No time 2 be sad ... he just got his mom to Thailand... paid a thai visa person to do it ... they did all the paper work and leg work for him and his mom ... didn't cost much ... go that route and save time and frustration ....
Come and look at how many skyscrapers in BKK how many BMW and Benz there are in BKK which cost 3X of that from USA prices ... your $5,000 won't even buy a nice car ...
As you can see there are way too many lowlife farang in Thailand... stay away from expats community, they will scam you more than locals ...
learn to respect everything and everyone... there's racism in every country but Thais will treat you as you treat them , no matter what color is your skin , but don't cross them , Thais will gang up on you and rid you of this earth ...
During covid times Thailand is at her best and maybe at her worse at the same time ... if you love the crazy nite life , it's not there .. if you like un -cluttered tourist areas, cleaner beaches and islands ... this is still the best time to come here ... hotels are still cheap maybe not all running at 100% but lots are open to welcome you and your money ...