Begpacking – ‘How to’ guide for aspiring travelling beggars

[rooster59]

Begpacking – ‘How to’ guide for aspiring travelling beggars

By The Thaiger

 

PHOTO: backslackers.com

 

Thailand has its fair share of ‘beg packers’ each year – young travellers who apparently run out of money and end up on the streets, begging for additional funds to continue their travel. They come in two sizes – the ones that are simply sitting and begging and the others that are busking or doing something to earn some coin.

 

Begpackers really get a big response on social media. Some netizens say ‘leave them alone, they’re not hurting anyone’. Others call them pariahs and ‘should be sent back to where they came from’. Still others think they should be ‘discouraged’ with local police attention and fines.

 

In a Buddhist country the culture of ‘giving’ to the poor or less-fortunate is engrained. Sociologists believe that western travellers sometimes take advantage of Thais good nature when travelling around the Kingdom.

 

Full story: https://thethaiger.com/news/national/begpacking-how-to-guide-for-aspiring-travelling-beggars

 

 

-- © Copyright The Thaiger 2018-09-09

[Peterw42]

I recall backpacking years ago with a "Asia on a shoestring" guidebook. The books were written as such, how to get a free meal in Singapore, scam a room in Thailand, finance your trip with a bogus insurance claim, even how and where to beg. The culture existed back then and still does.

Edited September 9, 2018 by Peterw42

[bluesofa]

21 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

I recall backpacking years ago with a "Asia on a shoestring" guidebook. The books were written as such, how to get a free meal in Singapore, scam a room in Thailand, finance your trip with a bogus insurance claim, even how and where to beg. The culture existed back then and still does.

I'm not sure if you're referring to Southeast Asia on a Shoestring published by Lonely Planet? If so, I don't recall any scams being suggested in there?

 

[Peterw42]

1 hour ago, bluesofa said:

I'm not sure if you're referring to Southeast Asia on a Shoestring published by Lonely Planet? If so, I don't recall any scams being suggested in there?

 

Not that particular book but the guide books and general backpacking culture, often a very fine line between saving a couple of dollars and pushing the envelope. I defiantly had a book that had a section in the back about how to (theoretically) do a bogus insurance claim , how to miss a plane and get the airline to pay for a room etc,  how to get a student card when you were not actually a student etc. They may not of advised to get fake documents from Kohsan Rd, but certainly gave the location.

Even books like Lonely planet often suggested things like illegal accommodation options in places like Singapore, where to find illegal work etc. (with the appropriate disclaimer)

In combination with advice in the books, information from other travellers and the backpacker obsession with saving 10 baht, the culture often promotes scams and illegal stuff.

 

Edited September 9, 2018 by Peterw42

[1FinickyOne]

There is a difference between being in need due to circumstances beyond control & intentionally putting yourself in need to take advantage of other people for your own pleasures... one is ok, the other is wrong. 

[richard_smith237]

Wow... lets have a go at backpackers !!!!.... 

 

I remembering traveling using these books... Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, Asia on a Shoe String. 

 

I don't recall any scam suggestions or how to cheat people for a meal, or how to scam insurance etc... maybe the points were there, I just don't recall them. We used the books in a pre-internet era for accommodation recommendations and pricing, for transport recommendations and also for 'things to do' in various areas while remaining budget conscious. 

 

Beg-packing is not the same as back-packing, this minute presentation of 'scammers' should not impact the reputations of the thousands of 'normal' back packers who are simply enjoying their time traveling around and experiencing different things before they are swallowed up by the world of a career. 

[impulse]

Their actions have a minuscule (if any) effect on the quality of my life, so I'm not going to burn a hole in my gut resenting them. 

 

That's not to say I'll be donating to them.

 

Edit: To be clear, it's one thing if they're running scams, picking pockets, or burglarizing hotel rooms.  But if they are counting on voluntary donations, it's up to each individual whether to support their adventure.  In that respect, it's not a whole lot different from bloggers who pay for their trips with clicks and Patreon donations.

 

Edited September 9, 2018 by impulse

[cornishcarlos]

There are definitely more travelers these days with a lot more money to spend...

I witnessed them on my last trip to CM with my wife. We stayed in some nice boutique hotels and there were a lot of "youngsters" there...

There's for sure more rich packers than beg packers......

