"Beg - packers" - Western Cheap Charlies who come to Thailand with no money should "begger off" say Thais on Facebook

[ThaiWai]

9 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

I'm more of a "live and let live" kind of guy.  I haven't a clue how strangers got to where they are in their lives, and there but for the grace of God...

I can assure you I got no help from a magical delusion.  I worked to get where I am.

[dotpoom]

"Can you spare me a 1000BahtBaht for a cup of tea".......a 1000Baht for a cup of tea?......" Yes, I like to frequent the Hilton"

 

[digibum]

59 minutes ago, jesimps said:

In ten years of living here I've never seen a farang begging or hitch hiking. I've seen many thousands of farang (myself included) spending millions of baht here supporting  wives and stepchildren, running businesses giving employment to locals and contributing to the economy in general.

 

I have though, seen thousands of Thais begging. Maybe the facebookers were a little confused.

 

Cue the Thai-bashing policemen.

 

 

 

 

You need to look harder.  There was the German guy who used to sit outside the FamilyMart on Soi 22.  Heard he made it down to Pattaya.  Sad as some said he had a serious mental illness which is why he was homeless.  

 

Have also seen farangs on Sukhumvit begging for money plenty of times.  

 

And of course, the worst type of beggar is the English teacher buddy who always seems to be a little short with the bill or asks if you can spot his bar tab until Friday and then he doesn't answer his phone for a month.  :-)

 

[digibum]

5 minutes ago, fruitman said:

Just kick them out.

 

And yet when someone suggests that Thai immigration have some sort of financial criteria for visas . . . people freak the F out.  

[jabis]

14 minutes ago, arithai12 said:

Bangkok-Chiang Mai in 23 days? that's 750 km, can be done I suppose but I would call it pro long-distance running not leisure walking.

Bu I do agree with you that travelling on a shoestring (remember the first edition of the lonely planet-to-be) is an old established form of tourism. I think this article is pointing, admittedly not very well, at something new indeed: have others pay for your travels.

Google suggests Chiang Mai - BKK 135 h (665 km) via AH2 so roughly 5d 15h at walking pace. Here's a route for you 

 

https://goo.gl/maps/bnnMzW9CJLP2 
 

[impulse]

6 minutes ago, ThaiWai said:

I can assure you I got no help from a magical delusion.  I worked to get where I am.

 

And you didn't spend your life savings on a kid with cancer, and your wife didn't clean out your bank account just before she shacked up with the guy you thought was her brother, and your pension wasn't looted by the smartest guys in the room,  and...and...  

 

There but for the grace of God.  Or, for you atheists, there but for the luck of the draw.

 

[ICECOOL]

Noting the comments here I just wonder how many would welcome beg packers in their own countries.

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[Surasak]

Late teen or early twenty is the age of the entitled. Gimme, Gimme, Gimme.

[robertthesculptor]

Nice eletiest with overtones of racism. Many of those traveling Penniless types go on to become people with degrees in international relations, great writers, creators, and just good neighbors. The attitude displayed in this poorly written story is what causes locals to murder and rape and think their being Thai protects them. That is just opinion, but stand back and look.
This is a wonderful country and if you look has just such a class of people...the monks who often move from one place to another collecting alms which feed them, and free rides when they need. And often giftsvof cellphone's and more.
Come on this is a piece of purple prose written to incite Thai people to hate...propaganda

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[digibum]

4 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

And you didn't spend your life savings on a kid with cancer, and your wife didn't clean out your bank account just before she shacked up with the guy you thought was her brother, and your pension wasn't looted by the smartest guys in the room,  and...and...  

 

There but for the grace of God.  Or, for you atheists, there but for the luck of the draw.

 

 

And when I see beg-packers in their 40's, 50's and 60's I might buy that argument.  Most of them are in their 20's which means they haven't had time to have their life savings cleaned out because they've yet to work for anything yet.  

[impulse]

1 minute ago, Surasak said:

Late teen or early twenty is the age of the entitled. Gimme, Gimme, Gimme.

 

Yeah,  I was like that, too at that age.  And we just had 3 channels and the occasional talkies to pound all that good life into our expectations.  Imagine how much worse it is now that the interweb gives us 5,000 channels of the beautiful life to show us how inadequate our lives are.

