yes first step is they have received your information and second step is they approve or reject it, if rejected you will have to go in person to immigration office near you. Normally they want the first time is in person, but TIT and you never know.
always upto the discretion of immigration officer who you get on the day you enter. So not really pathetic, if he or she deemed you as not a genuine tourist, due to the time you have spent here and time spend out of Thailand.
they deemed you as not a genuine tourist meaning to many visa exempts entries in a short period of time, thus upto discretion of the immigration officer.