[Farangwithaplan]

I travelled extensively when I was younger. One thing that sticks out in my mind about my first trip to Thailand was an American woman screaming at an elderly Thai lady because the price of laundry had gone up 5 baht per kg since the last time she was here. It was ugly. Two things came out of that for me. Thais have the ability to not react to such outbursts. Some backpackers, some of the time, do not showcase humanity at its best.

 

Begpackers who ply their trade in a country like Thailand where so many people are under the breadline, are leeches.

[Lungstib]

Having worked in the travel business for 30 years after having done a large amount of backpacking without begging I found Tibet to be the ultimate in 'begging' destinations. My affluent, elderly American tourists just couldn't get adjusted to the constant flow of locals coming up to them with a hand out hoping for a donation. Not so much in the towns but more so out in the country at religious sites. It was a strange experience and resulted in bad feelings on both sides, the tourists upset at being asked, the locals for getting nothing from their wealthy visitors. Some people are best in their own environment, giving and taking being much different in other societies.

[George Bowman]

A few years back we visited Colorado. During one excursion, we walked past several street beggars in downtown Denver. My wife's comment later was along the lines, that these people have a chance to work in America and they don't. I thought she had a valid point...

 

Edited September 9, 2018 by missoura

[Kieran00001]

1 hour ago, Peterw42 said:

Not that particular book but the guide books and general backpacking culture, often a very fine line between saving a couple of dollars and pushing the envelope. I defiantly had a book that had a section in the back about how to (theoretically) do a bogus insurance claim , how to miss a plane and get the airline to pay for a room etc,  how to get a student card when you were not actually a student etc. They may not of advised to get fake documents from Kohsan Rd, but certainly gave the location.

Even books like Lonely planet often suggested things like illegal accommodation options in places like Singapore, where to find illegal work etc. (with the appropriate disclaimer)

In combination with advice in the books, information from other travellers and the backpacker obsession with saving 10 baht, the culture often promotes scams and illegal stuff.

 

 

If you can quote a guide book giving advice on how to scam or commit fraud then post it, otherwise expect to be written off a childlike fantasist.

[sanemax]

15 minutes ago, Farangwithaplan said:

I travelled extensively when I was younger. One thing that sticks out in my mind about my first trip to Thailand was an American woman screaming at an elderly Thai lady because the price of laundry had gone up 5 baht per kg since the last time she was here. It was ugly. Two things came out of that for me. Thais have the ability to not react to such outbursts. Some backpackers, some of the time, do not showcase humanity at its best.

 

Begpackers who ply their trade in a country like Thailand where so many people are under the breadline, are leeches.

I do understand what you are saying, but in previous time in Thailand , 20 or so years ago , many things had no prices on them , in the days before price tags and 7/11's and Westerners were constantly over charged and you would have to haggle for everything , and there would be situations when you would unknowing be trying to get the price lower than cost price , although that was due to them over charging in the first place .

   Its much better these days , know that most things have a price tag on them , that isnt negotiable 

[sanemax]

1 hour ago, Peterw42 said:

Not that particular book but the guide books and general backpacking culture, often a very fine line between saving a couple of dollars and pushing the envelope. I defiantly had a book that had a section in the back about how to (theoretically) do a bogus insurance claim , how to miss a plane and get the airline to pay for a room etc,  how to get a student card when you were not actually a student etc. They may not of advised to get fake documents from Kohsan Rd, but certainly gave the location.

Even books like Lonely planet often suggested things like illegal accommodation options in places like Singapore, where to find illegal work etc. (with the appropriate disclaimer)

In combination with advice in the books, information from other travellers and the backpacker obsession with saving 10 baht, the culture often promotes scams and illegal stuff.

 

I do think that you are referring to the book "Work your way around the World" , which I also had , as I recall , they didnt suggest anything really illegal , like insurance scams .

    They did tell you where you can work , harvesting , picking grapes and other such work , it may have technically been illegal to work without a visa , but it was no big deal back then , the farmers needed their crops picked and the back-packers were willing to do it .

    They may have given info about free places to sleep , but I dont recall them advising people to do anything illegal .

[Kieran00001]

2 minutes ago, sanemax said:

I do think that you are referring to the book "Work your way around the World" , which I also had , as I recall , they didnt suggest anything really illegal , like insurance scams .

    They did tell you where you can work , harvesting , picking grapes and other such work , it may have technically been illegal to work without a visa , but it was no big deal back then , the farmers needed their crops picked and the back-packers were willing to do it .

