by Dr. Iain
Corness
One of the partners in Odyssey International is a young
Englishman, Jason Payne. He is known to many as the man with the
ever-changing hair colour who inhabits Shenanigans, so it was interesting
to see what is behind a man as young as he is (32) who has made Pattaya
his home.
Jason was born in London, the eldest of four children.
His father a property developer while, “Mum was a housewife, and an
excellent one at that, who was passionate about taking care of her
family,” said Jason, with a very obvious affection.
He went to a Comprehensive school in London and was
bright academically, coming in the top 5, but he was really more
interested in football, being good enough to be kept on the Arsenal FC’s
books.
By the time he finished school, an entrepreneurial
flair was making itself apparent. He and a friend had contacted the rock
band Sigue Sigue Sputnik and he got the job of running the band’s fan
club. He liked the lifestyle, the rock star parties and meeting famous
people. So did he want to be another Brian Epstein? No, it was “Just fun
and excitement. I crave excitement!”
So was he going to be the only “real” Englishman on
the Arsenal FC front line? “No, it became increasingly obvious I
wasn’t going to make it.” Like many sons with successful fathers he
looked at entering the family business, but it was his father who told him
to go and get a real job. And he chose banking!
For someone who craved excitement, was this not a
strange choice? Not so, according to Jason. He had an interview with a
large banking firm and the interviewer inspired him with the career
opportunities available and he joined up as a trainee finance broker.
“It was the start of my game plan.”
That game plan included working and drinking in the
city but doing it off his own bat. “I wanted my parents to be proud of
me, we are a close family unit.”
So he went to work in the city, wearing expensive
suits, sitting and passing the exams to become a fully fledged finance
broker and eager to become part of this large organization that told him
they wanted the employees to share their ideas. What they neglected to
add, was that at 18 years of age they weren’t all that interested in his
ideas, but please talk to us again when you’re 25! The final insult,
after he had passed everything, was being told, “You’re too young to
fill the position.”
However, while he was making good money, he also had
Sigue Sigue Sputnik to absorb his energies. “I had a passion about the
band. It wasn’t just about making money.” When the band broke up and
the fan club disbanded he was left with the unsold t-shirts (he’ll
probably give you one if you ask nicely) and the unrequited ambition to
work as a fully fledged finance broker.
This became a reality, when at age 24 he joined Credit
Suisse. This did give him the excitement he craved. “I was meeting
people that were very, very wealthy. They were borrowing sums like 2
million pounds. I liked working with them. They were prepared to take
chances and were confident.”
I asked if his tender years were a problem in that
industry (after all, he still is only 32 and looks younger, damn him!).
“My age? I loved it. I had to prove to them I could do it. I had to win
them round right from the beginning. I found it exciting. I had to be
sharp. I had to be able to answer them honestly. I loved the challenge.”
His life in the city began changing in 1997. Twelve
lads were going to go on holiday and they could not agree within
themselves as to where to go. “I saw Thailand advertised on TV and
booked my holiday and came alone to Pattaya on an all inclusive
package.” This turned out to be a momentous holiday. “I was
immediately hooked. It wasn’t the single male thing. I was overwhelmed
with the hospitality I experienced at my hotel. I was so hooked I booked
another holiday the day I got back to the office to return in 3 months
time.”
After the second trip, which included Phuket and Samui,
he made up his mind he was coming here to live. He gave himself another
game plan which would take two years, and he consolidated his position,
working every hour of the day that he could and came here to “retire”
in September 1999. The retirement still included doing more banking exams
as a fall-back security. “I have always taken chances, but I’ve never
been an idiot doing it. It’s exciting going into the unknown,” he
mused.
He had been here three days when he saw a young woman
walk past and he was immediately stricken. “She’s going to be my
future wife,” said the confirmed bachelor Jason. “That was my next
challenge. I was turned down, stood up, but in life, if you’ve got a
chance of something you’ve got to have a go.” He did persevere and he
and the lovely Nui were married last weekend!
His future ambitions mainly revolve around being a good
husband and hoped for fatherhood. He has not, however, retired, but with
an old friend runs Odyssey International, web site builders and has plans
to make their company the most prominent web site designers in Asia.
Jason’s advice to the school leavers is, “Always
speak your mind. Never compromise your own personal standards and live
every day as if it’s your last - because one day it will be!”
And the changing hair colour? “It’s fun! It’s nice to give the
impression of being the court jester, when I’m not. I’m the one
laughing inside.” And we hope you will laugh for a long time yet, Jason
(and Nui).
