Where are you from? I was living in Milton Keynes in the UK before I came here.

When did you move to Phuket? Seven years ago.

Had you been here before? Yes, on holiday.

What made you decide to come and live here? It wasn’t really pre-meditated. I was on a round-the-world trip with my brother, Robert. My father – who at that time worked in Hong Kong – was having a house built in Surin Beach and we stopped for a visit. We got involved in his housing project and cancelled the rest of the world tour.

What did you do before you came to Phuket? I ran an IT company.

Did you come here intending to start a business? No. As I said, there was no plan.

What made you change your mind? Well, having taken the decision to live here, I obviously needed something to do. Tell us something about your business in general. We design and install smart home systems, multi room audio and custom built home cinemas.

What influenced your choice of business here? We chose an industry that we felt was very sexy and where our technical and IT skills would work hand in hand with our love of technology to start a company that we'd really enjoy working at.

What about any exciting developments in your business? Earlier this year we became the only Smart Home company in Thailand to achieve certification for ISO 15453, the world standard for home automation. There are only currently five people in Thailand thus qualified, two of them work for H3 Digital. It's made us a very busy company, here in Phuket and throughout Thailand.

How does doing business in Phuket compare to back home? To be honest I think it's easier – in fact living here is generally much simpler. Things like paying utility bills in the ubiquitous 7-Eleven’s, for example: it’s all so user-friendly. Whereabouts do you live?

What determined your choice of location? We live in Permsap Villas near Cherngtalay. Since my father’s house is in Surin we were obviously attracted to this part of the island. Our business is situated at the front of the estate, so it's very convenient. We have also bought land on the east coast and plan to start construction soon. It’s very quiet there, and the views are stunning.

What kind of a car do you drive? I just have a Mitsubishi pick-up. Reliable and useful for work, of course. I would like to have something a little more exotic like a Nissan GTR but the price of these imports is a considerable disincentive! I do rather like the new Toyota Camry, though.

What do you like most about living in Phuket? Absolutely everything.

What’s the hardest thing about living here? There really is nothing I can think of to complain about. We could do with a large IT retailer; I like to window shop for the latest kit and at the moment I have to travel to do that. When we need some of the more esoteric equipment for work, it often has to be ordered from Bangkok.

Do you have family here? Yes, I have a Thai wife called Tanya who is originally from Khon Khaen and we have two children – a daughter called Amber aged three: and a son, Jamie, who is nine months old.

What plans do you have for their schooling? They are obviously a bit young for school yet, but we have it in mind that Amber should start attending Kajonkiet soon. The school has a very good reputation.

How do you spend time with your family? What are the activities you like to do together? Whenever we get a chance we pack up the car and head for the beach. The person who influenced you the most....? This would be my father. He's very successful and has been in IT and management since the very beginning of the industry. If I'm as successful as him I'll be very proud.

What do you think the future holds for you? You never know, but I really hope for more of the same.

How do you evaluate success? Doing a difficult job well. Tell us a bit about your business and family philosophies. As a family we have always been committed to success in high technology areas. 'If you want a job doing, give it to a busy man'.

What do you do with your free time? When I'm not enjoying my family, I spend most of my time playing with high tech toys and tinkering in my home cinema room. I also enjoy cooking Indian food.

For information about H3 Digital contact:
Tel: 0 7662 0116   Mobile: 08 6266 2786
Email: benhobbs@h3-digital.com