Reentry permit

I currently have a 1 year non-immigrant "O" visa based on retirement. Next month I am planning on returning to the U.S.A. and will be staying for about 3 months. I know that I have to get a reentry permit before I leave in order to maintain my current visa when I return to LOS. Does anyone know if there are any limitations or restrictions on the amount of time than I can be away from Thailand? What about the return date? Can that be an approximation and would there be a problem if, for example, I indicated my return date as Nov. 15, but did not actually return until December or January? Appreciate any input from someone who has had some experience with this. Thanks.

Your re-entry permit will expire when your current 1 year visa expires. When you get it, the date will be shown on the re-entry permit, stamped in your passport!

I have only gotten 2 re-entry permits while here as I seldom leave the country,but as I remember the date is not important,only the date of your visa expiration.I put down dates that would come sooner than my expected return and had no problems!

Thanks arjay and BKKSTAN. Sounds like everything is okay as my visa does not expire until April, 2010.

my visa does not expire until April, 2010.

Tutone, yes that's the date to be sure you are back before then.
And allow yourself time to prepare any documents needed to renew/extend your visa on or before that date.

Remember, if you will be extending your retirement visa based on having 800k in the bank here, it will need to be here 3 months before your visa renewal date.

And don't forget you can't get a re-entry at Swampy Airport any more. You have to go (I think) to Nong Khai (assuming you are in Udon).

Thanks for the advice. Everything will be taken care of. By the way, what about my 90 day reporting? I was intending to check in with immigration within a few days (2-3) of returning to Udon.

You should do your 90 day reporting within 90 days of the last report, though if you are out of the country no problem.

When you return to Thailand, you effectively notify/report your address on the TM arrival card, so the date starts again new from then.

Thanks arjay. This forum has always been very helpful to me. I don't always get in on the crazy, back and forth discusions but there is always some one who is willing or able to give me some sound advice when I need it.

Believe you have a one year extension of stay from Immigration rather than a visa - so you will require the re-entry permit. The dates you put on application do not matter - it will have the same expiration date as your current permitted to stay stamp/extension of stay. Many people get such a re-entry permit at the same time they do yearly extension of stay as if have to make an urgent trip you now have to delay until your local office is open and you obtain the permit or lose your extension of stay by leaving without it.