8 Tips to Choose the Right Thailand Lawyer

Are you finding it difficult to choose a Thai lawyer? I can understand the amount of confusion you have to go through to select the one. Since there are so many, searching for the one is always a daunting task. Whether you want to raise a visa or extend it, willing to get married to a Thai or file a divorce and buy a property or sell, you will be in need of legal expert. While choosing the first, the first and foremost thing that you must do is identify what kind of legal service you want and then proceed;

1. Ask your friends or business associates about a Thai lawyer. A word of mouth can be quite helpful when you have no idea where should you go. They can tell you about their experience.

2. You must filter your search to English speaking professionals. There will be many who though offer legal services, are not adept in English. If you are a foreigner, hiring such a professional wouldn’t do any good to you as then you may have to pay extra for a translator.

3. Join public forums and other online and offline communities. By doing this you will get to speak to strangers who can guide you well as whom to choose. You can even befriend some Thais who can take you through to the legal process and suggest you the best service provider. You might find a lot of them discussing different law firms and legal experts, making the search a little easier for you.

4. Instead of checking on the law firms haphazardly, it is better to choose any five at first and gather information about them.

5. Deciding between a law firm and an independent working professional. While choosing a law firm will ensure that you are never without a Thai lawyer, an independently working professional may deny you providing services.

6. When you are looking for a law firm you must consider its expertise. Know how long they have been working in this field plus the different types of legal experts they are working with. I mean you cannot work with a divorce lawyer if you need someone to assist you in property related matters.

7. You must see how professional the experts are. One should maintain a proper communication with the clients. There shouldn’t be anything hidden from the clients, which means there should be much clarity and transparency. You must know what your law firm is willing to do.

8. Next is their fee. It must be within your budget, right? You can seek a free quotation from them considering the services you need. Once you have ensured these, you can now go ahead with the hiring process.

What should You Expect from a Law Firm in Thailand?

I understand the level of difficulty a foreigner has to face to realize the complexities of Thai laws. Deciding to open a business in Thailand is not enough as there are so much more beyond. The first and foremost thing that you need to do is know your eligibility. And then prepare a business plan and find a financier. In order to start a business in an alien country, it is suggested to look for a law firm in Thailand.

A law firm usually works with experienced practitioners who provide legal solutions to clients. Not only do they work as advisors but also they get all your legal works done to make things little easier for you. Having a legal advisor by your side will help you to have a better understanding of the law and at the same time concentrate more on your business’ works.

Your lawyer can help you with everything from company registration, BOI promotion to corporate tax. So, if you are in need of a legal assistance you can always come to us. Our representatives are dedicated to serving our clients with professionalism. Not only do we assist in setting up a business in Thailand, but also can help in other legal matters too, like immigration, adoption, marriage, and divorce.

The lawyers not only have in-depth knowledge about how the laws work but also know how it is implemented. They will patiently try to listen to everything you have to say. Legal experts believe in maintaining a level of transparency and make sure everything is stated crystal clear and nothing is kept hidden: so, you will always be notified of what they are doing and how.

However, one of the biggest challenges is going to be how you find a good law firm in Thailand. In that case, you can always turn to the online and offline business communities in Thailand. They can suggest you with a good law firm for sure. You can simply look into the search engines to find a few. Once you have shortlisted you must check their company’s profile along with the reviews they have got. This will give you a clear picture about the service providers. In fact, you can even ask for testimonials.

What I Learnt during Submission of Annual Financial Statement to Thai Government

Submission of annual financial statement to Thai government is crucial for any limited and public limited companies. I was aware of this already. But the problem I faced was getting the details documented in Thai language. Me being a Russian, I had no clue of the language. However, it is then I found Konrad Legal. They assisted me in submitting my annual financial statements to the Ministry of Commerce. 

However, it needed to be submitted within one month of the Annual General Meeting approving the financial statement. Note, the AGM needs to be held with 4 months of the end of the fiscal year. Joint ventures, registered partnerships and foreign companies doing business in Thailand should submit the annual financial statements within 5 months of the closing of the accounting period. 

The annual financial statement was prepared based on the accepted accounting principles. Failing to submit your audited financial statement within the tenure is liable to fine of around 50,000 baht. There is exception too. Option such as case-by-case allows you some more time to submit the statement. 

Alongside your company’s annual financial statement, the annual income tax return must be filed with the Department of Revenue within 150 days after the fiscal year ends. But, you have a dormant company, how to file the annual financial statement in that case? While choosing Konrad Legal I spoke to one of their clients to confirm their services and he told me that he opted for accounting, auditing and corporate income tax services for his dormant company in Thailand and he seemed to be very satisfied. In that case, the legal firm offered them services like; 

• Prepared the annual audit financial statement in both Thai and English version 

• Prepared accounting records like general ledger, financial statement, journal and trail balance in both languages. 

• Prepared secretarial documents, consisting of Sor.Bor.Chor. 3 and Bor.Oor.Jor.5

• Prepared yearly corporate income tax return and much more

In my case, they even gave me a copy of the legal documents in Russian language on request. 

Two Businesses in Bangkok That Can Bring You Success

If you are already in love in Bangkok, then there is no way escaping. And you know better what I am trying to mean. Each year tourists flock here in hundreds and thousands and what they eventually end up with is either extending their tourist visa or applying for something more concrete. Low cost of living, profitable business opportunities and lifestyle are enough to admire Thailand. By doing something concrete I meant business in Bangkok. In fact, if you are considering staying for longer period in the country you can always buy a business in Bangkok and make some money. 

However, the only issue is that people often get into the market without proper planning and research. To begin with, you can approach your reliable relatives or friends and discuss the idea of investing in a bi-national business. Initially, you should be concentrating on preparing the ground and then think something large. Though manufacturing business is in huge demand in Thailand, you might not have that much capital to invest. Here are some business ideas to go with; 

Bar Business 

Bars earn a huge amount every night in Thailand and when you are here you will surely want to own one. Although, a lot of money is yielded by this business, running this is not that easy. If you are one of the US citizens, then you must have a Thai business to begin. Additionally, you should get regulatory licenses, as well as clearances, done. Similarly, there are many legal formalities too that can be handled by a law firm in Thailand. 

Restaurant Business

It is yet another promising business if tapped properly. Since Bangkok is a booming tourist destination, restaurants earn a huge turnover. For this, you will need to get a food license, alcohol license, and permission for playing music. 

Apart from these two, you can also think of starting a driving school or a guesthouse. But make sure you have sufficient capital.