ehhh in DMK they can get iffy about it and tell you (tell me) I needed a proper tourist visa ‘next time’ - so yeah I did that these days. Plus with US you can apply online for e-visa, only $40 so cheaper than going visa waiver and extending it at immigration.
My current METV I was in Portugal, applying online to submit to the embassy in Los Angeles. I bought an onward ticket from US to BKK, and an outward ticket from BKK back to the US.
I haven't been to the US in 4 years. Typing this from BKK.
Depending on your passport you can apply via e-visa online. You just buy a onwardticket.com ticket back to your home country after 60 days. They don't care - it's literally paper pushing. Once you're in country you can leave to wherever.
8 years on and off every 3-4 months out of Thailand solely on Tourist Visas (and visa exemptions).
Bangkok/Thailand is an excellent hub to be based out of, and low cost flights all around Asia. The visa "runs" i just use it as an excuse to go travel around all over SEA, and beyond.
Get a METV, come here, and see how you feel - overthinking it a bit with the year plan (then again some people are over planners). Example, to Vietnam, it's $50 usd one way. Very easy to pop out and back in. Go travel and see where you like best.