Hi, I know some 1.8V chips need to be desoldered to be read or written (due to in-circuit programming protection, the chip needs to be fully isolated, actually its Vcc track). But I don’t think your chip is one of those. Also, since you’re not comfortable with a heat gun yet, I wouldn’t recommend going that route anyway, and yes, applying 3.3V to a 1.8V chip can damage it.
As for programmers, I don’t have much experience with the CH341A. I’ve never really used it (not a fan). I started a long time ago with the MiniPro. Honestly, I think your chip would read just fine with the XGECUs, RT809F/H, etc. But you can still try with CH341A, just make sure to go through the 3 guides already available on the forum, they might help clarify things. 1, 2, 3.