What You Gain From Working With Us
An outside advisory relationship gives a family business something it rarely has: a space to think out loud without the conversation turning into a conflict. Here is what that means in practice.
Back to HomeSix Things That Make This Work Different
Facilitated Family Dialogue
Succession conversations without a facilitator tend to stall or escalate. We create the conditions for productive dialogue by managing pace, neutrality, and structure.
A Structured Path Forward
Rather than leaving families with a vague sense of what needs to happen, we produce plans and summaries that give the conversation a shape families can return to.
Confidential Environment
Every session is treated with complete discretion. Families often find they can say things with us that they have not been able to say among themselves.
Local Cultural Understanding
Our practice is shaped by years of working with Thai family enterprises. We understand the specific dynamics that arise around hierarchy, filial duty, and face in this context.
Respect for the Family's Timeline
We do not push families toward decisions before they are ready. Our role is to support the process, not to accelerate it for reasons of commercial convenience.
Tangible Written Outputs
Every engagement ends with something the family can hold: a session summary, a planning document, or a milestone outline. This is not advisory work that disappears into conversation.
Deep Familiarity With How Thai Family Businesses Work
Sornthep advisors have spent years in and around family-owned businesses in Northern Thailand. We know how decisions tend to be made, how seniority shapes conversations, and where the real sticking points in a succession process usually lie.
- Experience across hospitality, trade, manufacturing, and professional services
- 12+ years of advisory practice in Chiang Mai
- Bilingual facilitation (English and Thai)
"The texture of a family business conversation in Thailand is quite particular. Knowing when to pause, who to invite to speak next, and what to leave unspoken — these are things that take years to learn."
— Sornthep Advisory PracticeHow a Typical Engagement Unfolds
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01
Initial Conversation We speak with the family to understand the situation and agree on the right form of support.
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02
Facilitated Sessions We meet with family members — together and sometimes separately — to explore roles, concerns, and aspirations.
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03
Written Output We prepare a summary or plan that reflects what was discussed and agreed, for the family to keep and refer to.
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Ongoing Support (if chosen) For longer engagements, we remain available as a steady outside voice through the transition.
A Clear, Manageable Process at Every Step
Families often come to us feeling uncertain about what a succession process even looks like. Our method is structured enough to feel purposeful but flexible enough to accommodate the pace and the complexity of each family's situation.
Personal Attention Through Every Stage
We do not take on more client families than we can serve well. Each engagement is handled by a named advisor who remains consistent throughout, so the family does not have to re-explain their situation every time they speak with us.
- Consistent advisor throughout the engagement
- Response within one working day
- Pre-engagement conversation at no charge
Our Commitment to Each Family
We treat each family's situation as singular. What worked for one business will not necessarily work for another, and our work reflects that. There is no off-the-shelf product here — only a process shaped around the family in front of us.
All prices in Thai Baht. Inclusive of written outputs.
Straightforward Pricing, No Surprises
Our fees are stated clearly upfront. Each service includes the written output described, so there are no add-on charges for documentation. Families know what they are committing to before the work begins.
Sornthep vs Typical Alternatives
Most families in transition navigate without any outside support — or turn to advisors whose focus lies in regulated rather than relational territory.
| Area | Typical Approach | Sornthep |
|---|---|---|
| Family conversations | Left to the family to manage alone | Facilitated with neutral support |
| Written output | Rarely produced or retained | Included with every engagement |
| Cultural context | Generic frameworks applied | Thai family business specifics understood |
| Advisor consistency | Multiple contacts across a firm | One named advisor throughout |
| Pace of the process | Driven by billing or project scope | Driven by the family's readiness |
| Scope of work | Often limited to legal or financial scope | Focused on relationships and operational clarity |
Our Distinctive Approach
The Generations Panel Method
We work with different generations of the family separately before bringing them into shared conversation. This allows each generation to find its voice before it needs to share the room.
Responsibilities Outline
Rather than jumping to ownership structures, we begin by mapping who currently does what — and who in the next generation is drawn to which responsibilities. This grounds the conversation in practical reality.
No Pressure on Pace
We are one of the few advisory practices that explicitly builds in flexibility on timeline. A succession process does not have an expiry date. We move at the speed that is right for the family.
Warm Referral Network
When families need legal, financial, or psychological support, we have a trusted network of professionals in Chiang Mai and Bangkok we can introduce — with context and care, not a cold handoff.
Milestones and Professional Standing
Talk With Us Before You Commit to Anything
An initial conversation costs nothing and helps both sides understand whether Sornthep is the right fit for your family's situation.
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