Meet Lewis Jones the man behind Paradise Pool Interiors in Phuket and Koh Samui

The Samui Times love nothing more than finding out about the residents of Koh Samui, where they come from and what they do here on the island. We went to speak to Lewis Jones of Paradise Pool Interiors to find out where he comes from, what he does here and what is so different about the pool products he offers that could be so useful to so many pool owners here in Koh Samui.

Hi Lewis, thanks for talking to us, can I start by asking where you come from and how long have you been in Koh Samui?

My wife and I immigrated here in late march when we got married, so that was a busy month! We are both from Bromyard, Herefordshire in the West midlands, UK which we love very much so was a big move for us.

What lead you to make the decision to come to Koh Samui?

I have been coming to the island on and off for nearly 10 years now and have always loved Thailand, after seeing many parts of the country over the years Koh Samui would easily have been the place I would’ve wanted to move to.

Then a few years back my friend and I decided to buy a property near Nathon, which we rented out as a holiday home until my wife and I decided we were going to immigrate and set up our own separate businesses here in Samui, it was a very hectic final 12 months in the UK but we got here !

How long has Paradise Pool Interiors been operating?

I bought the license for Pebble Tec, the aggregate used in the application, exclusively for Thailand around 2 years ago as I realised nobody was doing it in this part of the world, from there on I organised myself with the equipment I needed to do the job and all the legal processes including visas & work permits etc.

To date I have completed two pool refurbishments, the first was at Topcats Fishing Resort in Talingnam in 2014 and the 2nd was more recently in June this year at the Jungle club resort in Chaweng Noi.

Where did you operate prior to coming to Koh Samui?

Prior to moving here I lived and worked in the UK, working all over the country, I am a bricklayer by trade and have covered all aspects of building, from new builds, barn conversions, even to landscaping and ground works.

When I decided to start doing the pool interiors I went to Portugal to train on site with the Euro Pebble Tec, who I bought the license from, the trade not being completely foreign to me, I picked it up quickly. When in Portugal it also became apparent that it was a very popular way to finish pools, I visited two premier league footballers homes with the director of Euro Pebble Tec, where he had recently finished building their new villas with pools, we also visited the new Conrad Hotel in the Algarve where Euro Pebble Tec had the entire contract for the spa’s, main pool, penthouses and private pools, I learned recently that Euro Pebble Tec are now specified for all Conrad/Hilton hotels built in Europe.

What sort of pool services do you offer?

We specialise in pool interiors, whether it’s onto a newly built structure or renovating an old interior and bringing the pool back to life, with a range of different colour pebbles we achieve unique water tones which can make a 20 year old pool look brand new.

We currently work with Pool & Shade, where we can offer anything from the ground up whether it’s a new build, planning, excavation & structure or pool systems and hydraulics whatever the choice of the customer is, be it salt chlorination or fresh water, and we also offer pool maintenance.

Pool & Shade is opposite the LPG station near the Big C in Bophut where you will be able to find the range of products and services.

What are the advantages of using pebble compared to other products on the market?

There are many advantages of using the pebble.

– Pebbletec is 100% natural polished quartz stone, distributed from Europe and Australia exclusively to licensed applicators around the world.

– Although new to Thailand, it is not a new product, having been established for 40 years and being hugely popular in the US, Europe & Australia, it is becoming the first choice for lots of developers of both commercial and domestic properties.

– At design stage, any shape or feature is possible, and there are no restrictions to floor and wall profile, like experienced with tiles.

– The pebble interior when finished creates a unique, natural looking, non-slip and textured finish to the pool other products fail to achieve.

– There is no danger of fibreglass delimitation, loose and lifting tiles, failing plaster or the need to re- grout etc, The interior will retain it natural beauty almost infinitely.

– The application of the pebble including preparation is speedy compared to other finishes which is very important to hotels or resorts where deadlines need to be met and having the pool filled back up and working for the customers to use.

– Pebbletec comes with a genuine 5 year guarantee.

Can you tell us a little bit about the Jungle Club Resort pool renovation?

In June we refurbished the Jungle club resort in Chaweng Noi which was a much larger job than Topcats and quite a detailed pool, with natural rocks, 2 x infinity edges, part freeform, steps and a beach entry into the pool, even with this amount of detail, the application of pebble went on very easy and brought it together for a more natural look, something that would have been impossible for a tiled finish to achieve, not only this but the clients wanted the most natural look possible, pebble products seemed an easy choice for them. On top of this the pool filter system needed addressing, it needed extra jets and a new filter fitting which was supplied and installed by Scott Sawyer from Pool & Shade whilst we worked on the interior.

Again the whole process was speedy to its completion, taking only 7 days from commencing works, emptying the pool, laying the tiles around the infinity edges, preparing the shell, the application of pebble, fitting the lights then to filling it back up ready for people staying at the resort to swim in & enjoy, showing how quickly turning an old, worn away finish into a gleaming, brand new looking pool can be achieved.

The whole job was a success with the owners made up with the end result and that I finished well within my programme of work deadline completing it a day earlier than expected and to a very high standard, Many people commenting on how much better the pool now looks. I have assured the owners of the jungle club that with steady, regular maintenance their pool will still look this good in 10 years.

I would invite anybody to go and see the results for themselves at the Jungle club.

How can our readers get in touch with you for more information?

I am currently meeting clients and booking more work into the diary, we have two more jobs confirmed before Christmas, but looking to really get this product out there for more people to see so the busier we get the better.

Whether it’s just general enquiries, product info or quotes no matter what size the job, you can get in touch with us. My website is www.paradisepoolinteriors.com has some good examples of pools completed in Europe and the previous job at Topcats in Talingnam.

Find the full article at
https://www.samuitimes.com/meet-lewis-jones-the-man-behind-paradise-pool-interiors-in-koh-samui/