What are the best options for obtaining a retirement Non-O visa in Thailand if I plan to return after several months abroad?

You are looking at this wrong.

The 800KB is an investment in your ability to live in Thailand long term.

It is also a cushion in case you fall on hard times.

If you are considering using an agent because you want to avoid putting the required monies into a Thai bank account.. then you will be locked in to using them forever.. not only expensive but comes with the added risk of your visa being rescinded one day.. should the Thai govt ever decide to clean up the immigration practices that currently make this feasible.. not only that.. but if you ever move provinces and are faced with extending your visa at another immigration office.. then you won't be able to use the same agent who was smoothing the process for you.. and the deal with a new agent could be vastly different a few years down the road.. you are also assuming the initial agent is not going to increase his fees over time.. and if the 'friendly IO' gets greedy next year then that inflation will be passed on to you.. and should you decide you want to start handling the extensions yourself in the future.. the only way to do this will be to exit the country without a re-entry permit so as to invalidate your visa.. then begin the application process from scratch upon your return to Thailand.. ie. make a brand new application directly which isn't linked to the old visa paperwork.. whilst you opine that the cost of an agent is offset by interest on your, savings.. this assumes interest rates continue at the same level and that the agent fees don't escalate wildly.. neither of which are within your control.. and i believe there is minimal political risk in having monies on deposit with a Thai bank.. and anyway, after the first year when you come to extending the visa.. you can switch to the income method instead of using the capital method.. and the money can be withdrawn from the bank.. so it can be considered a temporary requirement in that respect.. and if you get the initial non-o visa in your home country before coming to Thailand.. then you won't need to have the money in a Thai bank until you come to renew it in-country so to speak.. so you get 12-months grace.. and can defer any agents' fees for a year!

LTR visa for 10 years is the best! You only need 80 K yearly income!

Use an agent my friend. Simple and hassle free. Keep your wedge in your high interest account at home. No probs with good reputable agents. Make sure you have a trusted UK address for obvious financial reasons. Good luck.

Get the visa when you’re home. You don’t need an agent. It’s is simple and straight forward.

Only if you have too much money and don’t want to wait in line

Given that choice, the agent seems the easy move. Leaving 800k doing nothing here doesn’t make financial sense and given the decades it has been done, and the plethora of agencies out there, it doesn’t seem to carry much ‘risk’. If the rules change, then just adapt as it occurs.

The 65k monthly method does make sense if you can swing that.

And you can get precise pricing from

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Option 2 but don't use an agent get a non-oa instead that way your money is still in the UK and you're completely legal and then meet the 65k a month every month transfer requirements for extensions.

Seems like you know the answer already, but the legal option is obviously the answer.

You could do it legally and transfer 65,000 baht each month in addition, so that the second year you can withdraw your money and put it back into your savings account in the UK.

Just apply abroad and deposit once you return

The problem with using an agent to provide the funds is that you will never meet the terms of the Non-O visa requirements which can have knock on effects, best to put the money in the bank. If you really want to avoid that then get the Non-OA visa but that does require insurance, police check etc

Option 1 is legal

Option 2 is fraudulent

Up to you.