Jim remains a very active and energetic septuagenarian through conscious and concerted effort and seems barely older than Nok, despite her being in her early 50s. Jim has been sporty all his life and is living proof of the benefits of moving your body. Jim learnt to ski at the tender age of only four and Verbier in the Swiss Alps, at the top of the mountain, remains Jim’s favourite place on earth. Running has always been a passion for Jim, who participated in internationally-renowned marathons into his 50s. Though the distance has changed, the intention to work on his fitness remains a priority for Jim. He now golfs off a handicap of 19, something he is keen to improve, particularly as he acknowledges Nok is the more skillful player of the pair and would be even better if she took golf with his level of seriousness. Jim’s parents were smokers who developed diabetes, something he will certainly not emulate.

Jim is a second generation American, all of his grandparents originating in Quebec in Canada, hence his French surname which translates as Baker. Given the current state of world affairs, Jim rues the fact he is not qualified to hold a Canadian passport. He was born and raised in Bristol, Connecticut, a suburban city of 60,000 inhabitants located some 160 kilometres northeast of New York City. Jim was the middle child of three, with an elder sister and a younger brother, both of whom still live relatively close to their childhood home. As a teenager, Jim would never have been able to imagine the geographically-twisted lifepath he has followed, yet it turned out he was the adaptable and adventurous one who embraced the various opportunities for career advancement as they arose.

It is with profound gratitude that Jim remembers his wonderful parents, neither of whom had the advantage of a university education, something they successfully provided all three of their children. Jim’s mother was homemaker and seamstress and his father was skilled with his hands, working in a factory as a tool and die maker. After serving in WWII, Jim’s father returned home wanting nothing more than a wife, a family and a steady job. Originally known for its clock-making, Bristol transitioned to be an industrial city after the war, though those jobs eventually dried up. Today, Bristol’s claim to fame is that it is the headquarters of the international sports broadcaster, ESPN. Jim thought a peaceful and somewhat mundane existence was on the cards for him too, just like his parents, but he couldn’t have been more wrong. Jim’s mum and dad were positive role models who had regular, early evening meals on the table, with the children fed and the dishes washed before 6pm. Very productive people, their evening hours were for getting things done rather than relaxation. Jim’s mother would retreat to her sewing room and his father to the work shed. Compared to his industrious parents, Jim considers himself lazy.

By all accounts, Jim had a happy childhood with care and attention from his extended family. His grandparents owned a cottage not far from the beach where the family gathered to celebrate the 4th July and Independence Day holidays and feast on the local abundant seafood, including the obligatory clambake. These were memorable occasions for Jim and his siblings. At school, Jim was well-behaved, perhaps even too quiet and shy for his own good. He credits his university years for his improved ability with public speaking, a skill he views as essential. Jim is naturally gregarious, with a small but loyal and much-valued friendship group. Jim prefers quality over quantity and actively avoids loud and disrespectful people as he finds them irritating.

Jim’s first tertiary qualification was a BA in Accounting, followed later by an MBA from Webster University which he undertook while working in Bermuda. Jim then gained a Masters in Taxation back in America, eventually leaving him with a resumé guaranteed to impress many a potential employer.

Jim credits his successful career more to luck than good management or intention. Opportunities to live and work abroad, with commensurate salary and benefits presented themselves, and thanks to his innate adaptability and fun-loving nature, Jim grasped them with both hands. Across his career Jim worked for large multinational corporations, carving himself a specialised niche position as tax expert responsible for mergers and acquisitions as well as the setting up of new company structures. To do this effectively he needed to understand the company in detail: how the various arms and departments worked together to progress company policies and targets. The job required a people-person who listened to others with respect and valued their contributions, a role perfect for Jim. From as early as his university years, Jim had developed a reputation as an easy-going guy. He recounts the story of a particular parent’s weekend when a mate’s mother complimented him to his mother as the nicest young man in their shared university accommodation.

It was a positive for Jim that he got to live and work in the Bahamas, the Netherlands, Bermuda, Switzerland, Thailand and Hong Kong before retiring in 2014. The final five years of Jim’s work life was spent in the employ of Bacardi, which had its own special benefits! After decades of employment with conglomerates, Jim savoured working for a family-owned company as much as he enjoyed the regular tastings he was forced to endure. His work was rewarding enough that he had bought himself a holiday home in Bali which he only sold when it became apparent that his post-retirement future lay in Thailand.

Jim married in his late 20s but was divorced in his early 50s. He met his current wife Nok in Hong Kong when they were both working there. Nok is fluent in Cantonese and had remained single until the pair met, much later than Jim would have preferred, as he now struggles to remember his life without her in it. Nok had her own successful career in the food and beverage industry and the pair bonded quickly.

In 2013, Jim travelled to Hua Hin for the first time, to visit a dear friend living here, who has since sadly passed away. Jim experienced an immediate attraction to the local area, particularly the diversity of its inhabitants, a factor that tallied so well with Jim’s most positive life experiences.

In 2014, keen on an eventual return to her native country, Nok, originally from Udon Thani in Thailand’s northeast, purchased the land on which their home stands and the newly-retired Jim spent his time pouring over house plans and then keeping an eye on the progress of the construction. By 2016, Jim and Nok, newlyweds, were ready to leave Hong Kong to move into their new home. Jim loves living in Hua Hin but wishes the city’s development was less haphazard, with more transparent and strategic city planning.

Jim believes he is better at working than relaxing, so in retirement likes to stay busy through participation in ventures which benefit the community, including charity work. Jim now also has the time and opportunity to pursue learning for its own sake. Already with an appreciation of the pivotal role of technology in our lives, Jim would also like to keep abreast of developments in artificial intelligence, which have the potential to do a great service, or great harm, to humanity, particularly in these times of geopolitical instability. One skill that has eluded Jim so far is the ability to speak a language other than English, despite his best efforts. Whilst living abroad, Jim had taken classes in several languages but has never achieved what he sees as an acceptable level of fluency. This has niggled away at him and is still particularly relevant with Thai as many members of Nok’s extended family in Isan have no English and so there is a communications gap Jim feels he should remedy.

Many people have influenced the man Jim is today. One of particular note is Geoff Bible, the former CEO and chairman of Philip Morris Industries, with whom Jim had the pleasure of working as well as developing a close friendship. Jim cites Geoff as a mentor, from whom he learnt to always have a plan but not necessarily expect it to come true. Geoff came to Jim’s 60th birthday in Hua Hin and the pair has another meet-up planned in Hong Kong soon. What Jim finds so admirable about Geoff is that although he reached the pinnacle of career success, he has always remained genuine; humble and approachable.