Rooted in Respect.
Built for Families.
oakrootad was founded in Chiang Mai with a single purpose: to help families bring calm and order to their important records, so that the people they love are never left searching in the dark.
Back to HomeHow oakrootad Came to Be
oakrootad grew out of a simple observation: when someone close to us passes away, or when aging parents begin to think about what comes next, families often discover that their most important records — titles, policies, passbooks, personal wishes — are scattered, unlabelled, or simply nowhere to be found. The result is stress, confusion, and delay at the very moments when those things are hardest to bear.
We started oakrootad in Chiang Mai to offer something practical and gentle: a service that comes alongside families and helps them sort, label, and understand what they have — without overstepping into areas that require a lawyer, a notary, or a licensed valuer. Our role is to organise and to educate, nothing more and nothing less.
The name oakrootad was chosen deliberately. The oak is patient and long-lived; its roots hold ground that others cannot. We try to bring that same steadiness to the families who come to us, many of whom are carrying a great deal already.
What Drives Our Work
Clarity Over Complexity
Succession paperwork is genuinely complicated. We strip away jargon and give families a clear picture of what they have, what is in order, and where the gaps are.
Compassion in Practice
Records work often accompanies grief or worry. We pace every session to the family, not to a schedule, and we approach every conversation with care.
Honest Boundaries
We are organisers and educators. When a question calls for a licensed professional, we say so clearly and point you in the right direction rather than try to fill a role that is not ours.
Our Team
A small team committed to careful, respectful work. Every member understands that families trust us during moments that matter.
Sarah Chatfield
Founder & Lead Organiser
Over fifteen years working with families on personal records and documentation, Sarah founded oakrootad after seeing how much distress could be spared with a little forward planning.
Nattaya Pracharat
Records Specialist
Nattaya brings deep knowledge of Thai administrative processes and official documentation, ensuring families understand the local context of the records they hold.
James Morley
Education & Concepts Facilitator
James designs and delivers the Succession Concepts Class, drawing on a background in adult education to make complex processes genuinely accessible to families with no prior experience.
Standards We Hold Ourselves To
Strict Confidentiality
Everything shared in a session stays within it. We do not discuss client records externally and follow clear data-handling procedures for any notes or summaries we prepare.
Clear Scope of Service
We are transparent about what we do and do not offer. If a question falls outside organisational or educational work, we say so immediately and point toward the right professional.
Document Safety
Original documents are handled with care and never removed from your possession. Any copies made during a session are made with your explicit knowledge and permission.
Informed Facilitation
Our team stays current with Thai administrative processes and the types of records commonly encountered in estate organisation, ensuring our educational content is accurate and up to date.
Respectful Conduct
We acknowledge the emotional weight that often accompanies this work and bring patience and care to every interaction, regardless of the complexity or emotional tone of the session.
Client-Led Pace
Sessions proceed at your speed. If more time is needed or topics need revisiting, we accommodate this. The goal is clarity and comfort, not getting through a checklist quickly.
Records, Succession & the Value of Getting Organised Early
Many families in Chiang Mai — both Thai and expatriate — hold a significant collection of personal and household records. Land title deeds, bank account documentation, insurance policies, passports, property papers, and personal letters can accumulate across decades and across multiple addresses. Without a system, even a careful family may struggle to locate what is needed at short notice.
The period around a succession — when one generation transfers responsibility to the next — is when this disorganisation becomes most visible and most painful. Heirs searching for a title document or a financial account reference under time pressure, while also managing grief, face a challenge that a little earlier organisation could have eased considerably.
oakrootad exists for the period before that moment arrives. Our document inventory service creates a clear, labelled record of what a family holds. Our succession concepts class gives adult family members a shared language and a working understanding of the processes they will encounter. Our complete archive programme brings both together into a coherent, indexed resource that the whole family can rely on.
We work only in organisational and educational territory. Valuations, legal counsel, notarial services, and official probate administration require licensed professionals — and we maintain a current signposting guide to help families find the right ones. Our contribution is to make sure that when those professionals are engaged, the family arrives prepared, with records in hand and questions ready.
Based on Nimmanhaemin Road in the heart of Chiang Mai, oakrootad serves families across the Muang district and wider region. Sessions are conducted in English, with a practical understanding of Thai administrative context built into everything we do.
Start the Conversation
There's no commitment in an initial enquiry. Tell us where your family is starting from and we'll suggest which session makes the most sense.
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