Well, I was pounced on by several people when we left the Embassy (and this goes for every time I've been there; one failed visa attempt, two successful and the recent affirmation of eligibility thing. People stuffing cards into your hand and speaking rapidly in Thai to the missus (Neem). ONE girl spoke to ME and I said I only wanted a translation. 250 Baht she said and lead us up a staircase into an office (right opposite Wireless Road, on Sukhomvit under the walk over). Once in the office the girl left and another one started showing us prices for things in Thai. 1,800B; 6,000B etc. Nobody would talk to ME - the guy with the wallet. By now Neem was starting to worry that maybe we did need guides, translators and witnesses and that I didn't know what I was doing. If they were such good translators, why couldn't they speak to me? All scare-mongery. I only got my translation because I stood up to leave, saying 'OK, then. I'll get it elsewhere'. They understood that ('though I got a bollocking from Neem for being rude). As I left, he said: "Cheap Charlie, anybody can afford 1,800B!". That wasn't nice.
Add to that the number of approaches I had on the three visa applications (two successful) both in Pattaya and Bangkok and I'd say that you're far off better doing it yourself.
It's agencies like this that keep many Thai beaurocratic experiences steeped in mystery. Do it yourself and the mystery falls away.
By the way, I just phoned a friend and he paid 20,000B last year, but I don't remember being offered a serice that expensive.
It seems you were lucky.
Owen.
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