maybe has lots of savings, wants to take a year or 2 off. Who knows? Really unclear as he provided incomplete and spare information. Unclear what "solution" he is seeking.
It's a Visa application which will be tied to your passport. So the name needs to match identically to the name in your passport, not any other variations that you may go by. Your passport is applying for the visa 😅
Flip a coin, Thailand tails, Philippines heads - you'll either have the decision made for you or find out that you're unhappy with the result, thus revealing your actual preference.