it's not hard if you have: passport copies, residence certificate, long term lease, etc. show up looking somewhat professional, smile and treat bank officers with respect. I'm surprised how many people i see showing up at a bank in a singlet and flip flops... Banks consider themselves professional, respect is important.
apply for non-o from aus. Don't waste your money on an agent. Process is easy, though feels tedious at times. Just be patient and follow simple directions.
that is exactly what i advised her to do. But also, to do a little better research so she understands the process better rather than relying on FB opinion.
you need to do a little better research. Go to Laos, apply for visa via evisa for non-o based on over 50. Once you get visa, reenter the kingdom on your non-o. Then go open a bank account. At the end of your 90 day non-o visa, and having seasoned your 800k for 2 months, you can apply for a 12 month extension of stay.
You needed to apply for your non-o while you were in the states. It will be very expensive to convert your exempt stamp to a non-o and will require an agent to open a bank account for you.