[gemguy]

7 minutes ago, arithai12 said:

Bangkok-Chiang Mai in 23 days? that's 750 km, can be done I suppose but I would call it pro long-distance running not leisure walking.

Bu I do agree with you that travelling on a shoestring (remember the first edition of the lonely planet-to-be) is an old established form of tourism. I think this article is pointing, admittedly not very well, at something new indeed: have others pay for your travels.

Although he did not give the details I imagine he got a few free rides in-between the various cities on the way to Chiang Mai

I met him in the market outside of the office I was working and he was trying to buy a smaller portion of the food that was on offer and trying to ask the vendor for a half portion....so I pointed out that some of the fruit was 5 baht, but for a meal, at that time it was still 15 baht for say rice with chicken and he want to buy for half that price...lol

He was an American and told me he did the same or similar thing in Mexico and on the cheap and talked about cheap cheap ways of getting along and hoped to get to India one day as he knew India was even cheaper.

 

I remember when I first came to Thailand in November of 1979 I went to Phuket and ended up staying at the only beach bungalow affair on Nai Harn beach at what would be the south end of the beach.

There I met people with the objective to just be there and as cheap as possible.

They talked about how Thailand was expensive as compared to India where they could live on the beach for about 2 dollars per day while the cost of staying on Nai Harn beach was expensive at around 4 to 5 dollars per day

They rented the bungalows for long term for 20 to 30 baht per day and  have 1 meal a day or maybe 2 meals sometimes at 10 to 20 baht a meal and drink 1 or 2 beer a day and of course they had their bag of pot that they bought for 50 baht to last them for maybe a week or more and they were happy to just stay there for as long as their visa arrangements would allow them.

They complained bitterly about the cost of having to do a visa run to the border of Thailand and Malaysia.

Every penny was accounted for and guarded judiciously.

 

[Fulwell53]

4 hours ago, Thechook said:

" people with signs on the roadside or begging at gas stations. Here in Asia we are not used to this way "

 

I have never personally seen a farang begging in Thailand but I have seen countless Thai beggers and her comment,   If we are supporting beggars or people bartering they will just take our money. It is the wrong way round".  Yes we are suppose to take your money but don't touch what we already took from you.

 

You must never have been in bangkok, pattaya or phuket then.

The overall premise is correct . If they are on tourist visas and cant support themselves financially other than by begging they need booting out.

That is what would happen to them in the west.

Then again we are bound to see the usual suspects turn a topic around in order to demonise thais.

Never ceases to amaze me how quickly certain people will turn any topic atound to this effect.

[digibum]

Just now, impulse said:

 

Yeah,  I was like that, too at that age.  And we just had 3 channels and the occasional talkies to pound all that good life into our expectations.  Imagine how much worse it is now that the interweb gives us 5,000 channels of the beautiful life to show us how inadequate our lives are.

 

And millions of videos of "vloggers" who travel around and show everyone they don't need a "real" job.  They can just travel and ride elephants and bungee jump and snorkel with whale sharks.  

 

Sign me up for some of that!!!  

[impulse]

1 minute ago, digibum said:

And when I see beg-packers in their 40's, 50's and 60's I might buy that argument.  Most of them are in their 20's which means they haven't had time to have their life savings cleaned out because they've yet to work for anything yet.  

 

My friends got trips to Europe (or cars) for their high school graduation presents.  I got a calculator- to use in college, and a job during my gap summer.  Thank goodness I didn't care to go to Europe, or I would have had to beg my way through.  I would have really liked a new car, though...

[lee68]

I see a few people hitch hiking on the highway outside my house in chiang mai,usually heading for chiang rai on the 118.

[tonray]

I've run across 2 or 3 money begging farang in the past couple of years. I lectured one young guy on Soi 29 Ramkamhaeng near the pier and pointed out the regular Thai guy with no legs who drags himself from RamKamhaeng Road all the way to the pier and back every day. He just smirked and told me to move on after I told him he had no shame. 

 

Another gal was selling her travel photos near Victory Monument attracting stares and comments from Thai gawkers, all the while wearing $200 Nikes and the latest fashionable clothing.

