Just read the new immigration laws, for retirement, and male farangs with thai wives.  What is going on for the farang woman living with the thai guy.  Any one know?  Especially getting the 1 year non-immigrant type "O" visa.

It's getting cold again soon here in the north.

As an answer - for farang women it is slightly easier if you are married to a thai national as they think - why would we want to do that? so it must be love.

If you read the guidelines under farangs being taken care of by a thai national that kinda applies. Although they say you need to be earning so much and have money in the bank they will judge each case separately if the conditions in the guidelines cannot be met.  Which I think is pratically everyone.

But you need to be married and with your husband to be eligible.

Jocool has it right Cold. Thailand does not recognize de facto's at all. It's border hops or marriage        

Just as an FYI, I have been getting the non-o one year visa for 11 years (thought about the permanent one but don't know anyone big enough in immigration to get it easily). According to the law the husband is the legal head of the family and takes care of his family my husband being Thai is legally allowed to work in this country and thus does not need either a work permit nor outside income to take care of me. We have enough in the bank, a steady earning business in his name and a marriage license. that plus the two copies of every document (including the marriage license which obviously hasn't changed in 14 years??go figure why they need it every year) and the new charge of 1900 baht gets me a visa every year. I have heard the bank account amount will double next year, presumably it will go up for us too, i guess they figure if you are a farang you must be high-maintenance or something. but, yeah I asked at immigration the other day and marriage is required.