Scott’s first encounter with Thailand was in 2005 on a holiday, to visit his father Grahame and his second wife, a Thai. Scott was immediately attracted to the outdoor lifestyle and the vibrant colours of Hua Hin, something which was in stark contrast to the generally drab weather of his childhood in Essex, England. Scott was the eldest of six siblings, brothers and half-brothers, as his parents' less than happy marriage led to their divorce when he was 15, with both subsequently repartnering. During Scott’s childhood, his father ran a successful automotive paint business, a family company he had inherited from his own father, while Scott’s mother was a wonderful cook and homemaker. Scott recalls the special effort she put into making Christmas memorable each year.

Scott’s young life was scarred by an accident suffered by the brother immediately his junior, which left Scott with childhood trauma which will likely never be fully resolved. A fall from a bunk bed left Scott’s brother with brain injuries which, exacerbated by a second head injury, left the boy in hospital for the best part of seven years. Fortunately, he eventually made an complete recovery, aided by a shunt and implanted drainage tube that exists to this day to prevent the accumulation of excess fluid on the brain. During this taxing time for the family, Scott was forced to live for long periods with his grandparents. Just a child himself, he resented his brother for all the care and attention he required. Scott felt that he was being denied parental time and affection and blamed his brother for it. Later, Scott experienced self-loathing that his resentment had led to his mistreatment of his brother. To this day, Scott finds it miraculous that his brother still loves him.

This negativity in Scott’s childhood has had a profound impact on his own approach to parenthood. Scott instinctively appreciates the importance of the little things in his daily life with his children and how they will shape his children as they grow. Scott has committed to being very much a “hands-on” father, valuing the bed-time stories, the shared snuggles during a movie, the shared time in the car to and from school and their daily swims together. Scott is frequently acknowledged by other parents as a good father because of the significant amount of his time he spends interacting with his daughters, Margot, 8 and Amelie, 6.

It wasn’t until Scott was twelve and the family relocated to a more rural environment that Scott recalls lots of happy memories as he embraced the great outdoors. He loved rambling walks in the woods, and the opportunity to ride his bike. Scott had always been a book-worm, eagerly devouring classics such as Moby Dick from a young age. In this new location, Scott became a member of the Young Ornithologist Club, ready with his binoculars for a bit of twitching in the woods.

In class, Scott wasn’t always the model student. His teachers commented that while he had potential, he was too interested in playing the clown, even risking expulsion from school on several occasions. So, it is remarkable that years later he found himself teaching English in Thailand and even obtaining a Masters of Education from Nottingham University in the UK as a mature aged student.

After his parents divorced, Scott’s father moved to Europe and opened a ski business and it was with skis on their feet that the two brothers bonded with their father as they became young men. Once he had finished school, keen to escape England, Scott followed his father’s example and headed off to work the European ski fields, primarily in France and Switzerland, having become quite the proficient skier himself. It was a surprise to Scott just how good he became as a ski instructor, training alongside Olympic level athletes. Living in an alpine village had its advantages for a young man, with plenty of opportunity to party and drink. Scott made good money and spent every last pound supporting a hedonistic lifestyle for almost a decade. His very fond memories of this time in his life are reflected in his decision to choose classic French names for his daughters.

Scott felt without a clear sense of direction until he reached the age of 30. Although he did advance his career in the ski industry, by 2008 friends were concerned that Scott’s behaviour was becoming physically and mentally self-destructive, so, with the intervention of his father who had already left his ski business in favour of sunny Thailand, Scott landed in Bangkok to embark on a new stage of his life. In what was initially couched as “a break” from skiing, Scott obtained TEFL qualification which allowed him to take a job teaching English at Chokchai Rangsit school in greater Bangkok. Scott found being a classroom and homeroom teacher of 10 and 11-year-olds more personally rewarding than he had imagined and the school recognised him as a dedicated educator, eventually promoting him to Department Head. Scott even completed his Masters in Education with the intention of applying to teach in an international school, which would be much better paid, upon graduation.

It was while working in Bangkok that Scott met a beautiful young Thai woman nicknamed Bow, who would become his wife late in 2016. By 2017, the pair were expecting their first child when Scott’s father invited him to relocate the growing family to Hua Hin. Scott began to learn the ins and outs of property development from the man he has always admired and wanted to emulate, in preparation for eventually taking over Thai Country Homes. With Hua Hin being so much nicer a place to raise children than Bangkok, it was an offer too good to refuse, despite it cutting short Scott’s career in education.

Scott is diligent and easy-going, with the ability to communicate effectively, making him the perfect salesman. However, this is only one of his many hats at Thai Country Homes. Scott juggles managing the many trades required to build high-spec, customised pool villas, fully solar equipped and with the most up-to-the-minute technology. At the same time, he undertakes client liaison and support. He would be happy to share some of these duties but is yet to find the right candidate. His usual workday is long and high pressure. 

Scott tries to counteract this with a pre-dawn session in his in-house gym followed by an hour’s walk with a weighted vest, headphones on, accompanied by several friendly local soi dogs. Scott admits to liking his music loud and thumping, as an original 90s raver. If things build up too much, Scott might give in and let off steam with a drinking session with mates, but now, at 48 with two bouncing youngsters, hangovers are less and less appealing. Yet, things don’t look like changing soon. Scott expects to work until at least 60 as he funds international educations for his daughters. And, to tell the truth, there is a bit of trepidation about the prospect of an eventual retirement. Scott finds that winding down and relaxing takes such conscious effort that working is actually default mode for him, unless one of his favourite 80s movies such as Alien is on offer. He must have seen it 100 times.

Being open-minded, interested in many things and able to make interpersonal connections are Scott’s considered strengths while his greatest conceded weakness is tolerating too much negative self-talk. If Scott could travel back in time to talk to his teenage self, his most cogent piece of advice would be to learn to be kinder to himself, with the sweetener being that one day he would own his own pool! That said, Scott also makes a point to learn from the people around him and has a few things he still hankers to do. Perhaps Scott should put the following on a “to-do” retirement list: learn a musical instrument, become a DJ and work at finding inner peace. There are other locals who have told their stories in Humans of Hua Hin who could help with each of these goals. However, Scott claims not to have a bucket list since he is too busy in the here and now to take the time to make one.

Fulfillment for Scott will be seeing his daughters grow to adulthood, equipped and ready to take meaningful jobs they love, in a work that needs environmentally conscious inhabitants. Like parents worldwide, he holds concerns about the potential pitfalls of social media and artificial intelligence and might consider closing his accounts were it not for relatives abroad and their desire to see the girls grow. And of course, social media remains a business essential.

Scott believes that it is sad that some men are still afraid of social condemnation if they speak of their emotions. He knows that honesty and vulnerability make men stronger, not weaker. Scott has a deep love for his family and strong and long-lasting friendships. He is proud that he has done “best man” duties four times and has friends he can rely upon, no matter the circumstance, because they know that the reliability is reciprocated. While not overly attached to material possessions, Scott admits to possessing a selection of newspaper clippings, one featuring his birth on New Year’s Day as the first newborn of the year, and another of his dad’s marathon run in 1984 to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity.

The epitome of the family man, Scott would choose his mum’s roast followed by icecream as his last meal. His favourite place on Earth is Krabi since he is captivated by the turquoise waters of the Andaman Sea full of delights for the kids to discover in its playground. And of course, Scott is not immune to the beauty of the sun setting over the water. But for now, these are only for briefly snatched holidays. Scott likes a competition and each new day brings him a challenge, with the only acceptable outcome being a win.