Visa and work permit saga of using a so called lawyer

[mortified]

I was very happy to be recommended to "a good lawyer" located on the first floor of the old shopping mall in Hua Hin to handle my application for a work permit and B visa.
The process began in April this year and all necessary paperwork was signed by me along with the required numerous passport signed copies etc etc. Money was also paid to them to do the job for me.
I was more than dismayed to learn that many weeks on no real progress had been made, my telephone calls for information were ignored or not returned. Left with only the option of a personal visit to their office this was done again without a real result apart from an assurance that there was ample time to play with and reassurance that they knew what they were doing. Right.
But time ran out and I had to make a Visa run to Ranong on half an hours notice which started alarm bells ringing for me.
The Visa run reset the clock and gave me a three month window to get this sorted which you would have thought would be ample time for any "lawyer" competent or not. Wrong.
Again calls were ignored or cellphones simply not answered (they knew my number by now) and so several more personal visits were made to their office. Finally after many more promises of certain things happening by certain dates, those dates then quickly passed without anything actually happening at all an exasperated me went to see them with attitude. They bundled up my paperwork (all of it) and gave the whole file to me saying if I was unhappy with their speed and service I should handle it myself. I'd have found it very hard at that point to tell them I was in any way happy or satisfied with them or their service !
Now very irate since I'd paid these clowns to do a job which they had simply not done I decided to do exactly what they suggested and do it myself. Within a couple of days I had it cracked. Its still not finished but its in process as I write this.
I am adding no frills to this posting. I am very angry that I paid for a service I did not get from these people, they were rude and arrogant - took a lot of money and delivered virtually zero. I'd like to name and shame them. The forum moderators may object.
I'd like to know if anyone reading this has also had lousy non existent service from this bunch of idiots, but more importantly if your seeking someone reliable and trustworthy to do an important legal job for you my advice would be to stay well clear of the old shopping mall on the first floor.

[Hobiecat]

Was this lawyer located at Soi 47/1 per chance? I might have a simular story.

[lomuamart]

I don't know who you used.
However, the longer you're here, the more you'll learn and also be more able to take care of things yourself.
I've always found, to date, that it's best to do it yourself. If anything goes wrong, you've only got yourself to blame and you find out a lot in the meantime - for the next time.

[mortified]

No the lawyer was on the first floor of the old shopping mall right in the centre of town, except I found out that in truth they are not even real lawyers, can it be legal here to call yourself a lawyer when in fact you don't even have any sort of law qualification ??!!

Update - my one year B visa and 1 year work permit were given to me two days ago only four weeks after I restarted the whole process on my own. My "lawyer" had the paperwork for five months and got nowhere with it !! Rather pleased with myself today......

[Norseman]

Good job mortified, and it was nice to hear you were able to sort it out yourself.
I guess you've learned a lot in the process and can give some good and solid advises to other members if needed.

[JW]

Hi mortified, will give you a call when my next renewal is due!! Well done - it took over 2 months for my last one to get sorted.

[barrys]

Some months ago, I did recommend a lawyers/accountants office on the 1st floor of the old shopping mall.

There are, in fact, 2 such offices on the 1st floor.

I don't know which one the OP is referring to, but I feel I should make the following comments:

At the time I gave my recommendation, they had done very good work for me - I had no complaints as I would not otherwise have praised them.

However, someone else that I recommended them to has recently had a very negative experience with the office I use and his complaints are very similar to the OP.

The office in question has also considerably increased its charges over the last couple of months, though I was able to negotiate discounts for the person I recommended.
The efficiency levels also appear to have fallen substantially.

I would no longer recommend them in the terms I did before, though I still use them for all my work and have no intention yet of changing to another office.
If you can communicate with the actual member of staff dealing with your case, it does help enormously.

I hope this puts things into perspective.

[mortified]

If, as you say, you have made recommendations(s) and they have gone sour and also experienced a hike in fees (which other people have also told me so I am sure this is right) then isn't it time for a change?

Too often falang here are taken for excessive amounts of money for no reason other than they are falang and don't know the ways things are done here.

The office concerned with my matter is right at the far end of the first floor near the toilets and has a very large numkber of staff crammed into a small office.

[barrys]

Hi Mortified

So we are talking about the same office.
The fees I pay them for accounting work have not been raised.
Their charges for getting visa and work permits have increased by up to approx. 50% though - but I believe a large part of this increase goes into the pockets of the officials.

I don't have to face the visa/work permit reapplication until next August, which is why I'm not contemplating a change just yet.

Making a change of course necessarily means finding somewhere better.
If anybody does know of a better alternative, they could get 3 new clients almost immediately.

[JimmyGreaves]

You don't say if you got your money back!

[mortified]

I am still trying to get all or part of money back, will update whenever