BEFORE he moved to Phuket, businessman Warren Crowe was a biker, a cowboy, a successful real estate manager and a trail-blazing restaurant owner.

He grew up on Sydney?s North Shore, but when he was sixteen, he headed to the Gulf area of Queensland where he became a stockman, which is an Australian cowboy.

?I worked on the largest cattle station in Queensland which had more than 25,000 head of cattle,? he said.

?Once a year, we would catch five hundred wild horses, break them in, and use them to round up the cattle.

?It was pretty tough work, but it was a good life and I really enjoyed it.?

Warren returned to Sydney, but after two years in the city, he ?went bush? once again.

He moved to Mildura on the banks of the Murray River in northern Victoria, and joined a band of bikers called ?The Wanderers?.

But he tired of the biker?s life and headed back to Sydney where he married his first wife, Trish.

Together, they opened Sydney?s first rock and roll caf?.

The Joker?s Caf? in Glebe, a student-rich area of inner Sydney was a roaring success.

Warren installed Australia?s first talking pinball machine in the caf?, and he was the first Australian to market Space Invaders machines.

But Glebe was too small for the young entrepreneur, and he started looking for ways to widen his horizons.

He bought a restaurant on Magnetic Island, on the Great Barrier Reef, and fell in love with island life.

He stayed on Magnetic for 25 years, and bought and sold two more restaurants there, Crusoe?s Seafood Restaurant and an Italian restaurant called Alla Capri.

But the marriage failed, and Warren and Trish went their separate ways.

Warren moved to Townsville where he was appointed sales manager for one of Queensland?s largest real estate agencies, and managed projects worth more than five hundred million dollars.

He also sold Australia?s most expensive penthouse.

Warren spent his annual holidays in Thailand, and on one trip to Khon Kaen, he met a lady named Siriporn (Anna) who was working for her family business, which turned out to be the largest distributor of Saeng Som and Chang Beer in Issan.

Warren fell head over heels in love with the black-eyed beauty.

Anna had previously worked in sales and marketing with a Bangkok real estate firm, so they had something in common.

?I very quickly realised she was the girl of my dreams,? said Warren.

?She was extremely intelligent and very beautiful.?

Using every ounce of his experience in sales, Warren persuaded Anna to join him on a holiday in Phuket.

?By the third day, I knew she was the one for me so I asked her to marry me,? he said.
?She said yes, and I was the happiest man alive.?

Warren went home to Townsville and resigned from the real estate firm.

?On my last day at work, I took all the gold awards I?d won, and tipped them into a wheelie bin outside my office,? he said.

?The boss?s wife asked me what I was doing and I told her I had a platinum award waiting for me in Thailand, and didn?t need the rest.?

Warren walked out on a $AUD150 million development, and never looked back.

In June 2006, he and Ann moved to Phuket and Warren set up a business selling Chiang Mai furniture and Warren started dabbling in real estate.

They imported stainless steel BBQ?s from China, and business boomed.

Warren sold the franchise and is now looking to sell franchises in Pattaya and Bangkok.

Warren says Anna is the secret to his success in Thailand.

?She is my wife, my business partner and my best friend,? he said.

?Any success I?ve had with business in Thailand has been due to her support.?

Warren is currently working on three new projects, including a real estate business specialising in developments in Rawai.

He is also working on an exclusive Gentleman?s Club in the Nai Harn area, and a beach-front property business in the Philippines.

?Phuket is my home now. I can work at my own pace and I have never been as happy as I am here,? he said.

If you are interested in buying or selling real estate in Phuket or the Philippines, give Warren a call on 081 270 4291 or email him at thailandmls@gmail.com.