here - Phuket Has Been Good To Us

12
PHUKET PEOPLE
PHUKET GAZETTE
November 29
- December 5, 2008
Rememberitrg Tom McN amara
cepts, which has lifted the standard of hospitality on the island.
"I think Phuket has come of
"It's time
age," he used to say.
for this island to provide our guests
with a more international dining
experience that will encourage
them to return year after year."
Like many of us, he came to
Phuket to retire.
For him that meant deep sea
been small and modest, but Tom
here 20 years ago; founding a col-
lection of world-class restaurants
was the last thing on his mind.
fishing and playing golf. He
he last time
I
McNamara;
saw Tom
it was
some weeks ago and he
was sitting at his favorite table at Baan Rim Pa with his
family and restaurant managers.
He wasn't paying much attention
to what was being said but was
intent on listening to the popular
piano music of Tommy Doyle,
whom he brought to Phuket from
Las Vegas in the early days of
Baan Rim Pa, about 15 years
ago.
I asked him how he was
doing, knowing that he was in his
seventh year of struggle against
a deadly
form ofprostate cancer.
"I'm fine." he said with his re-
nowned bravado. "l'm getting
ready for my demise. I have no
problem with dying. I've had a
good, full, interesting life. I have
no complaints."
Itis hard to believe thatTom
McNamara, the world-class restaurateur who helped put Phuket
on the international lourism map.
has left us. The news that he lost
his battle with death left many of
us who have worked with him
and considered him a friend at a
great loss. We will all miss his
innovation with new dinins con-
enough money to retire on
Phuket.
When he found himself almost destitute and forced to return to the business he knew best,
he recruited chefs and managers
from Bangkok's Oriental hotel.
When Tom first arrived
Tom McNamara, founder of Baan Rim Pa restaurant, passed away
on Sunday November 23 at the age ol 62.
partner in Da Mauricio, the elite
Italian restaurant that shares the
seafront with Baan Rim Pa.
Tom had successful restaurants in England, France and the
Caribbean before deciding he had
Baan Rim Pa may have
was determined to provide the
By Bruce Stanley
Good To Us', which he set up a
few years ago to provide quality
English language education for
rented a modest bungalow on the
cliff overlooking Patong Bay and
had settled in to enjoy the rest of
his life when he got news that his
best Royal Thai cuisine found on
local children in government
the island.
Success did not come easy
or quickly. Baan Rim Pa in the
schools.
accountant had swindled his life
savings. Tom was forced to rein-
early days was located far from
the action in Patong. There was
no road connecting Patong with
vent himself again and open a
small restaurant in the living room
of his home, which he named
Baan Rim Pa.
Tom was no stranger to the
restaurant business. He grew up
either the north island or even
nearby Karon Beach and the
south. But, gradually, he achieved
the same success here as he had
with his restaurants in other parts
and
of the world. He added Da
thosb given to having a good time.
Maurizio, Joe's (in two locations)
and Hung Fat's * all successful
in a family of entertainers
The young Tom opened his first
restaurant in the 1970s in a former
warehouse district of Manhattan
which became the trendy SoHo.
This was also the time when he
met his lifelong friend, Mauricio
Laureri, who was importing ltalian jeans to America, and who
decades later would become his
-
and developed an international
following among people who felt
they hadn't experienced Phuket
until they had talked to Tom and
eaten at one of his tables.
What seemed to give him
the most pleasure, however, was
the foundation 'Phuket Has Been
"I've been successful livins
I want t6
share that with the local people
so they can have the chance to
have an improved life," he said.
"It shouldn't only be the owners
and the rich who benefit from
Phuket's success with international tourism, but everyone who
wants to work. And the one thing
and working here and
the local Thais need is better English," he said.
Tom made many contributions to life on Phuket and will be
vividly remembered as a man
unafraid to speak his mind, dream
his dreams. and make the most
out of life.
The cremation ceremony will be
held at Wat Chalong on Satwr-
day November 29 at ll:30am