Tom Sandoval says he's officially back in the "Vanderpump Rules" game after shooting his other series -- and while he's assuring fans it's going to be another "interesting" season, he's coy about Raquel Leviss' role in it.
TS confirmed his return to the reality show Thursday, after dropping off some flowers for Lisa Vanderpump at the now-closed restaurant PUMP in WeHo -- a gesture he says was well-timed, considering his boss and biz partner's popularity.
While he admits the cameras are on him for season 11, he dummied up when asked about the status of his relationship with Raquel ... except to note the show will be just as interesting as ever.
TMZ broke the story, Tom was shockingly missing from the 'VPR' gang when cameras started rolling last month ... and we learned it's because he was overseas shooting the latest season of FOX's "Special Forces: World's Toughest Test."
Unclear how well Tom did, but the show focuses on celebs going through brutal challenges and tough living conditions -- basically, a good warm up for what he'll be going through on 'VPR' as the 'Scandoval' fallout continues into the next season.
BTW, Raquel and Bravo started negotiations to bring her back on the show after season 11 began filming ... and Lisa told us that's one deal she won't be involved with closing.