Editorials

Beg-Packers

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31 July 2017

By Bronwen

When you see beggars on the street in developing countries, they are usually doing so because they are desperate for money to buy food, clothes, medicine or other essentials. But in Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries, some of the beggars come from the West- and they’re begging for money to fund their unnecessary and pretentious trips around the world.

Imagine being so ignorant and self important that you beg people in third world countries to fund a free trip around the world for you? These shameless tourists are willing to take money from people who are more than likely poorer than themselves.

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Some of them busk or sell things on the street to try and draw in money from the locals.

If you do feel the urge to prance around the world with an oversized backpack, you should at least have the personal funds to be able to pay for it without disrupting or taking from other countries and people. If you know you can’t afford to go to Southeast Asia then don’t go.  Travelling the world is a luxury not a right and other people should not have to pay for it. There is no way to describe it other than exploitation of developing countries.

Southeast Asia is not one big playground for tourists and beg-packing gives the impression that these Western backpackers feel entitled to have their enjoyment funded by the locals of the places they visit.

Naturally, this is really bothering people who live in these countries as well as immigration authorities who are now asking tourists to prove that they have arrived with money before being allowed entry.

 

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