You cannot extend a VOA (Visa on arrival, you have to apply and pay for at entry) by 30 days, the maximum is 7 days. You were on a "visa exempt"... completely different thing...
To the re-entry-stamp, yes... that's totally normal. Nothing to worry about, no "must" to buy one.
Yes, you have to watch the videos before you go to your appointment. At the end you'll get a confirmation, that screenshot you need to show when you go back to the DLT.
I just tried the e-learning page... works fine for me...
Agreed... if you really have the money then it's a completely different story, nothing wrong with that. But this guy... well... let's say it's not really smart to tell everyone that your friends prefer to use shady agents instead following the rules... maybe he isn't aware that there are also some Immigration Officers in the groups... 😁
A bunch of paperwork (much more than for an extension), everything 2x (1 set for Bangkok, 1 set for your local Immigration), about 6 weeks waiting for getting your passport back... and, and, and...
That are my experiences... maybe in other places/provinces it's easier...?
If the immigration officer has a bad day someone can say "Sayonara" to the DTV and "Hello, Welcome" to a fresh, crispy, visa exempt stamp. Som Nam Na... 😁
Every kind of visa is "fully digital", since Thailand changed completely to eVisa now. The only visa that you still can get "in Person" is the 90 day Non-O, to apply for at your local immigration.