The now-famous article was based on a conversation with Michael Kane, 54, who had moved to Koh Samui, Thailand, to retire. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I grew up in Orange County, Southern California and started my career in restaurants before entering the software industry. Over the years I have worked in many different fields, from construction and real estate to sales and marketing.
I moved to Atlanta in 1990 and lived there for most of the next 30 years.
About ten years ago, a friend invited me to spend a few weeks in Thailand. I loved this place so much that I stayed there for three months. After that, I started traveling back and forth between Thailand and the United States.
The last thing I did before leaving the United States was a doggy daycare center in the suburbs of Atlanta, which I started after struggling to find one nearby for my dog. The pandemic hit just before opening, but luckily I was able to sell it. Since then, I have decided not to run a business in the United States.
For a long time, I knew I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life in America. Having spent most of my career traveling abroad, it seemed more appealing to me to spend the rest of my life appreciating other cultures, especially Thai culture.
So, in 2020, I moved to Koh Samui, Thailand to retire. I bought a two-bedroom apartment for $186,100 in the Mae Nam area in the northern region of Chao Phraya Island.
I originally held a five-year Thai Elite Visa, which was later reorganized into a Thai Privilege Visa.
When the Thai government announced the Long Term Resident Wealthy Pensioner Visa in 2022, I decided to use this visa instead as it was valid for 10 years.
But I’m tired of doing nothing
When I moved to Koh Samui, I was looking for a slower life.
I spent the first year and a half there doing what one imagines retirement life on a Thai island would be like: going to the beach, getting massages, and enjoying the freedom of not having to work.
To keep busy, he opened a cafe named after his dog. Courtesy of Michael Caine.
However, you are limited in the amount of time you can spend at the beach and the massages you can get. I’m starting to get bored.
I don’t play golf, I don’t fish, I don’t paint, I don’t write poetry.
My ex-girlfriend was a personal trainer and she made banana cakes in our kitchen and sold them on the island. I suggest renting a small space so we can put an oven and turn it into a small business.
I couldn’t find good coffee on the island either and we thought it would go well with the cake. I started researching it and really immersed myself in it, which ultimately led to us opening Izzy’s Coffee. We named it after my dog.
It started as a small outdoor pavilion and cost about 100,000 baht to build. Then we spent another 400,000 baht on equipment and furniture.
Holding a long-term resident visa enabled me to obtain a work permit. My current partner, Yam, runs this cafe with me. I develop all of our drinks.
Kane said the cafe allows him to meet and interact with a variety of people. Courtesy of Michael Caine.
About six months ago we questioned why we were standing outside in the heat, rain and noise. We decided to fence the kiosk and turn it into a café.
I spend my days talking to people and making sure every customer has a perfect experience.
Thailand feels like home
Thailand is not the panacea that people think it is. Living here legally can be expensive and challenging. But I’ve built a life here and I’m happy.
I’ve lived here for six years and have only been back to the United States once – for a funeral.
But moving to Thailand doesn’t mean losing touch with the people I care about. Even after our divorce, my ex-wife and I remained close. She and her new husband came to Thailand to visit me, and her father, who was like a father to me, came here twice.
Kane said he started thinking about what he might build next. Courtesy of Michael Caine.
Even though I live at a slower pace here, I’m not one to sit still. The cafe gives me a sense of purpose, but I don’t know if I’ll ever feel completely satisfied in retirement.
I turned a box on the side of the road into something people were looking for. I don’t want to open 20 locations or franchise, but now that the cafe is on autopilot, I’m bored again.
I don’t think I’ll ever stop looking for the next thing to build. I just don’t know what that will be yet.