you can’t do that with an American license. I had to to go through a lot to do it. I suggest get an international drivers license and use an agent like Mots to get through Thai license. I think it’s like 3,000 baht.
Well you won't be able to teach legally at a government school or get a work permit for teaching regrdless of what people are posting. A TEFL certificate gets you nothing. I was at teacher for 5 years in Khon Kaen. A marriage, retirement or elite Visa are your options if you can't work. You can look for teacher jobs on Ajarn.com if you want.