A lot of these people post about their little view of Thailand and have no idea, as you point out, there are different rules depending on location. They are clueless.
I have talked to a few middle class professional Thais. Some I used to work with at a large Japanese global company. The other a consultant with a post-grad from overseas. They both had the same complaints. Why can foreigners come here and work so easily while it is almost impossible for them and it costs so much. The other was why no minim income requirement and taxation on that amount. If they pay tax then why not others living here. At least they have heard of the DTV. Most Thais have not.
If you are not working then the only option is soft power. Muay Thai, Cooking School or Medical. You need evidence of these though. Why do you want DTV and not Retirement "O"?
Nope. You need a Work Permit and after previous abuse very hard to obtain. However, having said that many people do help out with animal care and community help. They generally have other long stay visas and are not using charity work to obtain the visa.
