Experiences From Families We Have Worked With
Every family situation is different. These accounts reflect what some of our clients found most useful — and where they felt the work made a real difference.
Back to HomeWhat Our Clients Have Shared
"My son and I had been avoiding the subject of succession for several years. There was no conflict between us — we just did not know how to begin. One session with Sornthep gave us a way into the conversation that we had not been able to find on our own. The summary they prepared afterwards was something we both referred to many times."
May 2025"We were at a point where three family members each had different ideas about where the business should go, and we had already tried to resolve it internally without success. The planning engagement helped us get to a written plan that everyone felt was fair. It took longer than I expected — but looking back, that pace was right for us."
April 2025"I came into this as the son who was expected to take over — but nobody had actually asked me what I wanted. The sessions gave me a way to say that, and also a way for my parents to hear it without it becoming a difficult moment. That was something I did not think was possible before we started."
May 2025"We have been working with Sornthep on retainer for about eight months. What I value most is having someone who knows our situation and can offer a considered view when things get complicated — which they sometimes do. The written notes from each session are genuinely useful."
May 2025"I was sceptical at first — I was not sure what an advisor could offer that we could not work out ourselves. But the facilitation made a real difference. There were things my children said in the session that I do not think they would have said directly to me, and hearing them changed how I thought about the transition."
April 2025"Our business is now in its third generation and the succession question is not simple — there are cousins, siblings, and quite different views about the future of the company. Sornthep helped us find a process for making decisions together that we can actually use. That is something worth a great deal."
May 2025Stories in More Detail
A Retail Family in Chiang Mai — Starting the Conversation
Succession Conversation SessionThe Situation
The founder, in his late sixties, had built a successful retail operation over forty years. He had two adult children who worked in the business but the question of what would happen when he stepped back had never been formally discussed.
How We Helped
We facilitated a single family session attended by the founder and both children, using a structured conversation format that gave each person space to speak without interruption. We provided a written summary afterwards.
What Changed
The family discovered that both children had clearer ideas about their roles than anyone had realised. Within six months of the session, the family had agreed on an informal arrangement and was ready to move toward a planning engagement.
"That one session opened a conversation that had been waiting to happen for years."
A Hospitality Family in Chiang Rai — Multi-Generation Alignment
Family Business Advisory (Ongoing)The Situation
A guesthouse and tour business now entering its third generation. The second generation was still involved in day-to-day operations while the third had their own ideas about modernising the business. There was underlying tension about direction and ownership.
How We Helped
We began an ongoing advisory relationship, meeting monthly with different family members and occasionally in combined sessions. Over the first year we helped the family map responsibilities clearly and establish a way of making shared decisions.
What Changed
After eighteen months the family had a written framework for decisions and a shared understanding of who was responsible for what. The third generation had taken on specific operational areas with the second generation's support rather than their resistance.
"Having Sornthep in the room changed the quality of our family conversations entirely."
A Manufacturing Family Near Lamphun — Succession Planning
Succession Planning EngagementThe Situation
A founder who had built a mid-sized manufacturing operation over twenty-five years was approaching retirement age. His daughter had been working in the business for eight years and was ready, but there was no plan for how or when the handover would take place.
How We Helped
We worked through four sessions over two months, meeting with the founder and daughter separately at first and then jointly. We helped them map the current responsibilities, identify the gaps in the daughter's experience, and draft a timeline for gradual transfer of authority.
What Changed
The family received a written succession plan and a three-year milestone outline. The founder felt the transition was something he was choosing, not something that was happening to him. The daughter knew what was expected at each stage.
"We had the plan in writing. That made it real in a way that it had not been before."
Our Office
58 Wichayanon RoadChang Moi, Chiang Mai 50300
Our Credentials
TIOD Member
Thai Institute of Directors Association
FBN Thailand
Family Business Network Thailand affiliate
Chiang Mai Business Award
Advisory Services, 2023
CMU-Affiliated
Chiang Mai University Business School partner
Would You Like to Talk About Your Family's Situation?
An initial call is informal and without commitment. We simply want to understand whether we can be useful to you.
Book a Session