UPDATE:
Spoke to my friend, a staff at Jomtien immigration and he said yes, the IO I was dealing with, desk 7, is a sole operator, having no in-house supervisor I could communicate my concerns to.
Today I went to Maneerat Agency on Soi Post Office in Pattaya and talked with Nan, a well--known agent. She said yes, the 800K 2 month seasoning is standard, accepted procedure for the first application for the Non-O. I showed her the instruction document from immigration:
https://www.immigration.go.th/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/9.FOR-RETIREMENT-PURPOSES-50-YEARS-OLD-NON-O.pdf
Her response was that the 800K seasoning should be listed on the form. But as we all know by now, it is not. I asked her if this rule applies to all immigration offices and she indicated it does, whether or not it's enforced.
I tried calling the immigration info line at 1178, hoping to verify that this policy is, in fact, law. I waited on hold for 15 minutes then gave up.
Maneerat offered a solution similar to the offer from the IO to resolve this. 23,000 THB for a 90 day Non-O visa and one yearly retirement extension. Total, 15 months of joy. Immigration fees are included in this price. She even offered to throw in a freebie 90 reporting service. Wheee! ????
I'm now clear what I have to do. 1. Pony up the dough and pay for the service, either through an agent or directly to the IO. 2. Do a border run. Nan quoted 4,500, one day service via mini-van. 3. Go to an embassy or consulate in a neighboring country and do the Non-O there. I haven't decided which to do yet, but to me, the information gathering and clarification of this issue is resolved.
Thanks to all who participated in this thread, and I highly recommend you consider that Jomtien immigration policy requires 2 month seasoning before your initial 90 day Non-O application. This may or may not apply to other immigration offices. You should check.
Cheers and thanks again!