You're going to be flooded with GREAT advice and work-arounds from alot of the smart members of this group. However, since you're American you might find this site useful in the meantime, albeit not based in Thailand. Good luck my friend.
Thank you everyone for taking the time out of your day to help me find the answer to my question. I wish all of you well and nothing but happy and safe travels.
Tony, I average 500+ hours of overtime at work each year. I take 1 vacation per year, which I haven't been able to do for 3 years. Also, it takes 24 hours of solid travel time for me to get to Thailand. So yes, 1 day really does matter for me. Have a good day bro, and thanks for your time.