Unreliable law and bookkeeping firms

[inventorinthailand]

Do you have the same problems with law and bookkeeping firms as me?

 

I have had 4 businesses in Thailand during my soon 14 years in Thailand. I have many business friends as well in Thailand within a wide range of different businesses, everything from Hotels, food production, software, to renting out oil-rig items.

 

One thing that strikes me, is how we all constantly have problems with bookkeeping firms and law-offices. I have worked with a handful  firms over the years NO ONE have delivered or they have been right up fraudulent, or even ran away with deposits/tax/soc payments or scaring/blackmailing/misinforms us to extract money from us. I hear and read the same story again and again from my friends and others. How can a whole business sector be so screwed up? In my home country I have been working with one law office and one bookkeeping office for 20 years. They always puts the customers first and maintains the relation with care.

 

I'm going to register a new company again and asking my friends if they can recommend a decent firm to handle it for me..... No one would recommend anyone and mentions that they have the same problems as me and are also looking around for one to replace the current one.

 

So, I emailed 8 agents found on Google, One week later 2 have answered with just a copy/paste answer with no regards of my questions, one quoted a 6-8 times higher than normal price (Almost 300,000 baht plus government fees for a 51% Thai / 49% Foreigner company with one visa and WP)  and one answered with an engaged answer and with decent pricing and i'm hoping for this one to be good. I called another one (seems to be only Thais running it) of the ones who did not answered yesterday and they promised to answer my email today, but still (3:20pm) no answers. 

 

I have worked with some of the old sponsors here as well..... And no thanks.

 

My friends with larger companies do not recommend outsourcing the administration at all but to keep it in-house and I agree. But that would be hard for startups. I had 3 great administration girls in-house before, but one got married and now work for her husband and the other two moved abroad, so I have to start from zero again.... 

 

So, Do you have the same problems with law and bookkeeping firms? Let us know. If not, please let us know who you are working with and for how long.

Edited March 23, 2017 by inventorinthailand

[xvend]

I often read this forum before going to bed so I can feel better about myself.

 

Thank you for your ridiculous post as I may now sleep soundly.

[inventorinthailand]

15 hours ago, xvend said:

I often read this forum before going to bed so I can feel better about myself.

 

Thank you for your ridiculous post as I may now sleep soundly.

Happy to help making you feel better about your self, if that is what you need.

 

I am not native English so I may have difficulties expressing my self correctly in this, for me, foreign language. But what is so ridiculous about it? Yea it may be a whining post, but this is my reflection over the years. Yesterday I had a chat with a hotell owner who told me that his bookkeeping agent had urged him to pay 45,000 baht a few days ago for penalties for some late social securities payments. He got suspicious and he and gf went to the social security office, but there were no penalties issued to them. This had happen before as well but with smaller amounts.... Needless to say, but he is also asking around for bookkeeping agent recommendations.

Edited March 24, 2017 by inventorinthailand

[TramsRepus]

1 hour ago, inventorinthailand said:

Happy to help making you feel better about your self, if that is what you need.

 

I am not native English so I may have difficulties expressing my self correctly in this, for me, foreign language. But what is so ridiculous about it? Yea it may be a whining post, but this is my reflection over the years. Yesterday I had a chat with a hotell owner who told me that his bookkeeping agent had urged him to pay 45,000 baht a few days ago for penalties for some late social securities payments. He got suspicious and he and gf went to the social security office, but there were no penalties issued to them. This had happen before as well but with smaller amounts.... Needless to say, but he is also asking around for bookkeeping agent recommendations.

Great man, helping poor fellows easing them from their miserable life ;-)

 

Yes. it is a shoddy sector. Stay away. I have had similar experience regarding dishonest legal and accounting representatives. Keep all your administration in house if you can. The first you should do is hiring a skilled business administration person and she/he will handle mostly of your administration tasks to a fraction of what an agent would cost you. And the result will probably be better as well.

Edited March 24, 2017 by TramsRepus

[Wallet73]

I hear you, i'm trying to help out a Thai friend with an e-commerce business for which some professional tax advice is needed from an accountant.

I too have emailed and called 8 different firms / CPAs, none of the advice they gave matched! They all say something different so how the hell can i trust any of them? It's ridiculous how incompetent they are, just like any other Thai "professional" in whatever sector.

It really is just some simple tax and VAT advice i need for a business that only has sales abroad.