Most business owners in Thailand choose an accounting firm on two things: the monthly fee and how quickly someone replies. Both matter, but neither tells you what happens when the Revenue Department sends a letter, when the auditor raises a query, or when you decide to switch firms halfway through the year. Those are the moments a firm actually earns its fee, and by then you have already chosen. The useful questions are the ones you ask before you hand over a single document.
Know who keeps the books and who signs the audit
Thai practice separates two roles that owners often blur together. The bookkeeper prepares and maintains the company’s accounting records. The licensed auditor, a certified public accountant, examines the annual financial statements and signs the audit report. They are different qualifications with different responsibilities.
Before you sign, ask the firm which of these it provides itself and which it arranges. If the audit is handled by an auditor the firm works with, that can be perfectly sound, but you should know the auditor’s name before you engage, not when the report arrives. A licensed auditor’s registration can be checked with สภาวิชาชีพบัญชี (the Federation of Accounting Professions, TFAC). It takes a few minutes and settles the question.
Find out what the monthly fee actually covers
Monthly packages in Thailand are commonly priced by transaction volume, which is reasonable. What varies is what sits inside the package. Ask specifically whether it includes the monthly VAT and withholding tax filings, payroll and social security submissions if you have staff, the year-end close, and the annual audit.
The audit fee in particular is often quoted separately, because it depends on the size and complexity of the year’s accounts. That isn’t a warning sign. A quote that leaves you guessing is. Get the scope in writing, including what happens if your transaction volume moves into the next tier. Ask, too, whether one-off work, such as a change to your company registration, a Revenue Department visit or taking over mid-year from another firm, is billed separately and on what basis.
Check how documents move, and who owns them
Ask how documents reach the firm each month and who chases the missing ones. Some firms collect paper, some work entirely online, and many do both. The method matters less than whether someone is responsible for noticing gaps before year-end.
Then ask the question owners almost never ask at the start: if we part ways, what do we get back? You should expect the general ledger, the latest trial balance, supporting schedules and your original documents, handed over in a form the next firm can use. A firm that is vague about exit terms on day one is unlikely to become clearer later.
Test the communication before you need it
Ask who your named contact will be and how you reach them. Then try a simple scenario: “We’ve received a letter from the Revenue Department asking us to come in. What happens next?” A good answer explains the steps in plain language and says who does what. A vague answer, or one that only offers reassurance, tells you how the real situation would feel.
It is also worth asking what the firm does when your documents arrive late. Some firms file on whatever they have and correct it afterwards; others hold the filing and chase you until everything is in. Neither approach is right in every case, but you should know which one you are paying for, because late or amended filings can carry penalties, and those land on your company, not on the firm.
A practical way to compare firms
Shortlist two or three firms and send each the same written questions: who signs the audit, what the fee covers, how documents flow, and what you receive if you leave. Ask for a sample of the monthly report you would receive. Check the auditor’s licence yourself. Then compare scope and clarity before you compare price.
Run that checklist on every firm you consider, including smaller integrated practices such as SETUP Accounting and Law, which handle bookkeeping, tax filing and audit coordination under one roof, rather than choosing on a monthly price alone. The firm that answers all four questions clearly is usually the one that will handle the difficult month well too.
Takeaways
- Ask for the name of the auditor who will sign your financial statements, and verify the licence with TFAC.
- Get the monthly scope in writing, including whether the audit fee is separate.
- Agree on exit terms, meaning which records you get back and in what form, before you start.
- Use a realistic scenario to test how the firm communicates under pressure.
- Compare firms on scope and clarity first, and price second.
Professional requirements and service scopes vary by firm and by company type. Confirm specifics with the DBD, the Revenue Department, or สภาวิชาชีพบัญชี (TFAC), or a qualified consultant.
