If individuals care about their status, defined as their rank in the distribution of conspicuous consumption, a fall in the level of visible inequality is likely to cause them to spend more on conspicuous goods due to increased status competition. I examine this hypothesis using micro data from...

This chapter brings together some of the recent empirical and experimental evidence regarding preferences for social status. While briefly reviewing evidence from different literatures that is consistent with the existence of preferences for status, we pay special attention to experimental work...

A note on the text -- Glossary of Thai terms -- Introduction: Division and discontent -- 1. Class and status in Thailand -- 2. Indigenous space, hierarchy, and Kalathesa -- 3. Hi-So discourse and middle-class aspirations -- 4. City above countryside -- 5. The value of a person