What are the easiest and cheapest visa options to stay in Thailand for one year without attending in-person processes?

Daniel Kim. You cannot plan a twelve month stay on the "hope" that the Covid extension will remain! The indications of things opening up in October/November are suggesting the covid extension days are drawing to a close!

Daniel Kim. You could but then you're getting into expensive territory as these visas are not strictly legitimate.

Daniel Kim. I'd say the land borders might be closed to foreigners for a while, which is why the STV has been reinstalled. The STV replaced the need for border bouncing. Many of the covid outbreaks were caused by border infringements, so I'm guessing they'll be closed for a while. If you definitely need a year, I think the STV is your best bet and look at the options at the end of the nine months, with possibly either a border bounce or a covid extension. Hopefully the relaunched STV will not be so rigid in that changing to another category in-country will be possible, but common sense does not always prevail

@Daniel ****

there was nothing said about changing the requirements to get the STV or to get the 90 day extensions inside the country once you're here on it. It's still a cumbersome, troublesome visa to screw with