I would challenge you on the last statement. Last month I sent £1000 from my Revolut A/C to my Kasikorn bank on a Sunday. It arrived
within one minute and no fee involved. I am of course using UK Revolut A/C, not a USD A/C, so there my be a difference?
I transfer £1000/month to THB on my Revolut card a no charge. I then us this for Thai purchases with no merchant charges. If used in an ATM the usual fees apply.
You could purchase a UK Skype number @£38/year. £10:00 credit allows you to call from anywhere in the world @ approx 1.5p per minute. It also allows any call to your UK number to be transferred to your Mobile, anywhere in the world at the UK local rate and no charge to you. If you make many calls to the UK it works out quite cheap. Also 0800 numbers are free. As they say, up to you.
About 60 years ago, my then wife had been shopping in town and returned with full bags of items. "Where's John," I asked. The look of shock was w picture, but no camera phones back then. She rushed off back into town and found him asleep in the pram outside the pharmacy.
"Yesterday, The Frenchman woke up to discover that all of his cash disappeared and he requested to check the hotel’s CCTV footage and saw the sex worker leaving the room with the cash in hand."
Definitely a cash in hand job, then!
"Are non Thai's eligible?" No reason not to be. I applied for and obtained an IDP almost six years ago, when I was intent on a visit to the UK on a Thai Driving License. On hiring a car I was not asked for the IDP, but I had it just in case.
A personal opinion only, but I believe the 800/400K for Imm requirements should not be included in a tax assessment. It is after all, a forced requirement, as in, No Money, No Visa.
You may well be correct, but will the TRD insist on either Thai or English only, written statements as do Immigration? This again will cause all kinds of problems for some. Getting translations and then having it verified by MoFA in BKK. That on its own can be a real hassle and possibly expensive?