It's been nine years since Zanette Cross left the UK and moved to Koh Samui, Thailand. After many vacations in Thailand, she saw it as the ideal place to raise her now 13-year-old daughter. The slower ...

Ralph Beale never felt at home while growing up in the UK. Originally drawn to Thailand by Muay Thai, he later moved to Koh Samui with his wife to raise a family. Now 60, with two grown kids, Beale ...

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Zanette Cross, a real estate agent who has lived in Koh Samui, Thailand, for nine years. Her words have been edited for length and clarity. For ...