    They may have given info about free places to sleep , but I dont recall them advising people to do anything illegal .

 

What about Let's Go?  That one was written by student contribution, and back in the day had advice on where to buy illegal things, not sure about fraud though, maybe just drugs.

[sanemax]

2 minutes ago, Kieran00001 said:

 

What about Let's Go?  That one was written by student contribution, and back in the day had advice on where to buy illegal things, not sure about fraud though, maybe just drugs.

What do you mean "maybe just drugs" ?

Are you sure they stated where to buy drugs , or "maybe" they stated where to buy drugs ?

You need to be sure about these things , rather than just "maybes" , before making that allegation.

[yellowboat]

Most people I knew taught English or busked.  Some would fix bicycles or sell paintings.  Computer programmers would program. 

 

Entertainment visas in some countries were easy to get at one time, perhaps they still are.  If a country wants to improve its music scene, they should allow busking in certain area. 

[Kieran00001]

2 minutes ago, sanemax said:

What do you mean "maybe just drugs" ?

Are you sure they stated where to buy drugs , or "maybe" they stated where to buy drugs ?

You need to be sure about these things , rather than just "maybes" , before making that allegation.

I mean they definitely stated in some of their books where to buy drugs but that maybe that was the only illegal thing they gave advice on.

Edited September 9, 2018 by Kieran00001

[sanemax]

18 minutes ago, Kieran00001 said:

I mean they definitely stated in some of their books where to buy drugs but that maybe that was the only illegal thing they gave advice on.

Back in the day , drugs were legal in some places and freely available.

 

[Peterw42]

44 minutes ago, Kieran00001 said:

 

If you can quote a guide book giving advice on how to scam or commit fraud then post it, otherwise expect to be written off a childlike fantasist.

What would you like the publishers home address, I am talking about stuff that was in guide books literally 40 years ago. I gave an example of a student card, most guide books would cover how to get a student card (for the ongoing discounts), even if you were not a student ., not a major crime but a level of fraud, something I recall seeing in numerous guide books.

 

My first trip to Thailand 40 years ago, how did I know you could get fake documents in Khao San rd, I read it in a guide book !!! Sorry I cant quote which guide book or the date of publication.

 

[Spidey]

19 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Back in the day , drugs were legal in some places and freely available.

 

The only place that I ever found where it was legal was Holland, and then with restrictions. Can,t name another country where it was legal.

[sanemax]

9 minutes ago, Spidey said:

The only place that I ever found where it was legal was Holland, and then with restrictions. Can,t name another country where it was legal.

Although maybe not technically legal , maybe it was maybe it wasnt I really dont know the law , but drugs were freely and openly available in South East Asia , some guest houses in Cambodia had hashish available for free on the tables

[1FinickyOne]

2 hours ago, impulse said:

Their actions have a minuscule (if any) effect on the quality of my life, so I'm not going to burn a hole in my gut resenting them. 

 

That's not to say I'll be donating to them.

 

Edit: To be clear, it's one thing if they're running scams, picking pockets, or burglarizing hotel rooms.  But if they are counting on voluntary donations, it's up to each individual whether to support their adventure.  In that respect, it's not a whole lot different from bloggers who pay for their trips with clicks and Patreon donations.

 

respectfully, it is different... one is a legit business and the other is coming here poor and then throwing themselves at the mercy of others who do not want to see them starve... when they could just as easily get regular work in their western high wage countries... I have some respect for a blogger and little for people coming from comparatively wealthy countries where they can work and choose not to - but choose to rely on the kindness of people who are working here.. 

[Bundooman]

2 hours ago, missoura said:

A few years back we visited Colorado. During one excursion, we walked past several street beggars in downtown Denver. My wife's comment later was along the lines, that these people have a chance to work in America and they don't. I thought she had a valid point...

 

But both of them can afford cigarettes, a skateboard and an expensive looking backpack.

[NickJ]

Load of crapola. Let's go never had drug hints in any of its publications. Maybe if you were a moron a d under the influence.  You could come up with that, kind of like playing an LP backwards and hearing instructions. 

I was a backpacker. Visited almost 40 countries.  Never begged. Just saved and travelled within my means. This new beggar scum needs to be sent home.

