Where are you from originally?
I was born and raised in Bruges, Belgium. This is an old city dating from the Middle Ages with beautiful, historic buildings, a lot of museums and no high-rise buildings at all.

When did you move to Phuket?
We came to live in Phuket in May 2001, after having come here on holiday a few times.

What made you decide to come and live here?
We just fell in love with the country, the people, the food, the climate… and we were looking for a change of lifestyle. Because of tourism, it’s always got a holiday feel. Phuket represents the best of East and West. That’s certainly the case as far as food is concerned. We normally eat Thai food, but when we want European food for a change, then it’s readily available from restaurants and supermarkets.

What did you do before you came to Phuket?
We had a record store. Annick and I both love music, so we enjoyed that very much.

Did you come here intending to set up a business?
Yes. We ran a restaurant for two years and then sold up, luckily, just before the Tsunami. Then I got a job in real estate and decided I liked it so after two years we started our own business – Tropical Properties.

Could you tell us about your work?
We work as a team. I handle the sales and generally deal with clients, whilst Annick takes care of the office administration.

What’s it about the business which attracts you?
It’s the variety which appeals. I’d hate to sit in front of a computer all day. Now, I’m dealing with different people and different situations all the time. When your clients come from all over the world, there’s always new challenges and new things to learn. For one thing, overseas clients forget about the difference in time zones, so it’s not unusual to get calls in the middle of the night! It’s all part of the job. It’s hard work, and you’ve got to like it to be successful – same for any business, I think. We were a small business when we started and now I believe we’re liked and respected by both owners and developers. Success is always relative, of course, but I’m proud of what we’ve achieved so far.

Do you’ve a philosophy for living?
Be honest to yourself and others. Never make promises you know you won’t be able to fulfill.

Whereabouts do you live in Phuket?
We’ve lived in Kamala from the start. We live at the foot of the mountain and are surrounded by jungle. All we hear are the animals in the forest. No cars, no bars, no neighbours…perfect!

How is Phuket from your point of view?
For me Phuket is still that tropical paradise I always dreamed of living in. There’s room for improvement in infrastructure, regulations…but I’ve seen a lot of improvement in the eight years that we’ve lived here, so it gets better all the time. About the only thing I don’t like is the traffic!

How old are you?
I’ll be 45 in August.

Tell us about your family.
We don’t have kids. Our parents come to visit us every year and we’ve friends coming and going
all the time.

How do you spend your free time?
Apart from working together, Annick and I like to go to watch a movie in one of the cinemas on the island, go to a nice restaurant, go for a walk on a beach or just relax by the swimming pool together. We also like to go for short trips to nearby islands like Koh Lanta, or other nearby destinations like Singapore whenever we’ve a few days free time.

Where is your favourite place in Phuket?
There are so many nice places on the island that it’s impossible to pick only one favourite. But I think Surin Beach and Laem Sing Beach will come very close.

What is your favorite sport?
My favorite sport is riding a bicycle. I started doing this about two years ago, and now I’m really passionate about it. I ride four to five times a week, usually early in the morning before going to the office. On a free day, I spend some more time on the bike and while in the beginning I could hardly get up the smallest hill on the island, I can now tackle anything. I also like to watch soccer and tennis.

Annick started to go to the gym some time ago. She now exercises five times a week and just like me, she goes before office hours. She also enjoys watching tennis.

Are you involved in any local associations?
We’re both members of the BBAP.

For more information contact:
Tropical Properties
Tel: +66 (0)76 345700, +66 (0)87 882 2856, +66 (0)81 539 5651
Email: info@phuket-tropical-realestate.com
Website: www.phuket-tropical-realestate.com