absolutely correct John, more and more offices will not except the income method unless you are actually working in Thailand, where we are in Cha-am Phetchaburi immigration will only except the banked money and I did my extension last month and for the first time they asked for a 12 month statement, for years they only required a 3 month statement.
There are multiple options, it is best to do some research and see what visa best suits your needs and which financial requirements you can qualify for, as they all have different requirements.
You asked the same question back on September 12th, you received the correct answers back then, review the comments you received then, nothing has changed since then.
You are not required to have health insurance for that particular visa, but of course insurance is always highly recommended, but it is not compulsory. Whoever told you that is wrong.