Not in Bangkok but in Pattaya,Kasikirn let me with just a tourist visa, Bangkok Bank with retirement visa both excellent re English skills and Kasikorn are superb.
Successful in that more people vaccinated than the EU. What the government than chooses to do on the back of that is a diffe matter. Thailand has had more success than other countries but the obvious price is the tourism industry and areas have been devastated.
It is the relative success of the UK vaccination programme certainly compared to the EU. Vaccinations raises the hope of economic activity not being curtailed and getting back to pre Covid levels and the markets like that.