@Sean *********
yeah it is now clear that the Non O marriage or retirement visa is the easiest and most hassle free way to go. Not sure why anyone would choose the other option. Also with the marriage I only have to have 400k baht in a bank as opposed to 800k. So this is why I joined this page and asked the question. Got a lot of great info and learned a lot. Many thanks to you and everyone that contributed! Maybe we will see you when we get there.