I have Mastercards in 4 different countries, all require a small deposit to activate the mastercard account. In Thailand it is usually 500 baht, other places is roughly 5-10 usd (or equivalent) so I definitely think mastercard has a little to do with it.
Master card might need a 500 baht deposit to activate the account, but it goes in your account. I didn’t pay a single cent to open an account in Bangkok bank
Your drivers license is exclusive to your country, you can’t get an IDP anywhere in the world except the at country that gave you that specific license. It is also important to remember that while abroad using the IDP, you need to keep your original drivers license and your passport together. They are a package.