What Are My Options for Securing a New Visa in Thailand After My Retirement Visa Extension Was Denied?

I've been aware of a possible coming problem ever since the new arrangements for assessing income for extension of stay of a "Retirement" Visa were announced in January. I base mine on the 65k/month route, free capital was turned into cowsheds here around 15 years ago..........

So I've been an avid reader here ever since.

Extension time is here, and I have a clean bill of health for the last 10 months (thanks for the heads up here), but a shortfall on the first two months - before the new arrangements were generally known in January. I was hoping for leniency based on the letter shared here dated 26th December, No 0029.173/Wor from Police Lieutenant General Surachet Hakpal.

At Lopburi Immigration yesterday, I was declined an extension. I and my family are well known and well liked there, but it is a very quiet office, we were the only customers present yesterday, and the Lady Captain in charge (always the same lady) seemed not to have met this problem before. But she was keen to find a route through.

Good news was that there was no suggestion of need for Hospital Insurance..........

Her direction is to exit Thailand to a neighbouring country on expiry of the current extension on 12th December. Obtain a new Tourist Visa in that adjacent country. On return to Thailand and time having allowed two further 65k/month compliant months to have passed, visit her again. Where-upon she will convert the Tourist Visa into an in country generated 12 month Visa - presumably, Non O.

My reading here suggests to me that an adjacent Consulate may not issue a Tourist Visa given that I have been clearly in Thailand since June '17 and that if they did, there is a risk of being refused entry at the border crossing on the same grounds.

From where I live, by far the most convenient crossing point is by land to Vientiane. So Vientiane and Savannakhet are preferred consulates. But clearly, success is the overriding consideration.

Plan A, is therefore to go to Savannakhet and see if they will issue the Tourist Visa and see if I can cross by land to Mukdahan.

Plan B, in event of refusal, is to do a 30 day visa exempt crossing.

How do you rate chances of success?

If crossing with 30 day Visa Exempt, obviously I can extend by a month at Lopburi, which is adequate. But can Lopburi issue an in country 1 year Visa stamp off the back of a Visa Exempt crossing?

Any suggestions as to where to go for a better chance of success?

Sorry that's a long post, but I know the sort of questions you are likely to ask.

Attached is the full Visa and stamp trail via a Passport Renewal from original Tourist Visa at Savannakhet in June '17. (I have been in Thailand since January 2014, originally on a Retirement Visa and planning to stay only 6 months. But it transpired that my family here needed my presence, so unplanned Visa and Visa exempt runs followed until I got the system sussed from that June '17 Visa. Old Passport is therefore very full........ But new passport as per the single photo below only.)