@Mike ******

Looking back: do you think perhaps going by rail and taking a train from Penang to Hat Yai (time permitting) might have been easier??

@Mike ******

Congratulations on your Non–O E–Visa! What was your experience getting a Non–O (based on over age 50) E–Visa at the Thai Consulate in Penang, Malaysia?? Did the Thai Consulate request a lot of paperwork or pretty much straightforward?

the first order of business and priority is to open a Thai bank account and getting 800k Baht into that new bank account as soon as possible

after that, it's up to you

1.) Where is this Thai Embassy?? from other Comments, seems to be the Thai Embassy in Singapore?

2.) How much did you pay for Thai E–Visa Fee application? if indeed your DTV E–Visa application was submitted to the Thai Embassy in Singapore, then was your E–Visa Fee SGD $500 Dollars??

USD $40 US Dollars is the price for Lao Visa on Arrival (Lao VoA) and the cash currency should be pristine (clean, "new") banknotes, because the Thai Baht equivalent price will not be determined by current exchange rates, and, honestly, up to each individual officer whether they will take Thai Baht or other currency instead of pristine US Dollars, with an exception for China and Vietnam where their stated Lao VoA price is USD $20

Samui airport arrival immigration