Robert came to visit us with his wife during his vacation in Thailand. After staying in Pattaya and Phuket, he decided to spend a few days in Bangkok. Those few days were enough for him to order two blazers and collect them.

Hi Robert, you mentioned that you're on holidays, where do you live?
Originally I am from Knoxville Tennessee, in the US, but I have been living in Australia for the last three years.

Are you in Australia for work?
Yes, I am an engineer and I work as a supervisor at a construction project for a natural gas liquifaction plant. We live in the desert, and since I got there in 2012, we built a small town near the extraction site. 

Where is project located?
The site is in Western Australia, the closest town is 12 kilometres away. The town has a population of about 500. Over the years we have built a camp closer to the site that now hosts about 7000 people. When we first arrived there was nothing, but slowly the community has grown. Now there is internet, a desalination plant and some recreation facilities.

What were the greatest struggles of living in the desert?
At the beginning it was different, the camp was less developed and even buying the most common products was difficult. Now it got a little better, but I think that in general the biggest struggle has been the lack of amenities compared with an established city such as Perth or Bangkok. But with all that work, we also get some good time off. Now, for example, we are on our two weeks off, and we decided to come here to Thailand.

After the desert, the hustling and bustling of a city like Bangkok must feel strange...
Yes. In Thailand we stayed in resorts in Phuket and Pattaya to relax, and then we came to Bangkok. So far, the city has been my favourite place, and I love the way it is full of back alleys with great food and shops.

Yeah, Bangkok is full of hidden gems, like Tailor On Ten! Are you happy with your new blazers?
I am very happy, I got them to look dapper when I get  back to the US. My wife and I will be leaving Australia shortly and go back home to be with our families. Back home the weather is hot, and hopsack feels like a solid option since the fabric is light and breathable.

Thank you Robert, it was great to meet you and hear your story. We hope to see you soon again!

Robert is wearing a brown hopsack blazer, which we have actually written specifically about before right here. See how our process works here. You can also shop our hopsack selection here!