Transcript of the above video: 

As the title of this video suggests, we are asking the question, “are Visa Re-entry Permits a cash grab?” Let me just sort of give my summation of this in the beginning. Yeah, I kind of think they are. I really don't like Re-entry Permits. I think they are silly; I think they are redundant; I think it begs the question why do you have a visa to begin with, but at the end of the day, many times government bureaucracy is nothing more than just a fee generation machine so they are what they are. 

Now let me be clear, I'm not picking on Thailand alone in this video. I'm also talking about US Immigration as well because there are Re-entry Permits associated with Green Card status. Then there is also something called Advanced Parole oftentimes associated with those who bring a foreign fiancée into the United States and then opt to adjust their status to Green Card status and then during the time frame wherein that adjudication is processing, they may want to leave the country and they need to get this thing called Advanced Parole in order to be able to leave while their Green Card case is pending and not see their underlying status extinguish. In any case involving the need for a Re-entry Permit, what you are trying to forestall is the extinguishing of the underlying lawful visa status. Now again, Green Card holders technically speaking can leave the United states without worrying about the need for a Re-entry Permit; just leaving for a few weeks or a few months and then coming back, no big deal. But if you are gone for a prolonged period of time, there are those who would argue - and depending on your circumstances - it's a strong argument that you should get a Re-entry Permit before leaving in order to forestall the presumption of abandonment of residence.

But in any case without getting into the high weeds regarding the particulars regarding Re-entry Permits, in both a Thai and an American context yeah I have got to be honest, Advanced Parole I kind of get in the context of a case is pending and you want to travel abroad without disturbing that case, you need this extra travel document. I don't completely agree with it but I understand the argument, especially where you have your underlying Visa sorted out and then on top of that you have to get this other document in order to come and go and maintain it, as is the case here in Thailand, and again in the Advanced Parole process that is the same thing. With regard to Green Cards it's a little more complex there because you are talking about a presumption that somebody is going to leave the United States for a prolonged period of time but why does that matter. If somebody has residence or somebody has Visa status for a certain period of time, is it really necessary that they have a Re-entry Permit? Again I think the answer is in the fact that it requires an extra fee be paid for the Re-entry Permit itself, so that is probably the answer to the question but yeah at the end of the day I do think they are kind of a cash grab.