90-day report, extension prep, TM30 — combine the Re-Entry Permit into that visit to avoid airport-day stress.

What happens if you leave without one?

Without a Re-Entry Permit:

  • Your retirement extension is cancelled at the moment of departure.
  • On return, you enter Thailand on whatever visa-exemption or tourist visa applies to your nationality.
  • To get back to a Retirement Visa, you typically have to apply for a new Non-O conversion or a new Non-OA from your home country.
  • The 800,000 THB seasoning, document timing and TM30 process all restart.

Notice: A Re-Entry Permit is the easiest Immigration step to forget and the most expensive one to skip. We file it as part of every yearly extension where the retiree intends to travel.

Related: yearly extension · TM30 · 90-day report · pre-check · documents

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