Invasion of the begpackers

[Brunolem]

This transfer of beggars from the West to the East is certainly not going to make things easier for regular guys trying to enter in Thailand and other South East Asian countries...expect the lines at airports and bordercrossings to grow even longer thanks to these people, who really have no shame... 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/shortcuts/2019/jul/22/young-entitled-and-over-there-the-rise-of-the-begpacker

 

Edited July 31, 2019 by Brunolem

[smutcakes]

Yes, there are SO MANY of them it will really affect the airport lines....

[Brunolem]

3 minutes ago, smutcakes said:

Yes, there are SO MANY of them it will really affect the airport lines....

And there are SO MANY airplane hijackers... yet despite their very small number, air travel is certainly affected big time. ..

 

It is not the number of beggars that matters, but the fact that because of a few persons, ALL the others have to prove that they have sufficient funds... which takes time... 

[smutcakes]

1 minute ago, Brunolem said:

And there are SO MANY airplane hijackers... yet despite their very small number, air travel is certainly affected big time. ..

 

It is not the number of beggars that matters, but the fact that because of a few persons, ALL the others have to prove that they have sufficient funds... which takes time... 

So any amendments to Visa income rules are down to a few reported foreign beggars?

Jesus you must be bored.

[dotpoom]

On 7/31/2019 at 12:21 PM, Brunolem said:

This transfer of beggars from the West to the East is certainly not going to make things easier for regular guys trying to enter in Thailand and other South East Asian countries...

Do you think you should have more "right" to travel than them...or that you are more important?

Edited August 2, 2019 by dotpoom

[mikebike]

On 7/31/2019 at 12:36 PM, Brunolem said:

the fact that because of a few persons, ALL the others have to prove...

Uhm... maybe you missed the fact that most rules and regs are because a few peeps did something stupid and the rest of us have to pay for their lack of common sense.

 

There are many more egregious examples of this to rant over other than “begpackers”...

[wgdanson]

On 7/31/2019 at 12:38 PM, smutcakes said:

So any amendments to Visa income rules are down to a few reported foreign beggars?

Jesus you must be bored.

I think he meant proving you have money at the Immigration as you enter Thailand, not for Visa Extension purposes.

The money at the border is only for certain visa categories anyway, not for someone returning to their home here after a visit abroad.

[remorhaz]

The whole "proving you have enough money" is going to very quickly run into the war on cash that most countries seem to be engaged in.  If I walk through an airport with $10,001 dollars I need to fill out a ream of special forms declaring my cash and offering it for inspection... no chance of any official corruption there huh?  Last I checked simply showing plastic or a sheet with a bank balance isn't enough so I wonder what the long term solution will be.

[Thingamabob]

The presence of these people causes a loss of respect for all foreigners.

[Brunolem]

1 hour ago, dotpoom said:

Do you think you should have more "right" to travel than them...or that you are more important?

Travelling for tourism purpose is not a RIGHT, mind you. 

 

It is a leisure that one can afford, or not. 

 

In the same way, some people eat porterhouse steaks in fancy restaurants while others eat eggs at home. 

 

What if the latter decided to go dine at fancy restaurants, and when the bill came, started to tour the restaurant and beg the other customers to pay for them? 

 

 

[Suradit69]

35 minutes ago, Thingamabob said:

The presence of these people causes a loss of respect for all foreigners.

You probably mean a loss of face, which is a big problem for many farang, usually demonstrated  in an unattractive way. 

 

For there to be a loss of respect, that implies there was some automatic respect credited to them (for no other reason than they were  farangs) as they passed through immigrations at the airport. Pretty sure the sex tourists, unhinged drunks, perpetual whiners, et al, have already taken their toll on any auto-respect Khun Farang can expect regardless of the beg-packers.

 

 

[Brunolem]

4 minutes ago, Suradit69 said:

You probably mean a loss of face, which is a big problem for many farang, usually demonstrated  in an unattractive way. 

 

For there to be a loss of respect, that implies there was some automatic respect credited to them (for no other reason than they were  farangs) as they passed through immigrations at the airport. Pretty sure the sex tourists, unhinged drunks, perpetual whiners, et al, have already taken their toll on any auto-respect Khun Farang can expect regardless of the beg-packers.

