I'm not sure what your question is. You have the ability to go to other services and compare.
Wise gives you the exact amounts up front. Many other services let you send an amount but you'll not know the exact amount that goes into your bank account until it's there.
When they finish processing your application. What does the embassy website say?
You haven't given ANY information for anyone to even begin answering your question. The bare minimum information is your passport country and which embassy you applied at.
But even with that information, it takes as long as it takes.
If I planned to stay in Chiang Mai for 5 years, I would try to find a short term rental so I could move south for the 4 months where the air is unbreathable.
I only know of one province that requires you to be on a long-term visa to get a residence certificate. That's not the case in pretty much every province. So it's not an impediment to getting a drivers license.
The "under consideration stamp" is like an advance on your 1-year extension. When you go back on January 8th you'll receive the remaining year in your passport through December 9th 2026.
The 2nd thing they gave you is a TM47 receipt, which is your first 90-day notification reminder. You need to do your first 90-day report in February.