I’ve backpacked through Southpark Asia for years… now i feel quietly pushed out

[impulse]

Kudos to the OP.  I'd refer to him as a low budget traveler as opposed to a low quality.  There's a huge difference.

 

But just like tourists, I'm well behaved and I do okay financially but I wouldn't feel comfortable walking into a Gucci shop.  The odds that I'd contribute more than the oxygen that I consumed is pretty much nil in a Gucci shop.

 

Out of curiosity, does anyone know what they're like on the inside?

 

[expat_4_life]

31 minutes ago, impulse said:

Kudos to the OP.  I'd refer to him as a low budget traveler as opposed to a low quality.  There's a huge difference.

This sounds about right to me ... most of the most beautiful beaches and destinations were a great source of adventure decades ago. Now they have been replaced by glass steel and concrete ... is this progress?, many might disagree.  But there is no going back.
Sukhumvit Soi 4 1976, Chawang Beach Samui 1981, Pattaya 1980

 

[jayboy]

13 hours ago, altayvan said:

It’s aiming for a new kind of tourist, those who .......never talk to locals unless it’s through Grab or room service.

 

It seems to be a characteristic of the backpacking fraternity that they assume they have a meaningful relationship with ordinary Thais that better off tourists are denied.I really don't think it works like that.

[impulse]

1 hour ago, jayboy said:

It seems to be a characteristic of the backpacking fraternity that they assume they have a meaningful relationship with ordinary Thais that better off tourists are denied.

 

You mean the well off tourists that don't leave their A/C rooms, their A/C cars and their A/C eateries and bars?  

 

Tough to establish a relationship when there's a pane of glass (and a 20 degree deltaT) between you and the unwashed masses. 

 

Backpackers, by their nature (and budget) ride the same transit as the locals.  They eat in the same eateries.  They share a few of the same miseries (obviously, not all of them- they get to go home to the nanny states eventually).  I'd say that gives them a leg up.

 

BTW, in that respect, I'm in the A/C class.  But respect to the backpackers.

 

[jayboy]

2 hours ago, impulse said:

You mean the well off tourists that don't leave their A/C rooms, their A/C cars and their A/C eateries and bars?  

 

You're just repeating the delusion I identified in the first place.You appear to assume that the better off travelers don't have the same kind of rewarding relationship with local people as those on a limited budget.I don't think there's much evidence for that and in any case backpacking in Thailand is not what it was when the country was less developed.

 

I have seen quite a few young travelers on a budget  (well educated gap year types) over the last few years.I have never got the impression they are genuinely interested in digging into Thai culture.They are polite enough to Thais but it's all very superficial.In contrast I've known well heeled travelers who are genuinely interested in Thai culture and meeting interesting Thais.

[BLMFem]

15 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

I REALLY do not like backpackers.

 

Just as I do not like ...

 

Not to worry. I'm pretty sure the feeling is mutual.

[MangoKorat]

16 hours ago, altayvan said:

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?

Take no notice - there are always these types on here.

 

I have been berated in the past because I seek out the best deals on flights because I don't just visit Thailand once a year, I travel often and am able to do that because I look for the best deals. I've only ever flown business class when I've been upgraded, yes its really nice but is it worth 3 x the price - no way.  I sleep all the way in any case.

 

I have a home in Thailand so don't often need hotels but when I do, I rarely pay more than 1500 in Bangkok or 800 in the provinces. Why pay more when decent places are available at those prices?

 

When backpacking there are plenty of places much cheaper than that.

 

There will always be those who like to massage their ego by flying business class and paying 5000 for a room - maybe they think others will be impressed? I tend to spend most of my time out of the hotel, if I wanted to stay in my room, I would stay at home.

 

These people think you are broke because you like to travel cheaply - leave them to it. I suspect that those who make such claims are actually the broke ones.

[GammaGlobulin]

1 hour ago, jayboy said:

 

You're just repeating the delusion I identified in the first place.You appear to assume that the better off travelers don't have the same kind of rewarding relationship with local people as those on a limited budget.I don't think there's much evidence for that and in any case backpacking in Thailand is not what it was when the country was less developed.

 

I have seen quite a few young travelers on a budget  (well educated gap year types) over the last few years.I have never got the impression they are genuinely interested in digging into Thai culture.They are polite enough to Thais but it's all very superficial.In contrast I've known well heeled travelers who are genuinely interested in Thai culture and meeting interesting Thais.

 

Entirely correct.

These penniless ragamuffins who love to sleep together in hostels, without AC, are less able to appreciate the culture than those who have money and a PhD.

I actually know a couple, and they get paid well at their universities in their home country.

 

If you want to know the culture, you cannot just travel through a place.

You need to live there.

You need to learn the language.

Language is a major part of culture.

 

These PackRats are confusing getting to know the culture with superficial sightseeing.

And, they gum up the works, wherever they go.

 

I really do not like them.

They should get a job, and then come to Thailand, and spend their money, so that they can contribute more to the economy.

 

I was never a backpacker when I was young.

And, Lonely Planet was a dumb book.

 

When I was young, I chose a destination of interest.

I traveled there.

I rented a house.

I learned the language.

