This site is all about Bill and Carolyn O'Leary and their family who live in Phuket Thailand.

Bill O'Leary ( AKA Billo' ) is an Australian professional mariner who sailed to Thailand as crew on the yacht "Stormvogel" in 1987. The famous racer / cruiser was used in the Nicole Kidman movie "Dead Calm" filmed on Hamilton Island on Queensland's east coast - where Bill was working as a skipper driving tourist boats.

He met and fell in love with Carolyn Hewitt from Grafton in NSW; who was working as a hotelier for Keith William's on Hamilton Island.
After courting for 7 years, in a moment of insanity and weakness Carolyn eventually agreed to marry him.


Bill and Carolyn back in 1986



They married on 9th of May 1992

And now they look like this...



Sheesh... Check out what 22 years, gravity, free radicals and 4 kids has done!!



Bill and Carolyn began working in Phuket for Adrian Zecha's Amanpuri and Amanresorts in 1988 as managers of the luxury boat cruising division - Amancruises.

Carolyn worked several years at Amanpuri before taking up senior management positions at The Sheraton Grande Laguna and The Yacht Haven Marina Condo Project. She then took on the position of General Manager of Kamala Beach Resort until she had too many kids to look after.
Now she consults part-time for a select group of international investors on real estate and villa projects within the Kingdom.
Carolyn speaks Thai.

Bill stayed with Amanresorts and is still the "Boat Guy" working at Amanpuri today.

THE BOATING PAGES HIGHLIGHT BILLO'S LOVE OF ALL THINGS NAUTICAL


Amanpuri Pool and Lobby
Over the past 2 decades Bill's been very active in promoting Phuket and the Andaman Sea region as Asia's new yachting playground.


Amanpuri Bay Phuket
The most spectacular private beach on Phuket

THE BOATING PAGES



These pages are all about Bill's journey as a professional mariner from Australia to Thailand and beyond.
The history of Phuket's marine tourism industry and a few of its early players are mentioned in detail.
Boat building is one of Billo's passions and he's been involved in the construction of over 70 vessels over the past 2 decades.
Most of these have been fiberglass work-boats built in Phuket by STEPPA BOATS with his friends and business partners Tony Green and Suda Promdem.

THE FAMILY PAGES
As far as they know, the O'Leary family are the longest-staying foreign expatriate family living and working in Phuket.
Bill and Carolyn are blessed with 4 uniquely gifted third-culture-kids - Timothy, Bronty, Meg and Mia - all born in Bangkok and raised in the Land of Smiles.
All the O'Leary kids speak, read and write Thai language and the local southern dialect Pak Dtai.

Bill and Timothy have applied for and passed all the pre-requisites for Thai Nationality - including singing in public the Thai National Anthem and the Royal King's Anthem.
Carolyn and the three girls are Thai residents and will apply for citizenship once Bill and Tim have acquired the honor.
THE O'LEARY CHILDREN


Tim 15, Bronty 13, Meg 9 and Mia 5 in Thai Dress for Loy Kratong Festival in 2007

THE WRITING PAGES

 Billo has a inexplicable and insatiable creative bent. He works on many projects at the same time; and occasionally he'll even finish one - well, more like he abandons it - rather than actually completing it...

A passion for yachting has him surveying Asia's Oceans with long-time friend Andy Dowden. Together they compile mountains of data, detailing nautical info and drawing charts to update new editions of their co-authored local sailing guide, The Andaman Sea Pilot.
The 2008-09 3rd edition is currently being written and will have a new name
THE SOUTHEAST ASIA PILOT
to incorporate all the countries in S-E Asia. This is due out in December 2008



Surviving the 2004 Tsunami helped him create the charity book Tsunami Stories Thailand.



The proceeds and donations from this publication went to helping educate and care for 13 orphans in Khao Lak.

SCREENPLAYS

 I lover of movies and stage plays that explore the flawed human condition; Bill completed his first screenplay -- 'The Flying Doctor' early in 2008. It's a tale portraying the paradoxical life and high-flying adventures of his late father, Dr. Timothy O'Leary.

He's recently completed his second screenplay 'Tsunami Stories Thailand' adapting his book of the same name into an amazing movie script.

ARTWORK PAGES
PAINTING
The O'Leary's love painting!

Carolyn suddenly lost hearing in her left ear and suffered from severe vertigo late in 2007. After seeing many specialists to no avail; she was finally diagnosed with severe Meniere's disease.

Since watching evening TV was too loud and stressful; Bill would sit around the kitchen table and paint watercolors with youngest daughters Meg and Mia. After he'd put them into bed he'd return back to the paint table - often lost for hours in the process of learning skills of visual expression.

He's a very slow learner...

A webpage on this site is entirely dedicated to chronicling Billo's strange and wonderful journey into finding his own style of visual expression.

Ever heard of acrylic and blown latex on un-stretched canvas? Didn't think so...
Neither has anyone else...
Check these out...


Gecko Attacks Blond - latex and acrylic on canvas


Hot Day - acrylic on paper


Beach for Carolyn - Watercolor on paper

Check out Billo's paintings on the web at
http://www.artbreak.com/Billo/works


MUSIC PAGES

 MUSIC, M.C. AND AUCTIONEER, STAGEWORK AND BAD ACTING

Billo loves music and entertaining although he's never been any good. He was lead vocals and rhythm guitarist in far too many lousy bands in his youth.
The Free Beer Band in Phuket was legendary playing charity gigs with visiting rock-stars staying at Amanpuri - but unfortunately Bill can't remember much of those years.
Of course - The older he gets - the better he was.
He still enjoys playing guitar with Tim , screaming into a microphone, acting and writing songs.

He played a minor role of Tom ( angry engineer brother of Sam played by Anthony Gould ) in the Thai Language Foreign Academy Award-Nominated; 'The Tin Mine University' - in 2005.



ACTING ON THE SET OF "MAHA RAI MUANG RAE" ( "TIN MINE UNIVERSITY" ) 2005
It wasn't a big part - if you sneeze - you might miss it...

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY WORK

Bill is the long-standing Master of Ceremonies ( and organizing committee member ) at the famous yearly Kings Cup Regatta. He also fronts up for the same job at the Phuket Race Week, The Top of the Gulf Regatta in Pattaya and lately - The new Samui Regatta.


Billo has been MC and live auctioneer in the past at many of Phuket's fund-raising charity events. He has supported and continues to favor The Life Home Project ( HIV mother's and kids ), Childwatch - helping get Thai kids off the streets, Phuket International Women's Club sponsoring young girls further education.
Carolyn personally sponsors 2 young girls each year to further their educations.




Billo's creative bent remains a complete mystery - mostly to his family - and himself...



This website was set up by close family friend Ian Hewitt and is a continuing work in progress.

It's part fun experiment, part entertainment, part 'wait and see what pops up' and part showcase for the O'Leary's and Bill's many projects. Check out the writings, art, boats and music pages.

If you would like to get to know Phuket or any of the O'Leary's - drop Bill or Carolyn a line at the contact us link above.

Hope you enjoy the site!



or not; either way we don't give a fiddler's fart - :)