The country wants foreigners to come and spend in this land of smiles, but once you are addicted to SOMTHAM ,and you want to extend your visa then immigration is not helping you,it’s very sad. The best is you join as a party a English teacher in a school and work for free on weekends and they might apply a volunteer visa .
most of the department in Immigration is currupt to the core.They want to make money in every step. If they really plan to promote tourism through this visa ,they can do so by issuing visas to anyone who has a simple bank statement. Why would someone keep 800,000 in the bank where bank not even giving you 2% per year.They can issue a 5 year visa but they dont because they want to collect money every year. I really feel pity for the farangs who spend all thier foreign earnings in Thailand but treated badly at the immigration.