he's complaining about needing a visa to get a bank account. He could have applied for a visa before arriving, no Thai account needed, and open his Thai account when he arrived. As for other countries requiring you to show funds to remain long term, I don't know. But I suspect there may be a financial requirement.
go to a nearby country for a few days. Apply for a visa. I suppose you could pay an agent to help you open a bank account. But no point complaining about a bank account system that is same as many other countries like UK.