What you've pointed out is what people do, but not what they are theoretically allowed to do :)
Transporting a MacBook, Xbox, PS4, etc. from the United States back to a South East Asian country (as you suggest), is illegal. For the casual traveler there probably isn't a great risk, since they can always claim it was an accident. But for the recurrent backpacker, the risks are potentially higher.
Transporting a MacBook, Xbox, PS4, etc. from the United States back to a South East Asian country (as you suggest), is illegal. For the casual traveler there probably isn't a great risk, since they can always claim it was an accident. But for the recurrent backpacker, the risks are potentially higher.