How to procure a Schengen visa for a Thai boyfriend

Based upon what you wrote, you are a Russian national who wants to get a Schengen visa and simultaneously sponsor a Thai national who is not a family member (de facto or otherwise) of yours. You have a favourable history of performance in Schengen. Your partner has some travel experience but is unable to prove it.

The gay issue is not really a big deal and Russians can get Schengens at the drop of a hat. The big issue will be establishing a premise for your partner's visit when there's no 'durable relationship' tying you together (for example, cohabitation, monthly remittances, shared expenses, joint bank accounts, and so on). So while there may be legal barriers to forming a civil partnership, nothing prevents a committed lifestyle together. Consular officers will be looking for signs they define as indicators for a "committed lifestyle". Are your bank accounts held jointly for example? (if so, that's a good thing)

To add some extra complexity, you propose to "double down the bet" by gaming the hotel/air booking systems or by having all your evidence based upon cancellable bookings. They will interpret this evidence as reduced quality and much worse, it may undermine your claim to a committed relationship (that's a bad thing). But just to take things a step further, even the highest quality, non refundable, prepaid bookings will not save an application where the premise is failed.

How to procure a Schengen visa for my Thai boyfriend, or at least arrange the application in such a way that even if it is refused, nothing is forfeited except the officially-declared visa fee?

This question has been answered largely in comments.

1. Have your partner collect the bookings needed to support the application making sure that all of them are fully cancellable (or gamed);
2. Have your partner include his financial evidence along with an authenticated copy of yours;
3. Put together any evidence you have supporting the claim to a de facto relationship;
4. Submit the application to a Schengen issuing post in Thailand. Assuming you apply to the Netherlands, you would apply via their facilitator, VFS.

When the decision is reached, your stated objective will be the result: you have lost the application fee. Implicitly however, your partner's credibility will be stained going forward (that's a bad thing), and your claim to a de facto relationship will be weakened (that's also a bad thing).

I enjoyed the hint that you are open to bribery. It tells me that you are devoted and ready to take on some extra expense in order to enjoy a holiday in Europe with your partner. So where does that leave us? For about 1/3 - 1/2 the price of dealing with the snakeheads, you can instruct a blue-blooded, accredited law firm with a practice area in Schengen to represent your partner's application.

What's the right course of action?

If you are doubtful about how to best assure your partner's successful application, you can arrange a consultation with a solicitor. Select a law firm with impeccable credentials in European migration and let them sort it out.