no REAL need to go to the police station. As long as it is done at some point. But if it is a short stay, he could probably get away without doing one.
there are plenty of people who do just that, in order to start the visa process while they are here for 3 months etc. (Hell, I have been in SE Asia for a year. I couldn't do it from home if I was doing it). The first step is to have $$$ in an account. So you need an account.
This is why people do agents. It is getting harder to open that account on your own.
it used to be easier to open an account on a tourist visa or visa exempt. That is the issue. It is getting harder now to go that route. And each branch has their own rules. Now you almost have to either do it before arrival, or use an agent.
Virtually impossible to do if you are not strapped to a bed.
I broke my leg here in Thailand in December. I did use a walker to hop on one leg to get an normal 30 day extension. The immigration officer mentioned to me that if I was still not able to walk in 30 days, and if you are in any way mobile, it is easier for you to fly out/drive out for a few days than try and get a medical extension. They interview doctors, come to appointments with you. She laid it all out.
So, after my 30 day extension, my gf took me to the airport, and I was wheeled everywhere by airline staff.
Anywhere from 5 to 10 years. With a near automatic (or so I have been told) extension of another 5 to 10 years. Meaning of you do 5 years, you extend for another 5. If you do 10 years, you extend for another 10.