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Marrying a Thai woman would certainly change many immigration things. For example, I heard that by being married to a Thai woman the required income is halved. There are many other benefits as well.
On the other side of the coin there are many stories of unsuccessful marriages with Thai woman. Many of them boil down to money. This is even after several years of marriage.
I have a Thai lady friend. One day she asked me why I spend money like poor person. I replied with; If I spend money like you want me to I will be a poor person.
Thai and Western women have their image to maintain.
Just a few notes.

You need 400,000 baht in a thai bank for 2 months, to apply for a 1 year extension based on marriage,or be able to show an income of 40,000 baht a month.

Thank you,Bill and John,this is hopeful and helpful information

Hi Anton,

I am currently married to a Thai lady and retired in Chiang Mai.
I started off 5 years ago simply getting 90 day visas by crossing the  Burmesse border, but have now been getting a annual marrige visa for the last 3 years.

There are lots of websites concerning western/Asian relationships all full of horror stories and the occasional successful one!

It really boils down to a few simple issues and realities.

The difference in culture,   Their values and beliefs are DIfferent ( and NOT strange/wrong as some people would have you believe) Forexample their number one value would be family,  Most Thais would do all they could to help out a family member.   The Thai climate means that they have always been able to grow food all the time, so they never had to SAVE for a rainy day!   Never had to plan weeks or months in advance to acheive something.     They live very much in the moment and are very easy going and accepting of what ever happens.

The difference in age.......the vast majority of the failed relationships involve a big age gap,   If you are after a more reliable relationship you need to have a reasonable age gap and/or a very close intellectual match.

In my case I researched as much as Icould online about relationships and the culture differences.   Then I discussed them with my potential wife and we agreed on a set of principles.   

Money is often the chief motivator for both sides of the relationship, and will most certainly be the main cause of any disagreements.  So setting the ground rules up front is critical.

Some websites worth checking are

.        Probably better known as a sex site BUT has a tremendous amount of information worth looking through

The Thai immigration web site or just google Thai Visas. And read upon the requirements.

I am not on this site often but have set an alert toenail me if this topi gets replies.

Happy to give more specific info later.

Good luck

Some technical details,

You will need to enter Thailand on a 90 day O visa,  obtainable from a local Thai embassy or consulate,  Let them know it to eventually app,y for a marriage visa.  ( depending on your timescale for marriage you may opt for a multiple entries visa,which will allow you to simply cross a local border every 90 days and re enter Thailand)

You will need to have a Thai bank  account in your name only and need tohave a minimum of 400,000 baht in there for a continuous 2 month period before applying for your M visa.    They don't care where the money came from!

They willneed copies of the marriage certificate and house or lease documents as well as two colour photos of the loving married couple.  I normally take a picture of us with the house and house number in the background and another at a family event.

They will also want copies if your passport and the O visa and the departure card that you got when you last arrived in Thailand.

You will need passport style photos yourself, ( easy to get most places at about 100 baht).

You and your wife will have attend an interview at tge local immigration office, where they will ask your wife a lot of questions in Thai.

The first time we applied we had a policeman come visit us at the house and ask more questions a few days after the interview.

You get given a date a month after the interview to return and see if you have been awarded the visa.

One interesting thing to note about a marriage visa is that if the marriage ends you have 7 days to leave the country or make other arrangements.

More tech info,

You will loose your right to your pension after 6 months,unless youhave applied for an overseas pension,  which is a new law Australia has passed.  You will need to check it out with Centrelink.

I use a company called ozforex to transfer money into my Thai bank account.  And occasionally just use my ATM card, but the charges have been increasing each year and now are over $7 a time, so I transfer over a lump sum and then use my Thai atmto withdraw.

Great medical services ini Chiang Mai.

Hard to give a monthly amount required as every one is different but I would suggest a minimum of 30,000 a month and a lot more if you want a more western style of living and eating and transport!

Thank you Oztaffy for your valuable reply,I will bookmark this page and use it further on down the line.I am certainly finding out that the family is the most important thing to the Thai. people.I send my girlfriend money to help her out and the money sometimes ends up going to her family for something else.Not squandered but something she considers more important to pay at the time.      She is draining my bank account. I know that she truly loves me,but she is so expensive.I don't know if I can keep this up,she needs to fall in love with someone with much more money than I can come up with.It would be much cheeper for me to go it alone in Thailand and pay a bar girl or massage girl once a week to help me feel loved.Thanks again for your help.

Try not sending her any money for a while saying you need it for something important at home. Then you might see from her reaction what the true situation is.

thanks John for your reply.You are right,I need to stop.I have been sending her money to set up her own food stall,which she did.She has done a great job,building it from scratch.It includes a kitchen and sit down dinning area under cover.Situated on a main hwy. opposite a large petrol station.I hoped that it would support her comfortable but didn't factor in the needs of her family.The business is just breaking even after the first weeks ,its early days.I have trouble saying no to her requests probable because of my own insecurities.Anyway thanks again.

