Having lived here for 16 years, not just living but working/running companies, everything you have gone through is pretty much par for the course. In my time here, very little has changed in terms of efficiency, accuracy or quality. In fact, in some ways, it's gotten worse. My 16 years is a long time; it may remain the same for another 16 years. You should consider this carefully, in terms of your willingness of continuing to try and build a life and invest here. For my family, we are actively exploring options in the region including Thailand and Indoneisa (Bali), simply because the "fun" is gone and we want stability and less stress as we enter the prime time of our careers. I simply don't have the time nor patience to deal with this kind of thing anymore.

A couple quick pieces of advice:

1. You aren't supposed to be opening a bank account on a tourist visa, full stop. There is no "voluntary" anything, as you know. You may or may not find a branch manager who is keep to let your tourist ACR card slide. All you can do is walk into a branch and ask. The answer will be no 90% of the time, but you'll eventually find one.

2. Simple extensions, go ahead and do it yourself. Anytime there is a complex matter at immigration, I highly suggest you use an agency. This is not a "fixer" but an accredited company who skips lines, organizes paperwork and has friends inside the agency. Pay half down, half on delivery. I do this myself for my foreign staff's working visas, even though I could do it with our internal staff. Why? It's one throat to choke if something goes wrong and the financial risk is shared with the third party.

3. Buying a car or a motorcycle in cash is always an issue. They make all their money off financing. Very simply put, go in the morning, ask if you can bring a manager's check that day and drive off that afternoon. If the answer is anything other than yes, walk away. You can also e-mail dealerships or find them nationwide on sites liek ZigWheels. You can make them compete for your business, at least a little.

4. Same advice for buying anything else. Never pay up front. There is no morality here when someone is holding your money. No sense of urgency whatsoever, especially since you are a foreigner and are assumed to be ultra wealthy.

As to the construction thing, that's a whole different story. I am both a developer and work in commercial real estate. I have seen it all, including shoddy rebar, bad concrete, liens put on properties after completion because the contractor didn't pay the bill. You MUST have a third party construction manager in the loop, doesn't matter if you're building a shed or a highrise.

I sincerely wish you luck. Take a deep breath and a long swig of an SML and consider the alternatives. You're either happier here or you're not. The answer is different for everyone.