O-A visa good for one year. Easiest to obtain while in your home country, as the requirements are up to the immigration officer in Thailand, this the conflicting reports. Rent is cheaper, but space is smaller as well. Cost per square foot/meter is actually about the same. Food prices are reasonable if you like to eat out. Western food at the market will be expensive compared to home.

It may take you several times at different banks. Having less than a year left on your Visa does not help your case.

Depends, do you work in Thailand? Does your home country have a tax treaty? Are you bringing over large sums of money?

Welcome to Thailand

Difficulty of opening an account depends on the type of visa. With a retirement visa took several different banks and multiple trips to accomplish. Just be persistent

Or

It's not a Visa, but an online registration to speed up immigration.

They accepted a bank statement from my home bank. No need to transfer. Not sure if this varies by home country.