What visa should I apply for to move to Thailand as a retired Australian with a Thai wife?

Visa easy per the many well versed people here, though you need pick a province to live. Best not Bangkok unless you work there, otherwise “south or central or north”

Hi Peter. I'm in the situation as yourself. Currently in Thailand on Visa Exemption. From my research you can register your Australian marriage here. There's a couple of hoops to jump through but do-able. Translation, visit to Embassies here in Thailand etc. I am interested to follow along with this request for info. Best of luck.

The Non-O Visa based on Retirement as already mentioned, you can apply for before you leave Australia,or enter Thailand on Visa Exempt entry and apply for in Thailand at the Immigration Office in the Province where you intend to live. Most would probably recommend applying whilst in Australia. The other option that MIGHT be available for you is the Non-O Visa based on Marriage, but I'm not sure how that will go, since you didn't register your marriage. If you have a Marriage Certificate obtained at the marriage ceremony, then I'm wondering if you can still use that to register the marriage at your local Amphur in Thailand, or would need to do a ceremony again to get a new Certificate to get the marriage legally recognised. Something to think about and enquire about further I suppose.

With the 'Retirement' option, there's a greater financial requirement. I stand corrected by others that know better than me in this following information: 800,000 Thai Baht minimum is required in a Thai bank account in your name ONLY. If you you apply for the Visa in Australia, I believe that you only have to show that you have the money in an Australian bank account. That is for the initial 90 day Visa. Once you arrive in Thailand, if you haven't already got a Thai bank account in your name only, you need to get that organised asap, as you will need to have the 800k Baht in an account asap because it needs to be there for two months at least, before applying for your first annual "Extension of Stay", which has to be done before the initial 90 day Visa expires. Same applies to the bank account and money if applying for the initial Visa inside Thailand. Once the Visa is approved, 800k minimum must stay in the account for another 3 months, then up to 800k 2 months before applying for the next extension of Stay. It can never go below 400k Baht in the other few months of the year.

The Non-O Visa based on marriage has a financial requirement of 400k Baht minimum. I believe and others who know better than me can confirm or correct, but I think that amount has to be in the bank for two months before applying for the Visa, but once the visa is approved, there isn't any minimum required in the account until two months before applying for the next annual extension of stay.

With either of the two Visa options, there's often some minor differences in what Immigration Offices in the various Provinces require. Some might vary slightly in their times required for the minimum financial requirement, others vary slightly in their other requirements, such as documents.

If you search the group for these two Visa types, you'll find a lot of info.

Guessing you are over 50, so apply for a single entry Non-O (retirement/over 50) before you come to Thailand, then that gives you time to get your ducks in a row for the yearly extension when you are here.