If you have sufficient funds in the bank, then retirement visa is a much easir way than Marriage visa. Marriage visa requires many more hoops to jump through. Thai wife must accompany you when you apply at the immigration office and wait all day. You will need suitable photographs of you and wife at your home, immigration police will want to visit your home and meet neighbours to prove your marriage is real. If successful you will only get a one month pending extension until after the police visit.

@Michael **********

Wrong. I do not believe that you have ab international drivers licence. Please show a photo. Perhaps you misunderstand and it is a permit (and not a licence). In any event, while an international licence is valid for 12 months, it is only legal for use in Thailand while you are a tourist - usually considered to be 90 days or until you have a long term visa or extension of stay.

@Ricky *******

I would love to see aph oto of your international drivers licence. Such licences may be available illegally from the internet or maybe you printed one up on your computer but neithyer are valid for use in any country, including Thailand.

I believe that type of work is restricted to Thai people.

The visa exemp stamp is only for tourists. Works until the Immigration Officer who greets you on arrival tells you that he considers that the time you have spent in Thailand indicates that you are no longer a tourist. He can the tell you to next time obtain a visa appropriate to your reason for staying in Thailand or he can deny you entry.

@Colin *******

Mot bullshit. I live in Thailand for the past 12 years and pay 35% tax to ATO on my Australian pension.

Correct. If you retire to Thailand or anywhere overseas, you become a non-resident of Australia and you pay tax on your pension at non resident rate of 35%. Thailand may also want to tax you.

Larry Far. There has never been a 30 day visa on arrival. Passport holder from select countrys can pay for a 14 day visa on arrival. Many other passport holders can receive a "Visa Exempt Stamp" when they arrive. This is not a visa at all.

Live in maid = 15,000 thb per month. Gardener 500 thb per day or part.

Yes, at the end of your 12 month visa you to to an Immigration Office inside Thailand and apply for an extension of stay based on being over 50 years. as lomg as you meet the stated requirements (different at each office). 1,900 thb.