I agree with Oz. Throughout Asian there is an assumption that Americans or maybe westerners have unending wealth. I had a Korean girl friend for a short time while I was in college. She couldn't understand why I didn't have a maid, while I was working my way through college.
In America there are two primary factors that contribute to divorce - sex and money. Money competes with sex as being the number one reason for a divorce. I think in all relationships there needs to be a serious discussion about money. It is just too easy for money to become a run away item. It may seem like Thai prices are very low, which they are. But when you have a woman who thinks that you can buy anything, she has a tendency not to think that you have a limit on your money. I have "retirement savings" which are comforting to have. But in order to have it for real needs I have to not spend any of it. If I were to show my Thai lady friend the amount of the accounts she would view it as spending money not emergency money.
Yes Thai woman love western men, perhaps in a way western women can not. But as Dr. Phil would say - someone needs to be the adult and make responsible decisions.
I don't know how many of the Thai stories are true but one factor almost always pops up - money.

As an American I have a Schwab account in the US. That account has a single purpose. So for someone hacking it there is something of a dead end to further information. I deposit money into the account and draw cash out of it anywhere in the world. If I go into the bank with my passport there are no transaction fees. Schwab also reimburses any ATM fees. Going into the bank the only limitation of the withdrawal is the Schwab limit of $1,000 per day. I personally can live on $800 - 1,000 US a month. I also live in Chiang Mai not one of the party towns.

I hope some of this information is helpful.

Thanks Bill,you have just reinforced the fact that I must make a stand.Even though I fear losing my girl friend.We have such a great understanding of each other apart from money that is.Thanks again

Sorry to say but it is better to make the stand now, and have your assets assured, then to spend several years and lots of money and have neither. Then again that's one pragmatic's opinion.
I have a friend who has some adult children, who are married and have their own children. Each couple, two, has their own individual accounts and pool their money when necessary, such as the mortgage. If it means anything, they are American.
You're welcome. I enjoyed thinking out the situation.

Bill

Married w/Thai lady since 20 years.
Since 18 years I'm in Thailand using  "marriage visa"    (for 1 year).
I don't have a bank account in Thailand.
I don't need any deposit of 400 000 Bahts.
Nothing.
Only our marriage certificate (a copy).
And a copy of my Thai wife passport.
Plus $150. 

Every year  thai consulate gives me 1 year "marriage visa"   (I have to go to Cambodia every 3 months).

In the 70's I was in and out of Hong Kong a few times. At that time I learned that the Chinese people were people of character and honor. I was told, and found to be true, that if you had a Chinese friend you had a friend for life.
Today I am residing in Chiang Mai. I haven't yet made Thailand my residence for the obvious trepidation's. Today I see Chinese in Chiang Mai. They are not the same Chinese that I knew in the 70's. With you being married to a Thai woman for the past 20 year's I can't help but think that your wife came from something of a different culture in Thailand. I say that as a compliment.

Thanks for your in put Stan,very encouraging.If you get a 1 year extension why then do you have to leave the country every 3 months.

Because we are in Thailand..... what can I say?  Visa is for 12 months but at the airport they put stamp for 90 days only.   Same as "retirement visa" holder has to go to the Immigration Office every 90 days. Why?

Paying for sexual services may cost you more in medical expenses. Promiscuity forbids relationships without preservatives.
There are so many web sites including the famous Thaicupid where you can find educated girls, set education at bachelor (a minimum) and English knowledge as 'good' and you'll find lots of girls who are not [entirely] interested in your wallet but also in your person.
All of this, given that you are not [too] ugly, aged, and you can prove her that you can satisfy her after dark.
These are the prerequisites.

Now that she works and is successful thanks to your helping wallet, maybe you can tell her now to sustain herself a bit and state what you are not happy paying for?

However, Asia is Asia. I had several Taiwanese gfs and married one.
I was the one working for the family, but she would pay for the house, electricity and water bills.
I'd pay for food, car, gas, trips and kids education.

I had a gf fom mainland China thereafter, and moneywise, she was more demanding.
Cannot generalize on one case.

"Throughout Asian there is an assumption that Americans or maybe westerners have unending wealth"

I'm also Asian but I can't oppose to the statement above because it's the sad truth. It makes me embarrassed and a bit angry whenever I see or hear stories that some of my "kabayans" are going out with a guy because of money but I'm not in the position to judge them.

The good news is, not all Asian thinks the same and I believe that there are some who does not consider money as a standard to be with a man or marry someone 

Many Thai women are good and sincere. But it's always the bad stories that are retold too often.

Im also Asian but i never asked money from my boyfriend....for me...if you love someone is not the reason about money..you can love someone without money.......i believe is depend the person not all Asian is love only wallet......my relationship with him is 2 years but no money involve...............,,,,

He is lucky man.  Do you think a girl that really loves a man says he is heartless if he doesn't buy her something that she wants?  I should mention that despite already giving her money to help her out.

Why marry?
All you need is to be minimum 55yo,  have 800,000฿ in your name only in Thai bank account for 3 months and You will get 1 year visa. EXTENTIONS are easy.

If you do not have ฿, how do you plan to live in Thailand