| Martin Holmes |
Birmingham, England : Age 35
Business Name: Lee Marine General Manager |
 Q: What brought you to Phuket and what did you do before? I worked with Sunsail as a Flotilla skipper and Sailing Instructor in Greece and Turkey then came here with them in August 1997. That was my first time in Phuket. In fact, I'd never been to Thailand before and probably wouldn't have come if I hadn't found myself here with the Sunsail job. Later I resigned from Sunsail and was considering what to do next-whether to stay here or move on; I was thinking about moving to Australia, but finally decided to stay here.
Q: Tell us something about your business and how you approach your job? We're an information centre rather than outright selling. We like to think we're helping people choose, and then enjoy, a boat. We share our passion for boating with our clients and our philosophy is that we never push a deal that's bad for the buyer. We recently took on a new dealership for 'Crown line' (an American sport boat) and opened our new office in Pattaya, so we've been busy learning the product and facing all the challenges that go with entering new markets.
Q: Who is the person who has influenced you the most? Josh Lee. We've worked so closely together over 10 years to build Lee Marine.
Q: And your private life? 'Have fun, travel and enjoy life' is my approach. I'm getting married at the end of January to my beautiful fiancée, Oraphan, so very much looking forward to our new life together. We recently bought a house in Loch Palm and I love to wake up in the morning to fresh air and great views across the golf course. My aim for 2008 is to play more golf and get out sailing more too.
Q: What do you like most about living in Phuket? The great cross section of people; you can have a lot of different friends from all walks of life. It's good, too, to see Phuket growing every year. There's so much to enjoy here.
Q: What influenced your choice of business here? Boats. Anything to do with boats. Josh and I both love boats. For me, to be working at something that i'm passionate about... well, it's the best job in the world.
| Caroline Payen |
Paris, France : Age 48
Business Name: Asia Marine Yacht Charter Manager |
 Q: What brought you to Phuket and what did you do before? The opportunity to join Asia Marine. I came to Phuket with my family to take up the position as Yacht Charter Manager for Asia Marine two and half years ago. I've worked in the yachting industry for 20 years in Greece, Turkey, France and the Caribbean. I'd never been to Phuket before, but it's a nice friendly place to live, pleasant environment and easy to communicate with people. I live in Phuket town. We're the only foreigners where I live abut it's easy for me and my children to talk to other people, we can talk to everybody, we can eat at the street.
Q: How do you approach your job?With passion. I've always worked with boats and you really have to like it. Making the customer happy is the most important aspect of my job.
Q: Who is your idol? Gandhi. Very clever man. As the leader of the Indian nationalist movement against British rule, he was responsible for gaining India's independence.
Q: How you evaluate success? Succeding in finding the best compromise between work and family life. Being able to manage business and private life without damaging one or the other means balancing your time between this two important elements of a happy life.
Q: And your private life? I've got three kids. I'm a quiet person, but I love to keep myself busy when I get some free time. I always spend as much time as possible with my family and on Sundays we love to do things together. We to go to the beach or go sailing sometimes. I'm also involved with Phang Nga Bay Regatta-this year I'm regatta President. Obviously, this has a connection to my business too.
| Samrarn Nitkitssomboon |
Phuket, Thailand : Age 44
Business Name: Sure Motors General Manager |
 Q: Are you originally from Phuket? Yes, I'm a Phuket native. I graduated in Business Administration from Bangkok's Ramkhamhaeng University, then came back to Phuket to work in banking for six years. That's when I started thinking about doing something different and my older brother asked me to help him run his business. That was 12 years ago and now my main role is overseeing sales and administration.
Q: Could you tell us about your business philosophy? Our clients are 70% Thai and 30% foreign. I'm lucky to have my older brother as an example; he's taught me so much. ''Don't take advantage of your clients; give them honest service and be considerate'' is the main thrust of our business philosophy. You have to put yourself in the customer's place. You expect quality product and good service; if someone takes advantage of you and and gives shoddy goods or services, how do you feel? You'll never trust that business again. Word of mouth is the strongest 'advertising'-and word of mouth can be equally positive or negative. We work hard to ensure our customers come back and that they tell their friends about us.
Q: What about your private life? I'm easy going, just as happy having a meal at a roadside-stall or a luxury restaurant. I have two children, aged 9 and 4. After work, the first thing I do is going home; I rarely stop off on the way. Sunday is my family day. Sometimes we stay home and simply enjoy time together or we may go for a drive, maybe to the beach. My favourite beach is Nai Yang Beach because it's peaceful and doesn't get too many tourists.
Q: What does being a father mean to you? To me 'father' means giving. I try to make time and give all my love to my kids. Like every parent, I want them to grow up as good people. This is easy to say, but not so easy to achieve. I believe in the Thai proverb ''Spare the rod, and spoil the child''. I know it may be an out of date attitude, but I think kids benefit from the occasional 'thrashing', as long as they understand what they've done wrong. Nobody wants to hurt their kids, but sometimes it's the only way.
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