I felt the same way and moved to the Philippines last year (tourist visa extendable up to three years for each entry, no agents, no limits, no financial demands). But here I am again, dealing with the fantastic thai immigration rules 🥳👌
Just did my first visa run (border bounce) to Cambodia, Ban Pakkad, and it took maybe 25 minutes from the time we arrived until the entire group of 9 people was done. It had far fewer steps than your Vientiane run. I'd recommend going there next time if it's not too far for you.