[Kieran00001]

2 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

What would you like the publishers home address, I am talking about stuff that was in guide books literally 40 years ago. I gave an example of a student card, most guide books would cover how to get a student card (for the ongoing discounts), even if you were not a student ., not a major crime but a level of fraud, something I recall seeing in numerous guide books.

 

My first trip to Thailand 40 years ago, how did I know you could get fake documents in Khao San rd, I read it in a guide book !!! Sorry I cant quote which guide book or the date of publication.

 

 

You also gave an example of insurance fraud, and you referenced one book specificaly, the first Lonely Planet, a book written by two devout Christians, I don't believe they taught anyone to commit insurance fraud. 

 

Your claim that your first trip to Thailand was 40 years ago, which would be 1978, included a guide book telling you that you could buy fake documents in Khao San road reveals your lying, there was nowhere to stay in Khao San in 1978, it was not until 1982 during a festival that had seen all the hotels in Bangkok hike up their prices that the backpackers first moved away from the Talad Noi and China Town areas and into Khao San, and they did this by renting rooms in peoples houses, there was nothing there that was aimed at tourists, there were no tourists in 1978.

[Kieran00001]

1 hour ago, NickJ said:

Load of crapola. Let's go never had drug hints in any of its publications. Maybe if you were a moron a d under the influence.  You could come up with that, kind of like playing an LP backwards and hearing instructions. 

I was a backpacker. Visited almost 40 countries.  Never begged. Just saved and travelled within my means. This new beggar scum needs to be sent home.

 

I remember very clearly sitting around a table in a hostel in Barcelona comparing three guidebooks, the LP, Rough Guide and Let's Go, there were all sorts of differences between them, but the most startling discovery was that Let's Go had a few mentions of the location of drug spots and did so without phrasing them as warnings as the both the other two did if they ever mentioned drugs.  We spoke about it for some time, it really happened, it was a student publication, what on earth made you think it impossible?

 

And backpackers looking to find a way to make money on their trip is nothing new, what made you think it was?

[samsensam]

5 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Wow... lets have a go at backpackers !!!!.... 

 

I remembering traveling using these books... Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, Asia on a Shoe String. 

 

I don't recall any scam suggestions or how to cheat people for a meal, or how to scam insurance etc... maybe the points were there, I just don't recall them. We used the books in a pre-internet era for accommodation recommendations and pricing, for transport recommendations and also for 'things to do' in various areas while remaining budget conscious. 

 

Beg-packing is not the same as back-packing, this minute presentation of 'scammers' should not impact the reputations of the thousands of 'normal' back packers who are simply enjoying their time traveling around and experiencing different things before they are swallowed up by the world of a career. 

 

there is a quite vocal section on this site who, for reasons best know to themselves, get into a hissy fit whenever backpackers are mentioned. seeing themselves somehow 'better' than backpackers. i have a theory, and it may be judgemental, that such folks are actually jealous, they never experienced the freedom, friendship, sheer enjoyment of travelling through a country outside the air con bubble of taxi/hotel/bar. they never met the wonderful locals and enjoyed their hospitality instead they have to pay for someone to be their friend/gf/bf.

 

if someone wants that closeted experience of a country, people and culture that's fine but dont criticise others just because they have a more adventurous spirit.

 

 

[Razzler1973]

5 hours ago, sanemax said:

I do think that you are referring to the book "Work your way around the World" , which I also had , as I recall , they didnt suggest anything really illegal , like insurance scams .

    They did tell you where you can work , harvesting , picking grapes and other such work , it may have technically been illegal to work without a visa , but it was no big deal back then , the farmers needed their crops picked and the back-packers were willing to do it .

    They may have given info about free places to sleep , but I dont recall them advising people to do anything illegal .

I had 'work your way around the world' too and there was definitely no 'scams' mentioned in it.

 

I think the old fashioned backpacker is not the same as it used to be, I remember the days of 'carry your money with you' and no credit cards and internet, etc.

 

These days, people are pre-booking on booking sites and chronicling everything on social media (remember post restante!), they cry poverty and try to do everything on the mega cheap but all the while they have the expensive phone, etc. They're not doing things on the cheap cause they have a strict budget of the money they brought with them, it's just an extended holiday rather than old skool backpacking/travel.

 

 

[dbrenn]

I remember back in 1988 there was this bloke in the guesthouse I was staying in, who went out begging every day, complete with a sign saying that he needed money to fly home. His boast was how he'd been doing it for months, spending his takings on booze, drugs and girls. Not a new phenomenon.