altayvan

Yes, I heard about this too. But I find it a bit belittling. Not all budget travellers leave piles of garbage on the road and overcrowd infrastructure. Some of them are very respectful and learn the local language.

That’s a pretty strong take. It sure will keep the cheap Charlie’s and alcoholics away.

I don’t feel like engaging further, but I appreciated that comment, it captured something I’ve been feeling for a while.

Your talking about the local economic and social impacts of tourism, not about tourism itself.

I heard that a lot in Thailand: ‘Don’t generalize.’ It still holds.

That’s really what this post is about. It’s not just me getting older or nostalgic. It’s that everybody’s mum, their boss, and even their dog are flying in for a “Thai experience” they saw on TikTok. And that’s fine. But it’s not the same. The places I once slipped through unnoticed now ask for insurance, printouts, onward flights, and proof of funds. The cheap guesthouses are being replaced by “lifestyle stays.” The freedom I used to feel, being nobody, going nowhere in particular, is starting to feel like a problem. And I’m wondering if anyone else sees it too.

Interesting that I’m now measured against people who work themselves into the ground all year, only to spend a fortune on two weeks they barely understand. That’s what qualifies as a ‘quality tourist’ these days? Interesting that I’m now measured against people who work themselves into the ground all year, only to spend a fortune on two weeks they barely understand. That’s what qualifies as a ‘quality tourist’ these days?

I’ve been coming to Asia for many years, always on a shoestring. Not a digital nomad, not chasing luxury, just a little bit of a backpacker. The kind who speaks some Thai, stays in hostels, eats street food, and knows the backstreets better than the malls. My first thought goes out to Cheap Charlie in Pattaya. I wonder how he’s getting on. He, like many of us, made a life of simplicity here. I know I inspired friends to follow in my footsteps, some of them spent 30k GBP in a month on holidays, even medical trips. But that was never my style. I stretched every dollar, every baht. And it used to be enough. Now, I feel like I’m considered a low-quality tourist. Immigration seems colder. More scrutiny. More suspicion. Like I’m not welcome anymore unless I can show a big bank balance and perfect insurance. I probably won’t even get 60 days in the country this year. It’s like Thailand (and Southeast Asia in general) has shifted. It’s aiming for a new kind of tourist, those who book resorts from Instagram, drop cash on wellness retreats, and never talk to locals unless it’s through Grab or room service. And that’s fine. Things change. But it stings. Because I’ve loved this region quietly, humbly—for decades. And now I feel like I’m being pushed out of a home I never really had. Just wondering if anyone else feels this shift? Or is it just me, feeling a bit left behind?

Isn't the Grinch a caricature of Scrooge? An anime character?

That karaoke bar is epic. He should try a sing-along in Phnom Penh next

Before storming out. Hahaha. That was hilarious

Very good point. 50 onwards especially they know they're worth and Don t want a penny less than what her friend got out of a farang a few years ago

I also had my deal of troubles with man living in a village

Good thing there is an Israeli amongst the arrested. I thought the Russians run the police force by now

Trump has alluded to wanting to bring back solid, beautiful houses. Such as were built in the 1800s and before To be frank, cost effectiveness is always mentionned when justifying today's conventions , houses people pay for 30 years. Only to fall apart at the next storm. I dislike the conformisation of buildings worldwide and it especially is despised in Paris, were the city has been threatened with commie blocks several times. The commie blocks, rows of 1000s of units are now outside of the city and a social failure