Hello.
Sawasdee.
We’re a core of three families living in the Richmond, Virginia area — connected by blood, friendship, a love of good food, and a commitment to raising our kids with strong family values. Over time, our lives have become deeply intertwined, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Our families live within minutes of one another and each day is a new adventure.
We started Thai’d Together as a way to capture the heart of what we do — sharing meals, traditions, and moments that matter.
Meet the Families
The Tran Family
The Trans were the first of the group to settle in the Richmond area, moving from northern Virginia (NoVa) in 2012. Kendra is an Auditor, Dan is an Oral and Maxillofacial surgeon and Avery is a sweet and sassy 7 year old. For nearly 10 years, they spent numerous weekends traveling back and forth to NoVa to visit family. Getting tired of the drive, they worked on convincing their family to all move to Richmond.
The Rok Family
Chrissy is Kendra's older sister, and the pair are extremely close now. (When they were younger, they fought like cats and dogs.) Unsurprisingly, the Roks moved to Richmond in 2021. Both Chrissy and Matt are lawyers and their children, Lucas and Madelyn are energetic and full of life. The Roks enjoy living just minutes from family and cherish the chance for their kids to grow up together, creating daily memories side by side.
The Mendez Family
Natalie has known Chrissy and Kendra since they were little girls, attending Sunday Thai School together. Their parents are actually friends as well! Natalie is a former Fed, and Luis is a techie. The Mendezes were the last of the three families to move to Richmond in 2023, but they quickly became like family. They are proud parents to two boys, Dylan and Adryan. The families spend time together almost daily—sharing meals, supporting each other’s busy schedules, and building a close-knit bond.
Meet the Grands
YaYa and TaTa (June and Vit)
Parents of Chrissy and Kendra.
TaTa and YaYa played major roles in their grandchildren's upbringing. TaTa waited patiently for a boy in the family so naturally after Lucas was born, he jumped on the chance to help raise him. After the girls were born (just 6 days apart!), the grandparents had to divide and conquer. TaTa moved in with the Trans in Richmond to help care for Avery and YaYa stayed in Northern Virginia to raise Madelyn.
In 2021, YaYa moved to Richmond (along with the Rok Family). Now, the whole family is in the same place and TaTa and YaYa live just five minutes away from their grandkids..
Grand Trans (Sandy and Scott)
Parents of Dan.
Sandy and Scott (also known as Ba Noi and Ong Noi - Grandma & Grandpa in Vietnamese), live in Northern Virginia, but are a major part of this community. They frequently visit Richmond and participate in (and often contribute to) many of the family outings, feasts, special occasions and birthdays, family travel, and other festivities. Each time they visit, Sandy prepares delicious meals for the group while Scott entertains us with his humor.
Hopefully they will decide to move to Richmond sometime soon. *hint hint*
Khun Yay & Khun Ta (Amara and Chet)
Parents of Natalie.
Khun Yay and Khun Ta (Grandma/Grandpa in Thai) live in Bangkok, Thailand. Although they currently live on the other side of the world, they are an integral part of this group because they are the reason the families are all THAI'd Together.
In the early 1980s, they lived in Fairfax, VA and quickly became friends with June and Vit, who had recently moved to the United States from Thailand. They both had their daughters attend Sunday Thai School and this is where the lifelong connections all begins., one generation at a time.