Sukha Counsel
Client experiences
CLIENT EXPERIENCES

What Our Clients
Have Found Here

Pension matters are personal. The accounts below come from people who came to us with real questions and real documents — and what they found when they did.

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9+

Years in pension legal support

340+

Clients served

4.8/5

Average client rating

87%

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WHAT PEOPLE SAY

Client Testimonials

SR

Somchai Rattanakul

Chiang Mai — Document Review

I received a letter from the Social Security Office that I simply did not understand. After years of working and contributing, I felt I should know what I was entitled to, but the document made it impossible to tell. Pattara went through everything with me, explained each section, and produced a short written summary I could actually read. Two weeks, no rushing, and I finally felt I knew where I stood.

May 2025

MW

Margaret Woodley

Lampang — Records & Liaison

My records were spread across three different employers from different decades. I had tried contacting the fund administrator myself twice and received no useful response. Nathakorn took it over, was persistent in a quiet way, and eventually got everything needed. It took longer than I hoped because of the third parties involved — Sukha Counsel was upfront about that from the start, which I appreciated. The regular email updates helped a lot.

April 2025

PK

Preeda Kongkasem

Chiang Mai — Appeal Representation

The decision I received about my pension amount was, in my view, based on incomplete information. Siriwan assessed the situation carefully and agreed it was worth questioning. She handled the appeal with the Government Pension Fund from beginning to end — the documents, the submission, all correspondence. The outcome was more favourable than what I had originally been told. I would not have known how to do this alone.

May 2025

LH

Lars Henriksen

Chiang Mai — Document Review

As a foreign resident, I was uncertain whether my years of SSO contributions in Thailand were properly recorded before I retired. The document review gave me a clear picture. It turned out most things were in order, which was reassuring to have in writing. The fee was reasonable for the peace of mind it provided.

June 2025

WC

Wanpen Charoenwong

Chiang Rai — Records & Liaison

I was anxious about this whole process. My late husband's pension records were incomplete, and I did not know where to start. Sukha Counsel were unhurried with me — they let me explain the situation in my own time at the first meeting and did not push me toward any particular action. The records work took about six weeks in total, mostly because of response times from a third office. The updates helped me feel less in the dark.

April 2025

AT

Ananya Thipsiri

Chiang Mai — Appeal Representation

When I first came in, I was not even sure whether my situation was worth appealing. Siriwan was honest: she looked at the documents, said it was a borderline case, explained the possible outcomes, and left the decision to me. I chose to proceed. The appeal took several months — that is just the nature of the process — but every step was handled properly and I always knew what was happening.

May 2025

HOW IT WORKED

Three Client Journeys

These accounts follow different clients through the service they used — what they came with, what was done, and what they had at the end.

CASE STUDY 01 — DOCUMENT REVIEW

Making Sense of a Pension Statement

SITUATION

A retired teacher in Chiang Mai received a multi-page statement from the GPF. He had contributed for 28 years and was unsure whether the payment amounts in the statement matched what he expected, and whether a one-off deduction noted in the document was legitimate.

WHAT WAS DONE

The documents were reviewed section by section. Each figure was traced to its source, and the deduction — which turned out to be a standard administrative adjustment, clearly explained in clause 7 of the attachment — was identified and explained. A three-page written summary was produced in plain English.

OUTCOME

The client found that the statement was correct and the deduction was in order. He left with a written explanation he could file and refer back to. Knowing his records were accurate gave him confidence to proceed with retirement planning he had been postponing.

Duration: 10 days  |  Service: Document Review

CASE STUDY 02 — RECORDS & LIAISON

Piecing Together 30 Years of Contributions

SITUATION

A woman preparing to claim her full pension entitlement discovered that contributions from a seven-year period with one employer were not reflected in her SSO records. Three previous attempts to resolve this directly had produced no useful response from the relevant office.

WHAT WAS DONE

Sukha Counsel submitted a formal records request, referencing the relevant employment documentation the client provided. Two follow-up letters were sent after the statutory response window passed. The missing contribution period was eventually confirmed and added to the client's record.

OUTCOME

The corrected record increased the client's eligible pension amount. The process took approximately eight weeks from the first letter to confirmation — longer than hoped, but within the range expected given the third-party dependency. The client said the written updates throughout were what helped most.

Duration: 8 weeks  |  Service: Records & Liaison

CASE STUDY 03 — APPEAL REPRESENTATION

Challenging a Pension Calculation Error

SITUATION

A retired civil servant believed his final salary had been incorrectly averaged in the pension calculation, leading to a monthly payment about 12% lower than he felt was correct. He had received a formal decision letter and was unsure whether challenging it was realistic.

WHAT WAS DONE

After reviewing the original calculation documents, Sukha Counsel agreed the averaging method appeared inconsistent with the period covered. A formal appeal was prepared, with supporting salary evidence, and submitted to the relevant authority. Correspondence was handled throughout.

OUTCOME

The appeal was upheld in part. The revised calculation increased the monthly amount by approximately 8%. The client understood from the start that the process would take time and that the outcome was uncertain — the result was better than expected but not the full correction he had initially sought.

Duration: 4 months  |  Service: Appeal Representation

Reach Us Directly

Whether you have a specific question or just want to talk through your situation, we are here.

OFFICE

142 Wualai Road
Haiya, Chiang Mai 50100

HOURS

Mon–Fri: 9:00–17:00
Sat: 10:00–13:00

CREDENTIALS

Professional Standing

Thai Bar Association

All advising practitioners fully registered and in good standing with the Lawyers Council of Thailand.

Chiang Mai Legal Directory 2024

Listed among recommended pension support practices in the Northern Thailand legal services directory.

Expat Association Referral Partner

Recognised referral partner for pension enquiries by the Chiang Mai Expat Association since 2022.

Ready to talk through your situation?

A first meeting is informal and carries no obligation. We will listen and let you know honestly how we might be useful.

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