What is your full name and age?
Robert Collins, I’m almost 50.
What is your current Job Position?
CEO, Savills (Thailand) Limited. I head the Savills business locally in Thailand, with a current headcount in Bangkok of 450 full-time employees. Established in 1855, Savills plc is one of the leading real estate advisors in the world. Our range of expertise covers all the key segments of residential, office, industrial, retail, leisure, healthcare, rural and hotel property, and mixed-use development schemes.
What do you like most about your profession?
Real estate services are a scalable profession. A successful real estate broker, for instance, can commence their career by earning modest baseline rewards and yet have every chance of achieving a disproportionately large income through ever larger transactions.
How long have you lived in Bangkok, and where did you live prior?
This year I celebrate 30 years of full-time living and working in Bangkok. I was with Jones Lang LaSalle for the initial 12 years and moved to Savills in 2005. As far as I’m aware, I am now the longest-serving expatriate within the real estate community in Bangkok. Prior to relocating to Thailand in 1993, I lived in Hong Kong and had been with CBRE.
What do you like most about Bangkok?
Bangkok is very much home. There’s no one thing I like most, but the friendly people, dynamic business community, ability to still use cash, and eclectic nightlife all add to the experience, which makes Bangkok the best place to work and live in the region.
What is your favorite restaurant?
Zanotti on Saladaeng, without a doubt. Not only is it a short walk from my office, but it is also an excellent Italian restaurant with great food and even better wine, suitable for business or pleasure.
What is your favorite “Special Occasion” restaurant?
Another Italian, Amici at Siam Paragon. I particularly like the outside terrace, and the VIP car parking at Siam Paragon makes getting there so easy. The food is great, and there is always something else to do at Siam Paragon. Mama Dolores on Soi Yenakat is a close second. One of the best downtown restaurants for a large group looking for a tropical garden environment and great food. Pet friendly too.
What do you like to do in your free time?
When I gave up being the slowest triathlete (on one occasion I literally exited the sea segment in an event at the back of the crowd, immediately followed by a man with one leg), I took up a relatively new sport called rucking. My most recent event was a grueling 10 mile (16-kilometer) endurance race where participants complete the course in boots while carrying a 35lb pack. The training required consumes most of my free time.
Where do you recommend first time visitors to Bangkok go?
It really depends on who the visitors are; however, most people have some preconceived ideas of what they want to do. I’m always happy to point them in the right direction.
On a night out with friends, where do you like to go?
No particular venues; I prefer to meet friends and debate the issues of the day, although a good Irish pub helps, followed by somewhere a bit louder.
Tell us a surprising fact that the public might not know about you?
In my youth in London in the 1980’s, I was a keen graffiti artist. Last year, a hardback coffee-table book featuring some of my works was published in the United Kingdom.