Can someone just set up a legal office?

[Elaine]

I have been in contact via email with a business named - Thai Legal Centre & Visa Consulting Services - for some visa advice and company registration. They told me that they had 3 attorneys there. As I was doubtful about some of the replies, I asked a Thai friend to go to their location on the 4th floor of Wongchomsin Building on Petchkasem Road and have a look. The sign on the door either says that it is a massage parlour or they train massage... not sure which, and when my friend opened the door, it looked like a massage place. No real office in sight.

My friend was told by a woman there that the person in charge was "Toy", and knew nothing about any attorneys.

They advertise via fastthaivisa/com/ . I checked out the ownership of the site and it say:
Natkitiya Sathidnetithum
100/638 Soi 47A
Chonlada Village
Bangrakpatthana
Bangbuathong
Nonthaburi,11110

Can they offer legal services like that? I thought that even in Thailand, legal services had to be registered.

[MorSage]

In Thailand they have a saying 'rules are meant to be bent' so providing 'legal services' particularly to foreigners is wide open to exploitation with a lot of leeway for technical details to get lost in translation. A massage parlour acting as a registered office / address for a law firm though would not neccessarily be illegal and qualified legal personnel may be connected with the massage business.

[Norseman]

You should try the 5th floor instead because that's where they located.
(Some months ago you found them in 2nd floor in Shopping Mall).

[Elaine]

You should try the 5th floor instead because that's where they located.
(Some months ago you found them in 2nd floor in Shopping Mall).

No.. this is on the 4th floor... Have banner on street saying 4th floor. My friend checked before... On the 5th floor is P&A.. It is not that place.

[Norseman]

Yes, you are right about the names. Another thing is that all of these companies offer the same legal advises and services so I guess it's same same wherever you go.

[poosmate]

Norseman wrote

Another thing is that all of these companies offer the same legal advises and services

All restaurants sell food, basically the same ingredients just cooked differently.

[Lung Per]

Was the massage parlor any good??

[chopsticks]

Norseman wrote

Another thing is that all of these companies offer the same legal advises and services

All restaurants sell food, basically the same ingredients just cooked differently.

Just that some can give you food poisoning.

[Elaine]

Just an update... my friend went to the location again... and still no sign of a lawyer.. Just a massage place of some nature... However, some people in the building told my friend that the "lady" had recently been involved in reporting a foreigner for not having a work permit and he was arrested. Not exactly a person I would be wanting to represent me.

[margaretcarnes]

Hi Elaine - I don't know what nationality you are - but don't forget that for some of us the 4th floor is actually the same as the 5th in some countries.
Sorry if you already realise that - but as Norseman says it could well be that the company you have seen advertised is in fact P and A. When I used to use them - in the Shopping Mall - they operated under the supervision of an attorney based in Bangkok.

[pitsch]

Just an update... my friend went to the location again... and still no sign of a lawyer.. Just a massage place of some nature... However, some people in the building told my friend that the "lady" had recently been involved in reporting a foreigner for not having a work permit and he was arrested. Not exactly a person I would be wanting to represent me.

As far as I know, the lady was from the P&A office on the top floor. The police threatened him with deportation, if he did not pay 300 000 Baht. After some discussion they reduced it to 150 000 Baht, which he paid (with police escort to the ATM). Next day, when he went to the office to renew his working permit they told him, that he would had to pay only 5000 Baht for missing the extension date by about 1 week. So he has no proof that he paid the money to the police and he can't do anything about it.

[fft100]

Is this true or an urban legend ? what rings an alarm bell is that afaik, the daily limit on cash withdrawals from a single account via an ATM is 50,000. Unless he had 3 cards with different banks that is....

[pitsch]

You can ask your bank to raise your daily limit (I think up to 300 000 Baht), what he had done before already.

[crazy88]

Bangkok bank is 150k standard and Ayudhya 100k standard. For some reason I can only spend 20k on the visa electron debit and transfer 30k per transaction via atm on the Kasikorn however.

Crazy 88

[Elaine]

Hi Elaine - I don't know what nationality you are - but don't forget that for some of us the 4th floor is actually the same as the 5th in some countries.
Sorry if you already realise that - but as Norseman says it could well be that the company you have seen advertised is in fact P and A. When I used to use them - in the Shopping Mall - they operated under the supervision of an attorney based in Bangkok.

Actaully I am from New Zealand.
I am referring to the 4th floor, Thai style.
I am aware that P&A is on fifth floor... and it is not them.