TikTok is driving American expats to Southeast Asia

NPR | By Windsor Johnston

Published June 8, 2026 at 4:03 PM EDT

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More Americans are rethinking where they want to live. Some are heading to Southeast Asia, drawn in part by what they're seeing on TikTok and YouTube. But those videos don't tell the whole story.

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Windsor Johnston

Windsor Johnston has been a newscast anchor and reporter for NPR since 2011. As a newscaster, she writes, produces, and delivers hourly national newscasts. Occasionally, she also reports breaking news stories for NPR's Newsdesk.

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