Larry, in his mid-50s, built up a real estate business - 'Real Estate One' - in his home town Sydney, Australia. He moved to Phuket five years ago intending to go into semi-retirement but things didn't quite go according to plan. Despite a gruelling schedule, he made time to talk to Shop WINDOW on Lifestyle.

What made you decide to move to, and set up a business in, Phuket?
I first visited Phuket 15 years ago and knew it was the perfect retirement place. I planned to buy a bit of land, build a small boutique hotel and potter about running it. Then I met Khun Gee while buying my house in Nakathani. As we got to know each other, she pointed out that nobody on Phuket then was running a western-style real estate agency. She wondered why - given my background and the Phuket property market potential - I didn't do a 'Real Estate One' here. So I opened 'Phuket One Real Estate', initially from the ground floor of my Nakathani home, but we quickly outgrew the space there.

What influenced your choice when you bought your house?
It was just something that I wanted to do. I'm a grandfather now
with family back in Australia, but have no family obligations here in Thailand; plus I speak Thai and have good contacts on the island after five years in business here. The Consular job is a way for me to put something back in, so when the opportunity came up, I went for it.

Were you surprised by how much time you need to devote to the job?
Yes! I admit I hadn't realised it would be so time-consuming. And the workload is increasing as more Australian tourists favour Phuket over places like Bali and Fiji. Mostly, the job involves looking after Australians in trouble, but I also need to be ready to go into 24-hours-a-day mode if there's a major disaster such as the recent plane crash. Lucky that I enjoy working long hours!

Are you still actively involved in the Sydney business?
I'm still a sleeping partner in two of the real estate offices, but I'm no longer involved in the day-to-day management. My two roles here keep be busy enough!

What do you do with your free time, if you have any?
To be honest, I have very little free time. Some years ago in Sydney, my staff were so concerned that I did nothing but work that they bought me a set of golf clubs; I think I've used them twice! But I've always played sport before and I do swim regularly in my own pool. I also like to get down to the beach for a bit of body surfing occasionally. I enjoy socialising too, but when you have your own business, that's also part of the networking process.

What kind of car do you drive? Why that model?
I've had a Mitsubishi G-Wagon for four years now. It's ideal for Phuket - 4-wheel drive, durable and economical. Although it's fairly basic, it suits me and is perfect for someone in the real estate business, where we often need to drive off-road to visit development sites.

What do you like most about living in Phuket?
The cost of living and the quality of life that goes with it are the great attractions, obviously. Also, you meet a much wider variety of interesting people - both Thai and expat - than you ever could living in the west. And, of course, there are few more beautiful places to live anywhere in the world.

And what's the hardest thing about living here?
Doing business, no question! I guess as a retiree, it's probably an easy life here. But doing business is tough. There are so many hurdles for an expat to overcome, both culturally and because of the complex rules and regulations, that it can be very frustrating. But nowhere is perfect and the advantages easily outweigh the frustrations.

Tell our readers about your latest project, The Chava?
The Chava is 45 luxury apartments on three rai of land just behind Surin Beach. It's probably the best-located property in all of Phuket and, with prices starting at 16 million Baht, every buyer has bought for investment, looking for a well-managed rental return. A point I'd like to emphasise here is that we're not just foreigners profiting from Phuket; we have 320 Thai workers on the construction job and, when the project's finished, we'll have reception staff, hotel workers, beach guards and more, so we're providing jobs for the island too.

What do you think the future holds?
Business-wise, I think everything hinges on the upcoming elections. I hope we can start the New Year with more stability than we've seen for some time and maybe some new initiatives, such as finance for foreign buyers in the real estate market. On the personal front, I'm confident that - once The Chava is complete - I'll have a bit more time to relax… maybe even start to coach that junior rugby.

For further information about Phuket One Real Estate, visit
www.phuketonerealestate.com
Tel: +66 (0) 76 274 968