 

 

He wrote "foreigners" which is not only those who visit Thailand. 

 

It is the same in Europe or the US, for example, when people from certain countries engage in criminality and make the lives of the locals unsafe (Sweden or Germany for example) ... the result is that the populations of these immigrants' countries suffer from a bad reputation... this is called assimilation (just see Trump and his sh....le countries). 

 

[Pancho]

I will take some heat for this, I feel we would be the ones to weed this problem out, not a Thai problem, it’s our problem,as we will take the hit. Please don’t feed the animals, you will just encourage them. 

[mikebike]

28 minutes ago, Brunolem said:

What if the latter decided to go dine at fancy restaurants, and when the bill came, started to tour the restaurant and beg the other customers to pay for them?

No, no, no... when u get a porterhouse at a starred restaurant and cant pay you do a dine-n-dash you do not beg-dine... jeez Louise...

[Megascott]

46 minutes ago, Brunolem said:

What if the latter decided to go dine at fancy restaurants, and when the bill came, started to tour the restaurant and beg the other customers to pay for them? 

I actually had this happen to me in Cambodia, OK, not a fancy restaurant, but I digress. Four (what sounded like) German male backpackers, full tattoos, Dreadlocks, Man buns, 5 day shitter pants and all, ate a whole three course meal at the table next to mine at a Siem Reap Curry restaurant, at the conclusion, one of the party asked ME for money to pay the bill. Of course, I said no and they walked out without paying. Nice touch, but then again, most backpackers aren't like this.

Edited August 2, 2019 by Megascott

[Uptooyoo]

1 hour ago, remorhaz said:

The whole "proving you have enough money" is going to very quickly run into the war on cash that most countries seem to be engaged in.  If I walk through an airport with $10,001 dollars I need to fill out a ream of special forms declaring my cash and offering it for inspection... no chance of any official corruption there huh?  Last I checked simply showing plastic or a sheet with a bank balance isn't enough so I wonder what the long term solution will be.

The best strategy is to not look like a begpacker.  I don't approach the immigration officer with the begpacker's De rigueur style of dreadlocks, chin stubble, and bare feet. So, to make the transit through arrivals as painless as possible, I make the extra effort to distinguish myself from one of the thousands of unkempt, dodgy characters coming to take advantage of the Kingdom. I arrive with close cropped hair and a clean-shaven face, in addition, mouthwash and a dab of after-shave cologne to neutralize the unpleasant effects of a shower-free transoceanic flight, which does not go unappreciated by my fellow travelers and Thai hosts; neither does a snappy short sleeve shirt, for the ostensible purpose of displaying my tattoo free, needle free, forearms.  In brief, to minimize any difficulties, it only takes a quick stop in the washroom to clean up before making way to the arrival counter.

Edited August 2, 2019 by Uptooyoo

[RichardColeman]

On 7/31/2019 at 6:21 AM, Brunolem said:

This transfer of beggars from the West to the East is certainly not going to make things easier for regular guys trying to enter in Thailand and other South East Asian countries

I dunno, maybe Thai immigration can give them their own Visa instead of retirement or spouse

[HLover]

49 minutes ago, Brunolem said:

when people from certain countries engage in criminality and make the lives of the locals unsafe (Sweden or Germany for example) ... the result is that

.. they are given free housing and a monthly stipend. ????

[NoshowJones]

1 hour ago, Uptooyoo said:

The best strategy is to not look like a begpacker.  I don't approach the immigration officer with the begpacker's De rigueur style of dreadlocks, chin stubble, and bare feet. So, to make the transit through arrivals as painless as possible, I make the extra effort to distinguish myself from one of the thousands of unkempt, dodgy characters coming to take advantage of the Kingdom. I arrive with close cropped hair and a clean-shaven face, in addition, mouthwash and a dab of after-shave cologne to neutralize the unpleasant effects of a shower-free transoceanic flight, which does not go unappreciated by my fellow travelers and Thai hosts; neither does a snappy short sleeve shirt, for the ostensible purpose of displaying my tattoo free, needle free, forearms.  In brief, to minimize any difficulties, it only takes a quick stop in the washroom to clean up before making way to the arrival counter.

