Chad Dunn used to spend his days on the floor of a Hyundai plant in Savannah, Ga., watching the clock, feeling the pressure, and wondering how long he could keep going.

"Life in America was pretty unfulfilling and pretty stressed out," he said. "Like most folks, just in a rat race."

Now, he lives in Da Nang, a coastal city in Vietnam, and makes a living helping other Americans leave.

"I can pick you up from the airport, set you up with a phone, a bank account, and get you settled in an apartment in under a week," he said. "It's becoming very popular."

Dunn runs a relocation business built around a simple idea: that the life he found in Vietnam is something others want too. Many of his clients first find him on TikTok, watching his videos about daily life abroad. And increasingly, they reach out asking how they can move to Vietnam, too.

Global expat surveys have ranked Vietnam and Thailand among the most attractive destinations for affordability and quality of life.

Estimates from the Association of Americans Resident Overseas, based on United Nations data, show the number of Americans living in Southeast Asia has grown significantly over the past few decades, rising from about 32,000 in 1990 to nearly 88,000 in 2024. (That data does not include Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar and Vietnam, so the true number of Americans in the region is likely far higher.)

And for the first time in decades, the U.S. could be experiencing negative net migration — more people leaving than entering. A study published this year by the Brookings Institution estimates net migration turned negative in 2025, the first time in at least half a century.

People born in the U.S. who choose to move abroad still make up a small portion of those numbers, but influencers on social media are helping bring wider visibility to the shift.

Brooke Erin Duffy, an associate professor of communication at Cornell University, says the shift has been building over time, particularly as more people are able to work remotely.

"I think it is part of a broader trend … and in particular the rise of digital nomadism," she said. "More and more people are working remotely … and trying to find ways to integrate work into their lifestyle," rather than the other way around.

Duffy says social media is helping accelerate that shift. "We have this culture of … aspirationalism and relatability," she said, pointing to creators who showcase remote work against "gorgeous backdrops."

But she cautions that what people see online can be misleading. "The images that circulate about life and work are filtered through a glossy prism," she said, noting the gap between curated content and the realities of living abroad.

Expats hype Vietnam for its affordability

Mia Moore, a holistic nutritionist, lives just minutes from the beach in Da Nang. She's 37, from Northern California, and moved to Vietnam earlier this year after years of traveling through Southeast Asia. For her, the decision wasn't sudden; it built over time.

"It was a slow realization that I wanted something different," she said.

Back home in California, she had what many would consider a good life — a career, a routine, access to nature. But she says much of her time was consumed by one thing.

"Every day was about how I am going to make more money and keep up this quality of life," she said.

In Vietnam, that pressure eased.

"I pay about a fifth of what I was paying for rent," she said. "Utilities are basically nonexistent. I can go out to eat if I want to."

A bowl of pho near her apartment costs about $2; even with extras, around $4.

"People say it's cheap, but that makes it sound low quality," she said. "It's actually a really high quality of life. It's just less expensive."

Thousands of miles away, viewers are watching lives like these unfold in real time. On TikTok, Americans living in places like Vietnam and Thailand stream their days from beachfront cafés, city apartments, and late-night walks through streets that feel both unfamiliar and oddly calm.

The videos are simple, but the message is clear: Life in Southeast Asia looks easier.

In Thailand, social media influencers say stress levels are down

For Chris Michaels, the pull had nothing to do with money. He spent his career in the toy industry, working in a corporate role in Chicago. It was about stepping away from a life that felt relentlessly stressful.

"I'd get up, go to work, go to the gym, go to sleep — rinse and repeat," said Michaels. "There was just nothing new, nothing exciting."

The turning point came on a trip to Bangkok, escaping winter in Chicago for warm nights and a skyline view from a rooftop pool.

"I'm looking out over the city thinking, how do I live here full time?" he said.

He figured it out. Michaels retired early at 46 and has now spent more than seven years in Thailand. And like Dunn and Moore, TikTok has become part of his daily life. He posts videos and hosts livestreams several nights a week.

"The No. 1 question I get now is 'Help me leave the United States and move to Thailand,'" he said.

For many Americans, the appeal starts with cost.

In places like Da Nang and Bangkok, rent, food and transportation can cost a fraction of what they do in major U.S. cities, especially for people earning or saving in U.S. dollars.

That difference reshapes daily life.

Moore says she no longer structures her days around financial pressure.

"My focus now is how I want my day to look," she said. "How I feel. What I want to do."

Dunn describes something similar — a life with fewer constraints and more connection.

"There's a sense of community here," he said. "People gather, they talk, they spend time together. It's not the same kind of stress."

TikTok doesn't tell the whole story

Behind the videos and the lifestyle, there are limits.

Many expats say their lifestyle is made possible by earning or saving in U.S. dollars while spending in local currencies — an advantage that doesn't translate to most Vietnamese or Thai citizens.

Making a living locally can be difficult. In Vietnam, foreigners are typically limited to a narrow set of jobs, most commonly teaching English, where pay is often significantly lower than what they could earn in the U.S. As a result, many rely on remote work, savings, or U.S.-based income streams — a dynamic that allows them to benefit from lower costs without participating fully in the local labor market.

Some point to lower health care costs. Moore says she recently paid about 200,000 Vietnamese dong — roughly $8 — for a dental cleaning, X-rays and a checkup. But access and quality can vary, especially outside major cities.

Long-term needs like schools, visas and stable residency can be more complicated for foreigners.

Many Americans in Vietnam are living on tourist visas that are typically valid for up to 90 days. That means leaving the country regularly and returning — a process known as a visa run. "You can take a bus to the border, walk across, get stamped, and come back," says Moore.

In Thailand, visa options can vary, but long-term residency can still be complicated.

Even after years there, Michaels said he's aware of where he stands. "I'm a guest in this country," he said. "I will always be a foreigner."

There are other trade-offs, too: distance from family, time zone differences, and the challenge of rebuilding a life from scratch.

When Michaels first moved, the adjustment wasn't easy.

"I'd wake up at 2 or 3 in the morning thinking, what did I do?" he said. "It took months to feel settled."

And the promise of a lower-stress life doesn't come automatically.

"A lot of people move here and bring their stress with them," Michaels said. "You have to let go of that."

It's a quieter part of the story, one that doesn't always show up in a TikTok livestream.

From curiosity to commitment

For Dunn, the shift has been undeniable.

"When I first told people I was moving, they said I was crazy," he said. "Now they're calling me asking how to come."

Michaels sees the same thing.

"It's such a reversal," he said. "People used to ask why I would leave. Now they're asking how."

For the Americans already there, the decision often feels permanent.

"There's no going back," Dunn said. "You can't put the toothpaste back in the tube."