David Roberts with his wife Leirife.

The British Business Association of Phuket (BBAP) was founded in 1998, 13 years ago – when there were few expatriate groups on the island. The driving force behind it was former British Honorary Consul, Alan Cook MBE, and its stated mission was to exchange business information, network, promote Anglo-Thai relations, support selected charities and foster the promotion of tourism and other beneficial developments.

But, by 2010, there were questions about BBAP’s continued relevance, given the proliferation of other expatriate clubs and associations that had sprung up in the intervening years.

Membership and attendance at events had been steadily declining, and there was a growing perception that the BBAP was more social than business, more for south island-based retirees than Phuket business people.

Fast forward to the BBAP AGM February 2011.

My name was put forward to become Chairman; I agreed, but not without some concern about my ability to commit, given my many other business, social and family

commitments – not to mention my frenetic travel schedule which sees me spend about a week every month in Hong Kong, London, Phuket and other cities around the world. As it turned out, mine was the only nomination for Chairman, so it was a ‘fait accomplit’. The rest of the 2011 committee was voted in and we boldly embarked on re-launching BBAP as an engaging and relevant association both for those living in Phuket and those interested in all things British.

David Roberts at his Beijing office opening ceremony with 2 models.

Surprising myself (and, I expect, others), through careful scheduling, I’ve made all the committee meetings and most BBAP events so far!

The main challenges of this new role were communicating our redefined agenda and increasing/diversifying the membership to balance business and social agendas. We prioritised the launch of a new website, which went live in September 2011 to much acclaim from the membership and others; benefits to members include a free listing and links to their businesses in Phuket. The website is now being continuously upgraded, providing members with news on upcoming events; soon a forum will allow members to actively voice their views and opinions on how we can further improve the BBAP.

As 2011 progressed, the attendance at Pub Evenings and Monthly Dinners gradually increased, with new members signing up at every event. One important feature of many of our events is interesting and engaging guest speakers. For example, Ferrari F1’s Rory Burn spoke at a recent dinner about his experiences engineering cars for multiple World Champion Michael Schumacker; Paul Moorehouse, former Glitter Band Drummer and now a Phuket real estate entrepreneur, will entertain us at an upcoming Pub Evening.

Events such as the Christmas Family Brunch have been reintroduced after a lapse of several years and another family day, in conjunction with Ao Chalong Yacht Club, is planned for Easter 2012 – complete with an Easter egg hunt for the kids as well as a chance for them to try their hand at sailing small boats. BBAP will also play a key role in assisting BBAP member, Honorary Consul Martin Carpenter, to organise events associated with an upcoming visit to Phuket by the British Ambassador.

The membership demographics are now markedly different, with a better balance of younger members and those actively involved in Phuket businesses. This doesn’t mean we’re any less of a social organisation, just that we’re again relevant to our mission as a business association. As part of that mission, we’re now engaging with other associations such as the Australian Chamber of Commerce (Austcham) and the British Chamber of Commerce (BCCT) to organise joint events to further broaden our appeal.

We’ve also put fund raising for Phuket charities back on the agenda and are taking an active role as a campaigner for greater road safety in Phuket, given Britain's role as a leading nation in this most important health and safety issue.

Please visit our website www.bbap.org and come along to one of our events. You’ll be made to feel welcome, you’ll meet some interesting people and even make new business contacts – not to mention new friends on this fabulous island of Phuket.