You can do that when you have the time, and when you are young.

 

Hate all nomads, basically, is what I am saying...

 

 

[Ben Zioner]

20 hours ago, altayvan said:

And that’s fine. Things change.

 

And you should have changed too. My backpacker years were the first two or three years of my active life, and I moved to 4/5 stars hotels as soon as I could afford them. That's what life is about isn't? 

 

BTW, these 4 and 5 stars hotels have always been here...

[marin]

2 minutes ago, Ben Zioner said:

BTW, these 4 and 5 stars hotels have always been here...

No they have not. I too have moved on but even in the late 70's there was only one 3 star hotel on Patong, and the main rd. was mostly still dirt. Samui was just being discovered and there was not a hotel one other than a couple of dumps in Nathon the port. It really was heaven back then. Real Robinson Crusoe fantasies...

[Ben Zioner]

25 minutes ago, marin said:

No they have not. I too have moved on but even in the late 70's there was only one 3 star hotel on Patong, and the main rd. was mostly still dirt. Samui was just being discovered and there was not a hotel one other than a couple of dumps in Nathon the port. It really was heaven back then. Real Robinson Crusoe fantasies...

What are you talking about? there were many in Bangkok and larger cities. Ever heard of Mandarin?

[BangkokReady]

20 hours ago, Evil Penevil said:

It's unrealistic, not to mention selfish, for anyone to expect Thailand to stay frozen in time and mired in poverty so that Westerners can enjoy cheap vacations.  The unofficial motto of the French Foreign Legion is "March or die."

 

Possibly, but why should that mean that someone who can afford to travel to a place and holiday there for a while no longer do so?

 

20 hours ago, Evil Penevil said:

The motto for backpackers and sex tourists should be "Adapt or move on." 

 

Who said anything about sex-tourists?  They still seem as welcome as ever.

 

Is this a little wishful thinking on your part?  I know some like to pretend that Thailand doesn't have prostitution anymore.

 

[BangkokReady]

19 hours ago, save the frogs said:

Bank balance for a tourist visa? 

They haven't shut down the hostels, have they?

And they don't police people to make sure they are eating in 5 star restaurants and avoiding street food.

 

I think this must be more about perception.  Given the fact that Thailand has made the visa process easier to attract more tourists, this doesn't gel with the idea of trying to keep out any particular type of tourist.

 

Possibly the IOs have started to grill people a little more to compensate for something.

[BangkokReady]

10 hours ago, expat_4_life said:

But there is no going back.

 

You can find similar in other countries, they just don't have the prostitutes...  😓

[NoDisplayName]

21 hours ago, altayvan said:

The places I once slipped through unnoticed now ask for insurance, printouts, onward flights, and proof of funds.

 

Your words.

Contemplate them.

[Harrisfan]

Where is Southpark in Asia?

[GammaGlobulin]

1 hour ago, Harrisfan said:

Where is Southpark in Asia?

 

I already linked the Southpark video in an earlier comment.

 

[Nick Carter icp]

There is something quite sad to see a 50 year old western guy queueing up at the communal toilets in an Asian youth backpackers in the morning 

[Harrisfan]

5 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

There is something quite sad to see a 50 year old western guy queueing up at the communal toilets in an Asian youth backpackers in the morning 

Not as sad as people who sit in Pattaya moaning about Trump.

[frank83628]

23 hours ago, altayvan said:

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?

No, you're just older and times are changing, i have been here since 2000, personally I am not treated any differently now as then, however I can see the change in demographic, less respect given, 2 week tourists rather than 6-12 backpackers. Dont let it bother you. I don't.

[Nick Carter icp]

3 minutes ago, Harrisfan said:

Not as sad as people who sit in Pattaya moaning about Trump.

 

   Not as sad as people sat in Pattaya moaning about Trump whilst queueing up to use the communal toilet in the morning 

[Harrisfan]

2 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   Not as sad as people sat in Pattaya moaning about Trump whilst queueing up to use the communal toilet in the morning 

Not as sad as Friscokid. He said he has no interest in visiting Thailand anytime soon. Joined to troll.

[altayvan]

14 minutes ago, frank83628 said:

No, you're just older and times are changing, i have been here since 2000, personally I am not treated any differently now as then, however I can see the change in demographic, less respect given, 2 week tourists rather than 6-12 backpackers. Dont let it bother you. I don't.

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

[Harrisfan]

On 4/15/2025 at 2:57 AM, altayvan said:

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?

I go off the beaten track. Thais treat me well. Rooms are great value. I do local stuff.

 

 

[frank83628]

7 hours ago, BLMFem said:

Not to worry. I'm pretty sure the feeling is mutual.

Trolls like you  live under bridges, not hostels while backpacking

[sanabavy IV]

Time to write a book, man.

[Puccini]

What or where is Southpark Asia?

[marin]

11 hours ago, Ben Zioner said:

What are you talking about? there were many in Bangkok and larger cities. Ever heard of Mandarin?

He was speaking of out of the way destinations. Dont try and come off holier than thou mate. The Mandarin is a 3 star hotel in BKK. The Mandarin Oriental is a 6 star hotel on the river. 🤔