Hello,
My girlfriend and I are planning spending a year in Thailand studying meditation at various wats. We are having some trouble sorting through the different visa options though. We would like to get a non-immigrant visa because then we don't have to keep getting visa extentions, but it seems we have to jump through hoops to get it. Has anyone delt with this situation out there!? If you have any suggestions please right back :)

Jumping through hoops? Get used to the idea. I know an American who is married to a Thai woman and who has lived in Thailand for 20 years. He STILL gets hassled about his documents. If you want to stay longer than the standard 90-day visa allows you must do what's required or prepare to make the border run like so many others do every 30 days to acqire a new entry stamp for your passport. One reason for all the "red tape" is the growing number of foreign travellers coming to Thailand, working the system to their own advantage. We have the same problem here in America. There are a lot of flaws in the system, and one of the ways to try to control the situation is for the government to impose whatever restrictions necessary. It's their country, their rules. Good Luck ,I hope it all works out for you.

This is indeed a difficult one. The only non-immigrant visa you're likely to get is one based on your intention to study in the country. However, as the previous writer says, you still need to leave the country every 90 days for another 90 day extension. There are no visas you could obtain that would allow you to stay for longer unless you set up a business and are a fully legal resident.

Sorry.