Internal funds have been used at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to enable the initial installation of a laser based, Thomson scattering (TS) diagnostic on the prototype Material-Plasma Exposure eXperiment (Proto-MPEX). Since the funds are limited in amount and duration, the initial TS system has followed a low cost design and rapid implementation. This paper will discuss the design elements of the initial TS configuration on Proto-MPEX and issues encountered during installation. Avenues of response to system limitations will be discussed, along with considerations for further optimization. The laser system will undergo reconfiguration to enable additional project milestones, e.g., laser induced break-down spectroscopy.