there are agents in Changi Mai that can get your resident certificate for you. I from Bangkok... But Changi Mai is easier to get cert.. Google visa agentsor search Facebook, they will pop-up..
now it sounds like you want to keep living here... If it's just one more time get a tourist visa or risk it. No one can tell you if you will have problems or not... Just up the officer on the day.
There are other long term options. Ltr, investors, work permit, business... There are companies that can help you set this up too... Some of them can be in a grey area though.
Followup questions regarding your elite visa.. We have a lot of discussion in the elite groups about the volunteer visa issue... Did elite deined your application during the check portion? In other they discovered before approval and rejected? I also want to assume this was an agent volunteer visa, but correct if wrong.
Having a tourist visa is better than visa exempt for successful entry. If you are granted a tourist visa at am embassy you will have a higher success rate at the border. In your situation you are probably better to get a visa.
Regarding your situation..You don't say how long you were in Thailand.. Which is the biggest part.
3 visa exempt trips is no big deal if they were 1 week each...but I am assuming you extended each on for 60~75 days? Then you will likely be pulled aside soon and given the visa talk and may be deined entry.