What steps should I take to get my retirement visa in Thailand before my arrival?

You're on the right track by seeking an agent to define the process properly. You can consult with the moderator of this forum and get a plan of action laid out. Then you won't have any surprises. It'll make for a stress-free and time efficient process. Speaking from experience, I always use an agent for everything immigration related, as I place a high value on my time.

With all the recent changes, getting your retirement visa sorted now is a smart move. Since you already meet the income requirement, the process can be very straightforward.

Your travel earlier this year won’t cause any issues if you arrive with the right visa. The easiest and most affordable path is to apply for your Non O in your home country before you fly. When you enter Thailand with a Non O, opening a bank account is simple and your past entries won’t matter. With that in place, our fee for the yearly extension is 15,000 THB and it’s usually completed in 1 to 3 days.

If you land without a visa and only have an exempt entry, and you still need a bank account, then agent services cost more. You would need to come to Bangkok for one day. We assist with opening your bank account on exempt entry, securing your Non O the same day, return your passport so you can fly back to your province, and then you can post your passport back to us for the 1 year extension. That part only takes a few days. This full package includes everything starting from exempt entry and results in a 15 month retirement visa plus a bank account (without needing to leave the country). Total cost is 60,000 THB.

If you prefer to continue entering on exempt entries despite having multiple past entries, we also offer a FastTrack and Safe Entry service. It’s usually 2,000 to 5,000 THB and helps ensure a smooth entry. You just need to contact us at least one day before arrival so we can check your history and arrange everything.

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"looking for an agent referral to get my RETIREMENT VISA

I’m 66, with USA passport

I have the income qualification" . . . . . . . . . . . . .if you really want to apply for the 90-days Non-Imm-O Retirement Visa in your home country, you can do so based on your original income verifications. . . . however as a U.S. citizen, in order to apply for the 1-year extension of the stay permit based on retirement on Immigration inside Thailand, you cannot use your income as proof of finances, at least not in the first year. You will instead need a Thai bank account with a minimum of 800,000 THB seasoned in your account for a minimum of two months . . . . . .agents service can be bought if you have no own funds, they bribe Immigration and get the 12-months extension for you, however this can only be had at costs of something like up from 32,000 THB, in some cases around 60,000 THB

Get the 90 day Non-o before you arrive , open your bank account, deposit 800k Baht and extend once a year every year until you snuff it.

If you can not trust a stranger on the Internet, who can you trust?

Most people here are plain idiots, bare the the Mods and few, not more than five of them.

Get the non -o before you come makes things simple

If you think there's a risk because of your previous visits without a visa, why not apply for a tourist visa first. Then when you go to Vietnam apply online for the non-O. You can then activate the non-O when you return to Thailand, open a bank account, put the required 800k baht in the account and then extend your stay once your funds have seasoned for 2 months. As Marianne said, it's not difficult if you do it this way and no need for an agent.

You should apply for the Non-O based on retirement before you arrive.

Don't need to make it stupid expensive by hiring an agent.

The Non-O should enable you to get a bank account, which you will need to get sorted and filled with the required amount of money for your 1 year extension within the first 30 days of your arrival.