"Of course, bureaucracy anywhere can be frustrating. But are these really particularly massive issues in Thailand more so than in other places around the world"
I travel allot, and I can tell you now , it is a pain in the A$$, and massively more difficult than most countries I travel to. The whole of the North American continent makes Thailand look like a complete joke and to be avoided.
I see these articles about Thailand is the best, about allot of related things. Written by Thai's that think Thailand is the center of the universe, or by foreigners that live there and don't have a clue what they are talking about, but convinced that Thailand is the center of the universe... hahahaha. What a joke.