Raw Deal From A. Hole

[RandyWhite]

I would like to hear from anyone in the know about making the application for a work permit myself.

Briefly, my circumstances are as follows:

1. I am a teacher here in BKK and both the school (pretigious) and the Agent Hole (greedy) want to retain me.

2. I have had a Work Permit before when I worked at NIDA U.

3. I have postgraduate qualifications from a respected foreign university.

4. A. Hole has a lock on the school via the usual connections and payments (say no more!)

5. A. Hole recently confirmed a 10,000 baht fee (not including visa costs) for arranging WP

6. A. Hole did not bat an eyelid when I retorted that none of the many other agents I have worked for have ever charged anything - not even the 3-4,000 baht in mandatory govt. fees.

7. I have not commited myself yet, but the school has small classes (that's their main 'hook') and short hours

Would it be practicable to do the running around myself and save maybe 5,000 baht?

I am planning to go down to the one-stop office down on Ratchada, Dindaeng next Thursday (April 10) so I hope someone can provide some useful info besides how to get away with taking the agent's offspring captive.

RAW IN BKK

[Mario2008]

A WP cost you 3,100 baht. Yiou can do it yourself, but you will need documents from your employer. Seems to me the agent is your employer, or is the contract direclty with the school?

[lopburi3]

One-stop center is for BOI type business people and has not been located on Ratchada for several years - do not believe they offer anything other than 90 day address reporting for others at there current location of Rasa Tower 2, fl16 on Phaholyothin Road.

[p_brownstone]

I would suggest you think very carefully before bypassing the entrenched "Agent" simply to save a few thousand Baht - particularly if you plan to stay at that school for some time.

He will remember the slight and is obviously in a position to cause you considerable problems in the future.

Patrick

[Soutpeel]

I would suggest you think very carefully before bypassing the entrenched "Agent" simply to save a few thousand Baht - particularly if you plan to stay at that school for some time.

He will remember the slight and is obviously in a position to cause you considerable problems in the future.

Patrick

Yeap..think very hard before you try and cut out the middle man...in theroy could you do it yourself, if the school provided all the paperwork...Yes...in practice think you will find it very difficult going....in my experience (not in teaching) the agent usually has "contacts" in a particular office and if you try and by-pass them "a phone call" could be made.

Also as lopburi 3 has said Rasa tower II one stop is a service provided for large companies...and know first hand that most of the agents operating in there have personal contacts and even family members working in the one stop...

[astral]

If the school is so prestigious, they should be organising all this for you and paying the fees................

[IMA_FARANG]

I would like to hear from anyone in the know about making the application for a work permit myself.

Briefly, my circumstances are as follows:

1. I am a teacher here in BKK and both the school (pretigious) and the Agent Hole (greedy) want to retain me.

2. I have had a Work Permit before when I worked at NIDA U.

3. I have postgraduate qualifications from a respected foreign university.

4. A. Hole has a lock on the school via the usual connections and payments (say no more!)

5. A. Hole recently confirmed a 10,000 baht fee (not including visa costs) for arranging WP

6. A. Hole did not bat an eyelid when I retorted that none of the many other agents I have worked for have ever charged anything - not even the 3-4,000 baht in mandatory govt. fees.

7. I have not commited myself yet, but the school has small classes (that's their main 'hook') and short hours

Would it be practicable to do the running around myself and save maybe 5,000 baht?

I am planning to go down to the one-stop office down on Ratchada, Dindaeng next Thursday (April 10) so I hope someone can provide some useful info besides how to get away with taking the agent's offspring captive.

RAW IN BKK

Quetion: is this 5000 baht really that important to you?

Yes the agent is making a profit off of you. Isn't the job you are getting worth more to you than the 5000 baht you might be "losing" by using the agent?

I was once haggling for a rather expensive camera in Singapore, and the store owner told me, "Never haggle for little money. It isn't worth it in the long run." He was right.

Another rule...never p@ss against the wind. It always just blows back on you anyhow.

But...Up To You.

[RandyWhite]

One-stop center is for BOI type business people and has not been located on Ratchada for several years - do not believe they offer anything other than 90 day address reporting for others at there current location of Rasa Tower 2, fl16 on Phaholyothin Road.

Thanks - that's kinda what I thought (I pass it every day!)

[RandyWhite]

Thanks, but as I intended, I will be making the proposal to A. Hole anyway just to see if she squirms.

[PatinBKk]

Seems a small price to pay for the convenience and also probably being kept in mind for future contracts by the agent

[yumidesign]

the moral high ground in LOS is always very sticky and murky and can be dangerous

bit your lip, pay the A Hole and forget it

[kaorop]

I was once haggling for a rather expensive camera in Singapore, and the store owner told me, "Never haggle for little money. It isn't worth it in the long run." He was right.

The store owner told you this? lol

[torrenova]

Whilst I agree that a prestigious school should be sorting all this out as part of your contract and pre contractual negotiations, it could just be that there are far more applicants than job opportunities.

The saving is Bt5000 or so over a year and that is about Bt100 a week. Not an issue. A principle I agree but not one worth getting upset over.

Think about your next salary negotiations, just up your ante a little.

If the school is not that good and you are and are sure about it, move on.

[kudroz]

The school has to apply for your work permit, and the school has to renew your work permit. It's not something you can do on your own. You need a letter from your employer/school to confirm your employment as well as some other company/school registration documents. If you can get those, then you could possibly go and apply/renew it yourself (but maybe you need a power of attorney too?).

You need the collaboration of the school for these documents, and it's unlikely that the school will provide these if the agent has some kind of deal with them.

If you want to pick a fight with the agent, you could always get a quote from another lawyer/agent and then present it to the school and have other foreign teachers at the school to co-sign your letter saying that the work permit fees are above market value and seem unfair. Who knows, maybe you can have the school renegotiate the prices with the agent, but very unlikely. What's likely is that the agent will not like you very much.