What is the best visa option for moving to Thailand to join my Thai wife, and can I avoid the financial requirements for a marriage visa?

Now IF you don't want to meet the proof of funds, OR if you can't meet them you can still go to a thai consulate in a nearby country and get a year-long, multi-entry Non-O visa based on marriage to a thai.

There are two consulates in the area that do NOT require proof of funds to issue this visa. They are the thai consulates in Savannakhet Lao and the one in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam.

On that year-long, multi-entry Non-O visa you get stamped in for 90 days, when that is running out you go to the border, stamp out of thailand, stamp in&out of another country and then stamp right back into thailand to get a new 90 day stamp. You do that for the whole year and you can get 15 months of stay out of that visa (in 90 day increments).

Okay, there is NO way to get a Non-O visa OR a yearly extension of stay based on marriage to a thai without meeting the proof of funds required for that visa/extension type. The requirements are you bank 400K baht in a thai bank account in your name only for 2 months before you apply for your yearly extension OR you show income from abroad (or inside the country legally working with a work permit ) of 40K minimum every month. IF your consulate doesn't issue an affidavit of income from abroad notary letter anymore the ONLY way you can show income from abroad is to transfer IN to your thai bank account from overseas 40K baht a month each month every month for the preceding 12 months before you apply for your extension.

Get a one year multiple entry Non O visa in your country at a Thai Embassy or Consulate

That will give you up to 15 months stay 90 days at a time (you have to do a border bounce every 90 days)

Then you can apply for a one year extra inside Thailand

F would like to know also