Chris, as much as I respect the US Embassy, at the end of the day, Thai Immigration has the final say. And it doesn't take long to live in Thailand to understand that what is said or stated by one government official, does not hold true for others. Certainly wishing you the best of luck.
All the best Tod, and I highly appreciate all the advice you have given me. In social media as well as life, we run into some real characters, hang in there.