After graduate school (MA) I had 2 offers with teaching assistantships to join PhD programs in English. a PhD! Wow, right? But, if you have not spent time in the world of American graduate schools you do not realize it is a miserable dead end. Social politics are dismal. Classes are redundant. Ego reigns supreme in the hallowed halls. I knew my chances of landing a great teaching job at a beautiful university were very slim. Even with a shiny PhD.
So I decided to leave the country. That's right, desert, abscond, emigrate, remove, depart!
My life changed dramatically in every way. Finding jobs was easy. Making money was easy. Meeting people, entering affluent social circles, free time, relaxation, peace of mind and a grand adventure all came within a few months. It is hard to believe. I know. I was just as surprised. The freedom and peace of mind helped me achieve many goals I had set for myself such as writing novels and stories, publishing and becoming a college professor.
So, why is it so utterly fabulous for westerners to move to Thailand?
People who move to Thailand enjoy a major promotion on the social dominance scale. This is true for men and women.
I want to emphasize this point. When you move to another country, particularly in the East, you shoot up the social hierarchy. You climb the ladder. Do not mistake this phenomenon with a personal desire to seek status. It is not the same. One is a natural condition of the move and the other is a created desire. You can do whatever you wish with your status reward. And more often than not the kind of person you truly are emerges for better or worse. Hopefully, if you are able and wise enough to make the move, do not waste it. Do something meaningful, something your children will be proud of.
Joe Rogan and Jordan Peterson discuss Hierarchy
So, why do you get a promotion?
First, you are now, most likely, taller than average. The average height in America is: 177 cm. In SE Asia it is: 162 cm. I am often the tallest man in a crowded room and I am only 180 cm. It is hard to describe the advantages these conditions convey. I can often move to the front of a line because a worker will speak to me first or deal with me in a special way because I am a foreigner.
Next is intelligence. No, you are not smarter than everyone, but you do have knowledge that is now unique. You speak English and you naturally understand western culture. The English language abroad is a form of power that grew from the early exploits of the British Empire. But, I will save that for class.
You are now popular. Not as popular as Korean boy bands, but that is another story.
The exotic theme continues with attractiveness. Your attractiveness to everyone increases not only because you are rising on the social dominance scale, but also because you physically look different than most others.
There are many ways to climb the social dominance scale. Becoming an expat is just 1 of them.
Keep in mind you have to be able to pack up and leave the USA. If , for example, you have a family, well, you can't. This is why you see mostly young men and women here or older men closer to retirement.
We all know the stereotype of over the hill, pot bellied western men and bar girls. Well, it's true. There are a number of them here and the sex industry does exist. But, westerners tend to exaggerate the scope and where it actually started.
The Vietnam War spurned the creation of Patpong, Soi Cowboy and NaNa the notorious areas for sex tourism. Prostitution existed long before that and just about everywhere on the planet! And these famous areas are just 3 small streets compared to the size and culture of the entire country. The discussion here about dominance hierarchy is not about sex tourism, though that would be quite interesting to research.
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