My girlfriend and I have been happily living together for more than a year. We are seriously considering getting married. She is a great gal.

I have a retirement visa and if I get the visa for supporting a Thai wife what does that do to exit and entry visa requirements? I have used the search engine and found tons of information but nothing concerning this. We live up country in her home most of the time not far from the Laos border. We would like to cross the border into Laos once in a while. I also have a condo in Jomtien and while staying there we would like to visit Angkor Watt. Would having the support visa make this easier.

I know the financial requirements are 400,000 rather than the 800,000 in a Thai bank and no medical certificate is required. Are there any advantages that I am missing or would it be easier to stay with my retirement visas? I am retired and have no need or desire to work.

If you can afford the retirement extension and have no plans to work it is probably better as it is immediate in one trip to immigration, less work for them, no need for wife to be present, no need to confirm you still living together. I have recently changed from support to retirement for those reasons.

Travel is the same on any extension of stay - you must have a re-entry permit.