No doubt, there are moronic IOs, different "requirements" in different provinces and many foreigners had bad experiences with the crazy burocracy.
But let's be realistic: Thailand still is one of the most easy countries to retire to, especially for people on the lower range of income.
The 800/400k bank thing has not changed since ages.
Back to the "good old days", when people, who did not qualify for a correct visa or a retirement extension made monthly border runs for years? Would one of us want to have those people living in our home countries?
I think, for each one who reports here about problems with IO, there's another one doing his yearly extensions without problems, but that usually will not be posted.
I stay here a long time now and never ever had any problem with visa and - later - extensions. Some IOs were more polite, others less.
My decision to leave Thailand when my son is old enough to study abroad comes not from bad IOs or the feeling "they don't want us", but from the political situation, the pollution, environmental problems and a climate, that fits less for me than in earlier years.
I'm still grateful to Thailand and it's people for the very good time I had and still have here.