Ellie - the O-A visa is Multi-Entry in the First Year - upon Entry into Thailand you get a permission to stay of 90 days. You must either Exit again or make a 90 day Report to Thai Immigration. The - Stays are 90 days each but the total length (term) of this Visa extends out to 24 months. As far as I know the O-A visa is the only Visa that works this way allowing the option of Exiting and Reentering or a Report at Immigration each 90 days. A final Exit and Reentry done a day or two before the First Year Expiry date takes the Term - Life of the Visa out to another 12 months. Each stay within the life of this Visa is 90 days.
In the Second Year the O-A is no longer a Multi-Entry Visa. If you want to leave Thailand in the Second Year - you must purchase a Reentry Permit before leaving Thailand to preserve the Extension period of the O-A Visa.
The nice thing about the Non Immigrant O-A Visa is that last available Exit and Reentry into Thailand in a few days before the First Year Expiry (Enter before Date) - this assures nearly one full year of Extension.
As is turns out (in my opinion and estimation) people holding O-A Visas most often opt to just do 90 day Reports (in the First Year) instead of Exiting and Reentering Every 90 days