Laos will require an interview which will work in your favor if you're worried about the strength of your application. Be prepared to login to your bank account on your phone to show embassy staff in Vientiane, this is apparently how they verify.
It's not in anyone's interest to get one if they have DTV. My understanding is that staying over 180 days and "remitting" money to a Thai bank accounts puts you on the hook for tax liability. I read a post somewhere from someone who consulted Thai attorneys and apparently the current guidance is that if you earn money abroad and keep it in foreign accounts, spend locally with the combination of foreign cards and cash pulled from ATM, you do not have taxable income here.
NordVPN gets flagged by a lot of sites these days forcing you to CAPTCHA and other crap, look into TorGuard residential IP if you want a less stressful experience.