Where are you from? I was born in Watford but home for me in the UK has been my house on an island in a marina development on the south coast and also Notting Hill, London, an area that was the focus of my property development business for 20 years before coming to Phuket.

What made you decide to come and live in Phuket? I first came to Thailand in 1990, but my first visit to Phuket was for the King’s Cup Regatta in 2006. A friend of mine was involved in a property deal here and he showed me around. I then became interested in the island, everything that's happening here and its further potential going forward.

Did you come here intending to set up a business? What changed your mind? Once I came here, I asked people to help me look around for some property. I was shown lots of sites that were just average. I was then taken to this amazing property in Kata where I’m now developing Kata Rocks. I probably wouldn’t have done anything here but the Kata Rocks site is so rare that
I couldn’t let it pass.

Can you tell us more about Kata Rocks? Kata Rocks is an exclusive residential project with 34 luxuriously oversized, waterfront apartments set on the headland between Kata and Kata Noi beaches. Construction is well underway and will be complete in the latter part of 2012. I’m proud to say that in 2010 we were named ‘Best Apartment in the World’ by the Bloomberg International Property Awards (BIPA), out of entries from 110 countries. We’re also the first project to win the BIPA’s ‘Best Apartment in Asia Pacific’ award two years in a row, the second of which we were awarded this May. Sales are going well and we’ve found that inquiries have shot up since the election in Thailand (on July 3).

How does doing business in Phuket compare to back home? Both places can be frustrating for doing business, but in very different ways. In the UK, there are many rules and they are very rigid. Here, you may have to work a little harder to find out how to best get things done and who can help you get there. There are pros and cons to living and doing business anywhere, but I think the drawbacks here are a small price to pay for the quality of life I get in return.

What kind of car do you drive? Here, I drive a Toyota Fortuner – it has everything you need. I did have an Aston Martin DB9 back in the UK, which I loved but I’ve recently sold it because I’m living here. I would like to get another but probably not have it in Phuket as the roads would not really do it justice.

What do you like most about living in Phuket? I like the food, the beaches, the friendly people. The quality of life is very good. The unfortunate thing is that I’m working too hard at the moment, but I do see the light at the end of the tunnel. In about a year’s time I should be able to get at least my weekends back to enjoy myself.

What's the most challenging thing about living here? Overcoming the language barrier, but I’ve surrounded myself with some great people here so that if I can’t understand something, they’ll explain it to me. Overall, however, life here is easier than in the UK, where there are all these underlying pressures and stresses that you’re often not even aware of. Here, there’s more of a focus on enjoying life and I look forward to doing more of that soon.

What do you think the future holds for you? I’ll probably do at least one more development here and will also try to find more time for leisure things. I hope to spend half my time here in Phuket and the rest of the year in Monaco. I’ve got quite a few friends there and it’s a good base for visiting the French and Italian Rivieras, skiing, boating and, of course, for the F1 motor racing that I follow.

Your management company for Kata Rocks is called Infinite Luxury. What does 'infinite luxury' mean to you and is it something that you aspire to having in your own life? Or have you already achieved this? Infinite Luxury implies limitless luxury, obviously, but the name was also inspired by the 35 infinity-edge swimming pools that we have at Kata Rocks, included in each one of our Sky Villas. As for infinite luxury in my own life, I don't think
I have achieved that just yet, but thankfully I have a nice life so I'm certainly not complaining!

For further information about Kata Rocks Co., Ltd.
Tel: +66 (0)76 284750
Website: katarocks.com