 

 

I understand the Thais being pissed off as most regular Thais are left out of the 'economic miracle' that only benefits the top tier here. In the west, there certainly is a backlash against foreigners without means of support, why would it be any different here ?

[Thechook]

2 minutes ago, Fulwell53 said:

You must never have been in bangkok, pattaya or phuket then.

The overall premise is correct . If they are on tourist visas and cant support themselves financially other than by begging they need booting out.

That is what would happen to them in the west.

Then again we are bound to see the usual suspects turn a topic around in order to demonise thais.

Never ceases to amaze me how quickly certain people will turn any topic atound to this effect.

How is my comment demonising Thais?  It was a thai who stated that they aren't use to people begging and I simply stated that I have seen numerous thais begging.  If you think this is having a go at Thais you need to harden up.

[mok199]

next they will be washing your car windows at the red light...

[gemguy]

1 minute ago, mok199 said:

next they will be washing your car windows at the red light...

Brilliant Idea ....you should be an economic advisor to the Thai Government......lol

[Gracas]

2 minutes ago, mok199 said:

next they will be washing your car windows at the red light...

At least they would be doing something which is a plus, and not just asking for free money.

[Thaimarkz]

Have recently read a article about this problem in a european newspaper. The authorities there are aware of that and not happy with it

This mob has no respect for the poor people of the country and the hosting country. They are not even welcome in their home countries where they ran around and bluff with their begging tour through other countries.

Thailand suffers already under the non stop drunk bawling sex tourists (at least they bring money)... We do not need another mob here. OUT !!!!

It is forbidden for tourists to work in thailand. So begging and selling pictures or whatelse should be classified as work, so this mob can be arrested and deported. The corresponding embassy should be involved and forced to pay for the flight back. The problem will ease down within a good time.

[free123]

1 hour ago, morocco said:

I have seen a few farang hitch hiking. It's embarrassing to see. Another case of ignorance towards the culture of the country they are visiting. 

 so whats wrong with hitch hiking.....it is a great way to meet te real people of a country and not the tourist business people...made great friends that way  ... and if I was stuck out in the middle of nowhere just take the bus or a taxi back to town...if a long trip was gibing sure share the driving the food or the petrol....

[Saan]

Nothing new about this except a name change. Fifty years ago they were called hippies.

[ZenoBresson]

4 hours ago, Thechook said:

I have never personally seen a farang begging in Thailand

Bangkok, around Siam BTS station.

[Joebuzz]

1 minute ago, Saan said:

Nothing new about this except a name change. Fifty years ago they were called hippies.

BS Saan, 50 years ago this hippie was making 10 grand a month selling pot.

[chrisandsu]

9 minutes ago, free123 said:

 so whats wrong with hitch hiking.....it is a great way to meet te real people of a country and not the tourist business people...made great friends that way  ... and if I was stuck out in the middle of nowhere just take the bus or a taxi back to town...if a long trip was gibing sure share the driving the food or the petrol....

Totally agree . Some seriously stuck up people in this forum . Can you imagine the gf sticking around with out the wallet ?? seriously though I picked up a couple of Italian hitch hikers just outside of kho Yao park , absolutely lovely people I had a great time and they got to see that not every Brit is stuck up his own backside ?

[IamNoone88]

They are Millenniums and by Christ, it is their God given right to get everything they want for free and with minimal effort and raise a stink when they are not provided for!! Seems like they have been fed quite well - thank God for the sharing food and beer economy! 

[bbbbooboo]

hmmm...,. What's the saying....... the ladies are sitting on a goldmine?....might be said of some males as well? Not sure you 'd call it beg packing tho........it might have another name......opportunism perhaps?

[anon4637435435]

Ive got people coming to my house every second day asking for money. Always a story and promises of returns. Its so bad i thought i would rent 6.5rai and pay all these idiots to farm as they are all farmig people with abilities. No one has been back since. I guess they misse the "work for a living" idea .

Thais, fix your own ppl first or let the farang idiots act as thais do.

Until then, shut up.

With all the submarine buying and happines indexing i thought thais would like to help out fellow "humans" that might be less fortunate. Perhaps not? Thats a bad personality trait!