"....the proliferations of supposedly "rich" foreigners into Thailand."
Yes, I agree - it's been like this for decades.
On one of my first visits here (about 20 years ago - when I got 73 baht for my British pound) I asked a bar girl why they (bar girls) all thought that all foreigners were rich. She replied "Well, you could afford to get a flight here on an aeroplane, so you must be rich!" ????
Regarding the taxis, years ago on my tourist island, the "meter taxi" drivers were told that unless they used their meters they "could" lose their licences. Decades on, they are still not using their meters. "Meter not work!" Well, if "Meter not work!" you shouldn't be working either, but I have yet to hear of ONE meter taxi driver that has lost his licence due to not using his meter. It's all just words by the people "in charge"!