Anyone Heard Of "bangkok Lawyer Ltd."?

[inquisitive]

I recently set an inquiry to several Thai law firms regarding when a condo purchase becomes "official." It turns out that it is a complicated question in the USA but a very simple one in Thailand. The law is clear that any land or "real property" or "immovable property" only becomes transferred when it is registered at the local land office. There is no grey area as in countries based on civil law. The amazing thing I discovered was that several Thai firms spent three or more emails to me explaining how I needed to come to their office for a paid consultation so that they could explain my options or other such baloney, when a one sentence reply would have cleared up the whole matter. What's more, a couple of them even hinted (OK, lied) that they would do things to help me out once I paid the fee. This is odd, since any activity to circumvent that legal reality would be illegal. I called one on this point and they said "we didn't PROMISE we'd do the illegal thing. In fact, we didn't promise we'd do anything at all. You have to pay us to find out what we would advise you to do."

The absolute topper, however came from "Bangkok Lawyer, Ltd." who not only refused to tell me if they knew the answer (it turns out they didn't) but actually got nasty. Here's what they wrote:

"Do not think that you will get the free advice. It is good on you that you are in the US and charged by your owned Court. Good luck in jail!

Bangkok Lawyer Ltd. "

Their comprehension of English was so terrible that they ever even understood the question! Not only that, but they actually thought that I would go to jail without their help - and they were good with that, even wishing it upon me if I were to reject their preposterous offer. (FWIW, jail time was never an issue and no one was ever charged with anything. This was a simple matter of learning who the real owner of a property in Bangkok was on a specific date.) Still, in their clouded understanding of events, this attorney tried to make me feel I was facing jail time if I didn't cough up money for him to research and find out that land isn't considered transferred until the transfer is registered. This seemed to be a large dose of hostility mixed with an even greater portion of ignorance, and yet they promote themselves as being a farang-oriented law firm to call in times of need. Has anyone else had such an experience with them, or was this perhaps just a bad day? And perhaps more importantly, does anyone have a suggestion as to whom we SHOULD call if there ever was a real need for a legal defense? These guys would obviously be the kiss of death, but there must be some other firm that actually knows what they're doing and has concern for their clients.

[splitlid]

Yes I can tell you. But you have to pay me first.

[Khun Jean]

And that is a good summary of what the average Thai lawyer especially the ones targeting foreigners can do for you.

Preying on costumers giving wrong information is going to be detrimental to their own occupation.

A pity that the 1% good lawyers have to suffer from the 99% incompetent lawyers.

As always, do your own research. Material enough on internet, just make sure you read it from a government website and not from a lawyers website. (Again 1% exceptions)

[bangkoklad1]

Cant believe Im defending lawyers but...

OP was emailing law firms for advice, just wanting it for free. Why should they help/give away their business for free?

If people emailed me with english questions and asked me to help them with grammar rules, I'd tell them to pay or ask someone else.

Just my 2 cents

[TobiasML]

Usually the best way to find a lawyer would be from your embassy. Each embassy has usually a list of trusted and reputable lawyers.

[HarryMilton]

Amazing that a professional should want to be paid for his professional advice.

Wonder if the OP works for nothing also?

[Khun Jean]

it is the 'a couple of them lied' part that is disturbing.

Many lawyers, yes i had that experience in my early Thailand years, lie about or over complicate things so that they make you scared to do it without their help.

Once you find that out it is a trait you recognize very quickly.

[inquisitive]

Amazing that a professional should want to be paid for his professional advice.

Wonder if the OP works for nothing also?

Actually, I do. I provide free services through the auspices of a King's Project, as well as through the Lions' Club. I figure I give away more than a month of free services each year. And I have NEVER charged anyone for anything during a "free consultation" nor have I ever charged anyone to tell them something that is common knowledge in my field. (Common knowledge is NOT the same thing as professional advice.) On the other hand, back when I was part of a professional consulting firm, I charged $150 per hour (including travel time) plus all expenses. That was twenty years ago, so the fee obviously would be many times higher now. In special cases, such as my work for Jimmy Carter during the Camp David Accords, the work involved much more complex issues than normal and travel to places I really didn't want t go, so my fee was substantially higher.

My point is that I AM a professional advisor, and yet managed to act ethically at all times. I never tried to hold any potential customer hostage or refused to answer a simple question. I guess that's why these particular lawyers are, well, lawyers instead of normal people with a law degree. Too bad for me I expected to deal with human beings instead of guys that put money ahead of all else.

So my question is, now that you know just how basic and simple the answer to my original question was, what do you think a fair price would have been? And as a bonus follow-up, if it took three full emails to try to trick me into paying them for a one sentence answer they knew from the start, just how desperate do you think these Bozos are? My question should have been easier for them to answer than telling me their address. I was NOT asking for advice.

Yes, get paid a fair fee for a fair service, or even a high fee for a fair service. But don't try to make a simple question into a federal case complete with personal threats and vitriol. And never, ever even imply that you'll engage in criminal activities for a fee as these guys did.

The other issue is that these guys put themselves out as being worth more because of their exceptional skills in English. And the sad fact is that this, too, was a lie. How can anyone have any faith in their answers - no matter how expensive - when you can see that they never evenunderstood the question?

So these guys were fakes. They were incompetent. They were dishonest. They offered to engage in illegal activities. Being cheap was the least of it all. I think that you may have missed the plot, my friend. Paying a fee for professional advice was never an issue.