Thank you for your quick response, it's really very helpful!
For #3, understanding that the easiest way is to get the visa is at the airport on arrival, is it possible to get it affixed from a Thai embassy / consulate in my home country of Canada? I'd prefer to save a trip until I'm ready to move their officially.
I also have a question about stay extension. I believe we have to leave Thailand at least once every 365 days but it is possible to extend it from within Thailand for another year. How many times can we extend it from within the country?