I extended my OA 5 times myself before getting an LTR. You are correct. Not that hard to do. Be patient, organized, and keep a list of what to do for next year. It seldom changes. CW in Bangkok is efficient and professional though I don’t miss it now. 🙂
I have Pacific Cross. I bought into it when I was 62. Their website allows you to price different options. I have a 40,000 baht deductible that keeps the price down.
I chose one month later because I also needed to get a residency certificate and I thought that was going to take a while. I think they had earlier times.
A direct wire transfer from my US bank to my Thai bank takes 1-2 business days. I can transfer any amount. I transferred the entire amount to buy my car. At the time I was using Kasikorn bank.