I was already here on an OA visa. I applied for the LTR while in Thailand. They changed from the OA to LTR here in Thailand. You would have to ask if they can change a tourist entry to an LTR.
I qualified for my pensioner LTR with just my work pension. It is easy to do yourself if your finances are simple. You are not going to get it done by 6 July though. It will take at least a month.
I am retired. I have time. The officers at CW were nice to me. No complaints. If you didn’t like it then that’s up to you. Glad you found an acceptable alternative.
I’d rather have my OA than a DTV but I am really happy into the 3rd year of my LTR.
The only difference between the O and OA extension is the insurance certificate which the insurance company sent to me beforehand. It usually took me 2 hours to assemble docs for an extension.
I never made appointments at CW. I just arrived at 8:30am, got a queue number and usually waited an hour to be called to the desk. I would be out before noon.
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.