"I arrive with close cropped hair".  There is no way I will get my hair cropped just to impress anyone, I have had my hair covering my ears all my adult life, and that is the way it is going to stay.
 

 

[Brunolem]

1 hour ago, possum1931 said:

"I arrive with close cropped hair".  There is no way I will get my hair cropped just to impress anyone, I have had my hair covering my ears all my adult life, and that is the way it is going to stay.
 

 

Same here (way below my ears) but there is clean long hair and dirty looking ones... it's all a matter of general appearance... long pants, closed shoes and avoiding tank tops and anything sleeveless which is not appreciated in this part of the world...or anywhere else for that matter... 

 

 

[Uptooyoo]

4 minutes ago, Brunolem said:

Same here (way below my ears) but there is clean long hair and dirty looking ones... it's all a matter of general appearance... long pants, closed shoes and avoiding tank tops and anything sleeveless which is not appreciated in this part of the world...or anywhere else for that matter... 

 

 

...length of hair not so important as long as it's clean. No one says we have to walk around like clones, but you don't want to appear unwashed. It's all about first impressions. It's not my game, not my rules, I just try to play it.

[Odysseus123]

My goodness,so the sky is raining beg packers?

 

Actually backpackers are a sign of a robust tourism economy along with,of course,higher end tourists.

 

Up where I lived ALL WESTERN TOURISTS began to disappear circa late 2014-I wonder why..?

Edited August 2, 2019 by Odysseus123

[Opl]

crowdfunding, begpackers, same same

[NoshowJones]

16 minutes ago, Brunolem said:

Same here (way below my ears) but there is clean long hair and dirty looking ones... it's all a matter of general appearance... long pants, closed shoes and avoiding tank tops and anything sleeveless which is not appreciated in this part of the world...or anywhere else for that matter... 

 

 

Spot on, but I do confess to wearing socks and sandals sometimes, as well as trainers.

[thaiguzzi]

I presume the OP was never a hippy, nor thought busking his way from Paris to BKK via the Stoner Indian, Afghan, Pakistani and Nepali trails was a groovy idea.

Oh what, 40 odd years ago?

[Brunolem]

6 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

Spot on, but I do confess to wearing socks and sandals sometimes, as well as trainers.

I wear socks and sport shoes very often... as soon as I go to the city and drive (I find it dangerous to drive with slippers). 

 

It's not about looking good, but because I like it, always have... 

[Brunolem]

1 minute ago, thaiguzzi said:

I presume the OP was never a hippy, nor thought busking his way from Paris to BKK via the Stoner Indian, Afghan, Pakistani and Nepali trails was a groovy idea.

Oh what, 40 odd years ago?

Missed... by that much! 

 

First time here in 1978, 41 years ago... I looked like a hippy with hair to my shoulders, but I had financed my trip by working during the summer holidays, like many used to do at that time....work first and fun after, and not the other way round. 

 

I avoided Afghanistan, but unfortunately not Bangladesh on the return flight, where our tin box plane almost crashed, and where we were stuck for a couple of days... without money, having spent it all in Thailand. 

 

Yet Bangladesh Biman (oh my...) paid for all expenses while trying to fix its flying coffin... 

 

[mikebike]

2 hours ago, possum1931 said:

I make the extra effort to distinguish myself from one of the thousands of unkempt, dodgy characters coming to take advantage of the Kingdom.

Well how clever of you... I'm positive no crims have picked up on this brilliant plan!! ????????

[NoshowJones]

24 minutes ago, mikebike said:

Well how clever of you... I'm positive no crims have picked up on this brilliant plan!! ????????

Excuse me, but this is not my post you have answered. I do not even agree with it, there must have been a mistake somewhere.

Edited August 2, 2019 by possum1931

[mikebike]

1 hour ago, possum1931 said:

Excuse me, but this is not my post you have answered. I do not even agree with it, there must have been a mistake somewhere.

Sorry! My mistake. Apparently I didn't feel the urge to reply until I read your post and quoted his post from your reply... again sorry!