In-house accountant or accounting firm: which is right for your Thai company?
Every Thai company needs monthly filings and audited annual statements. The question is who does the work. Here is how the two options compare in practice.
Side-by-side comparison
Point
In-house accountant
Accounting firm
Coverage during leave
Gap unless you hire backup
Team covers
Knowledge of rule changes
Depends on the individual
Tracked across many clients
On-site presence
Yes
Remote or scheduled visits
English reporting
Depends on hire
Often available
Employment obligations
Salary, social security, severance
Service contract
Audit
External independent auditor still required
External independent auditor still required
How to choose
Small and foreign-owned companies usually benefit from a firm until transaction volume justifies a full-time hire. Larger companies often combine an in-house bookkeeper with a firm for tax review. Either way, the auditor must be independent from whoever keeps the books.
Frequently asked questions
Can my accounting firm also audit my accounts?
No. The auditor must be independent from the bookkeeper.
When should I hire in-house?
When daily volume or on-site needs exceed what a firm can efficiently handle.
How are fees set?
By volume and scope, quoted in writing. Government fees are separate.
Prefer not to handle it yourself?
We prepare, file and track the whole chain under a power of attorney and courier the sealed originals back to you. Send a photo of the document and your deadline, and we reply with the exact route and timeline.
LINE @Thainotary · 094-895-8999 · Contact@thainotary.co.th
Real customer questions, answered by our attorneys
Selected from our knowledge base of 3,300+ real questions we have answered.
Which Pink Line BTS skytrain station is closest to the Department of Consular Affairs in Chaeng Watthana?
Consular / Apostille
Quick summary for expats, HR and law firms to "Which Pink Line BTS skytrain station is closest to the Department of Consular Affairs in Chaeng Watthana?" — Inbound chain for foreign documents used in Thailand: notarisation/Apostille in the country of origin → that country's embassy in Bangkok (if not an Apostille state) → Thai translation → MFA certification, after which DBD, district offices, Immigration and the Thai courts will accept the file. Thai consular legalisation is performed by the Legalization Division, Department of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at Government Complex Chaeng Watthana (Building B), plus MRT Khlong Toei and regional counters. Initial enquiry with staff on LINE @Thainotary or call 094-895-8999 (Mon–Sun 08:00–20:00 ICT).
What family court rules govern child custody order translations?
Certified translation
How we handle this in practice to "What family court rules govern child custody order translations?" — We cover English, Chinese (Simplified/Traditional), Japanese, Korean, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Italian, Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Hindi, Vietnamese, Myanmar, Lao, Khmer, Indonesian, Malay, Tagalog, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Finnish and Eastern European languages. Inbound chain for foreign documents: notarisation or Apostille in the country of origin → that country's embassy in Bangkok (non-Apostille states only) → Thai translation → MFA certification, after which DBD, district offices, Immigration and the Thai courts accept the file. Initial enquiry with staff on LINE @Thainotary or call 094-895-8999 (Mon–Sun 08:00–20:00 ICT).
What attestation paths apply to foreign medical device import licenses?
Consular / Apostille
Quick summary for expats, HR and law firms to "What attestation paths apply to foreign medical device import licenses?" — Inbound chain for foreign documents used in Thailand: notarisation/Apostille in the country of origin → that country's embassy in Bangkok (if not an Apostille state) → Thai translation → MFA certification, after which DBD, district offices, Immigration and the Thai courts will accept the file. Thai consular legalisation is performed by the Legalization Division, Department of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at Government Complex Chaeng Watthana (Building B), plus MRT Khlong Toei and regional counters. Door-to-door pickup in Bangkok and DHL dispatch worldwide — call 094-895-8999.
How are international security and defense cooperation agreements processed?
Consular / Apostille
Practitioner's view to "How are international security and defense cooperation agreements processed?" — Thailand deposited its instrument of accession to the Hague Apostille Convention on 30 June 2026, with entry into force on 28 February 2027, so documents destined for member states now need a single Apostille from MFA — no destination-embassy step, except for states that objected to Thailand's accession. You never need to attend Chaeng Watthana yourself — we file under a power of attorney, track the queue, and courier the sealed originals back by EMS or DHL worldwide. Door-to-door pickup in Bangkok and DHL dispatch worldwide — call 094-895-8999.
Can foreign expats residing in Udon Thani or Khon Kaen utilize local agency support without visiting Bangkok?
Consular / Apostille
Per the Legalization Division, Department of Consular Affairs (MFA Thailand) to "Can foreign expats residing in Udon Thani or Khon Kaen utilize local agency support without visiting Bangkok?" — You never need to attend Chaeng Watthana yourself — we file under a power of attorney, track the queue, and courier the sealed originals back by EMS or DHL worldwide. Standard outbound chain: original from the issuing Thai authority → certified English translation → MFA certification of the translation/signature → destination-embassy legalisation in Bangkok (only for non-Apostille countries). Send a photo of the document to LINE @Thainotary and we will quote the chain, cost and timeline after staff review.
How to translate employment verification and salary letters for various Thai visa categories?
Certified translation
Quick summary for expats, HR teams and law firms to "How to translate employment verification and salary letters for various Thai visa categories?" — Every translation ships with a Certificate of Accuracy carrying the translator's name, a job reference number and the company seal — the format Thai ministries, embassies and universities expect. MFA Thailand only certifies the Thai–English pair, so a third-language original is either relayed through English or translated directly into Thai with a signed translator declaration attached to every page. Door-to-door pickup in Bangkok and DHL dispatch worldwide — call 094-895-8999.
How to translate aircraft maintenance manuals and technical parts catalogues?
Certified translation
Per the Legalization Division, Department of Consular Affairs (MFA Thailand) to "How to translate aircraft maintenance manuals and technical parts catalogues?" — Inbound chain for foreign documents: notarisation or Apostille in the country of origin → that country's embassy in Bangkok (non-Apostille states only) → Thai translation → MFA certification, after which DBD, district offices, Immigration and the Thai courts accept the file. Multi-language certified translation for use in Thailand runs in three layers: translation by a native/MFA-recognised translator, a certificate of accuracy sealed by the translation company or a Notary Public lawyer, then MFA legalisation of that translation. Send a photo of the document to LINE @Thainotary and we quote the language pair, chain, cost and timeline after staff review.
How to translate cloud software SaaS end-user agreement documents?
Certified translation
Short answer to "How to translate cloud software SaaS end-user agreement documents?" — Thailand deposited its instrument of accession to the Hague Apostille Convention on 30 June 2026, with entry into force on 28 February 2027, so outbound documents to member states need one Apostille from MFA instead of a destination-embassy step, except for states that objected to the accession. We cover English, Chinese (Simplified/Traditional), Japanese, Korean, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Italian, Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Hindi, Vietnamese, Myanmar, Lao, Khmer, Indonesian, Malay, Tagalog, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Finnish and Eastern European languages. Door-to-door pickup in Bangkok and DHL dispatch worldwide — call 094-895-8999.