Who We Are

Small enough to care.
Experienced enough to help.

Heartwood is a property rental company rooted in Suthep, Chiang Mai. We work with people who want more from a rental process than a list of available units.

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Our Story

How Heartwood came to be

Heartwood began in the early 2010s when its founder, having spent several years navigating the Chiang Mai rental market personally, noticed a pattern: people arriving in the city — academics, long-term travellers, remote workers — kept encountering the same frustrations. Properties described vaguely. Landlords unreachable. Leases written entirely in Thai. Move-in days that didn't go as planned.

The response was to build something different. Not a property portal, not a bulk letting agency, but a small operation focused on doing a careful job for a modest number of clients each year. The Suthep neighbourhood — with its university atmosphere, mountain proximity, and quiet residential streets — was the natural home for this kind of work.

Today Heartwood works across three service areas: short-stay university-area rentals, long-term home searches, and ongoing tenancy support. The approach across all three is the same: take time, communicate clearly, and stay available.

Our Mission

What guides the way we work

Depth over volume

We take on a limited number of clients at a time so that each person receives full attention — not a form response.

Candour as a practice

If a property has drawbacks worth noting, we note them. We prefer clients to make well-informed decisions, even if that means taking longer to find the right fit.

Support that grows with you

Our Steady Growth Retainer is designed to scale with a tenancy — heavier support at the start, lighter and more responsive as the months pass.

The People

Who you'll be working with

Nara Siriwan

Founder & Property Consultant

Raised in Chiang Mai, with over a decade spent matching people to places they genuinely want to live in. Leads the Rooted Home Search service.

Pim Kritsana

Tenancy Support Coordinator

Bilingual in Thai and English, with a background in residential property management. Handles the Steady Growth Retainer and day-to-day landlord liaison.

James Morley

University Area Specialist

Arrived in Chiang Mai as a visiting academic and stayed. Manages short-term university-area rentals with an understanding of what academics and exchange students need.

How We Work

Standards we hold ourselves to

These aren't policies written for a brochure — they're the habits that shape every client interaction.

Property vetting

Every property we recommend has been visited in person. We don't pass along listings we haven't seen ourselves.

Lease transparency

Lease documents are reviewed and explained in plain English before signing. No clauses left unread.

Data protection

Personal information shared with us during the search or tenancy process is held with care and not passed to third parties without consent.

Clear communication

We respond to messages within one working day. Updates are given proactively, not only when clients ask.

Conflict of interest policy

We don't accept commissions from landlords for placing tenants. Our fee comes from the client, so our loyalty is to the client.

Respectful practice

We work respectfully with landlords, building managers, and the broader neighbourhood community that makes Suthep what it is.

Our Approach

Property rental in Chiang Mai, done at a human pace

The Suthep neighbourhood occupies a particular position in Chiang Mai — close enough to the university and old city to feel connected, far enough from the tourist centre to feel residential. The properties here attract visiting scholars, digital workers, and families who want to be near the mountain without sacrificing access to the city's cafes and markets.

Heartwood has worked in this corridor since its founding, building familiarity with the buildings, the landlords, and the rhythms of tenancy life in the area. That knowledge informs every recommendation we make — we can tell you which buildings manage maintenance well, which streets feel quiet after dark, and where the broadband connection tends to hold up.

Our clients range from visiting professors at Chiang Mai University to remote workers spending a season in northern Thailand, to couples and families choosing Chiang Mai as a longer-term base. What they share is an interest in finding a home that fits — not just any available space, but somewhere that suits the shape of their days.

Have questions about how we work?

An initial conversation carries no commitment. We're happy to answer questions before you decide anything.

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Small enough to care.Experienced enough to help.