in BKK at the immigration office all I needed was a copy of the lease agreement with my signature and their signature and a copy of my passport, maybe a passport photo to, plus filled out the TM 30 paperwork.
it doesn't cost anything to file it. the landlord can do it online as well. They're just being lazy. You can do it yourself, it's just a lot more work.
i think they charge 45k Bhat and they will pay for everything you need. Cost of the visa, cost to borrow the 800k bhat and what not. When my friend did it they pretty much just showed up to sign paperwork and was finished in 30 minutes
I know a thai lady in Chiang Mai that can help you get the retirement visa. She speaks really good English and has helped several people i know get around the 800k in your banks account issue.
You can definitely do it. It just takes a little self discipline to learn a little bit everyday. My friend used Thai pod 101 and he was conversational in a few months.