The trend of foreign tourists asking locals for money to finance their trips has become a problem in Asia, especially in Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia...
These travelers often rely on the sympathy of local people to ask for money for their trip. This action is called begpacker, a combination of beggar and backpacker. Some choose to carry signs with messages written in the local language to ask for money. Others earn money by singing on the street or selling small items.
Begpacker is a compound word of beggar and backpacker.
In the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, travel restrictions and strict safety measures were put in place. This led to a change in the beggar tourist group. They could no longer ask locals to sponsor their trips like before. But when the restrictions were lifted, it meant the reappearance of such groups of tourists. Most of them were tourists from the West.
These tourists often rely on the sympathy of local people to ask for money for their trip and that action is called begpacker.
They only bring a minimal budget to Southeast Asian countries, entrusting the spending of tourism by taking advantage of the kindness of local people, who are willing to ask for money despite having lower incomes here.
Begging on the street takes many forms, from "free hugs", selling handicrafts, or holding up signs that say "donations needed to fulfill my dream of traveling around the world"...
It is not difficult to see many tourists begging for money to support their trips at many famous tourist destinations around the world.
Begpackers often choose Asian destinations such as Vietnam, Thailand, Hong Kong (China)... This has become the main destination for beggar tourists because of its prime geographical location, simple visa policy and generosity of local people.
Another male tourist in Thailand, for example, chose to sell photos he had taken himself on previous trips. He did not set a price, but let his customers decide for themselves. In addition to the sign written in the local language, he also had an English sign to attract more foreign tourists.
In the photo is a male tourist selling the photos he took without giving a specific price.
The return of begpackers as destinations reopen is becoming a major problem in Asia. Many people call these tourists “shameless beggars”. In simpler terms, many tourist beggars take advantage of the free hugs trend to finance their trips. They just go to a public place, put up a sign with the phrase “free hugs” and ask for money. Locals can pay whatever they want for each hug.
Most recently, in Duong Dong ward, Phu Quoc city, Kien Giang, three foreign men appeared holding signs asking for money. On the cardboard, there was written in Vietnamese: "Hello, we are from Russia. We have been traveling without money for 5 years. Please support our journey. Thank you." Currently, the authorities of Kien Giang province have established a working group to go to Phu Quoc to investigate this incident.
Tourists ask for money in Phu Quoc
According to the New York Post, since 2017, the Thai government has required international visitors to prove they have sufficient financial means to pay for their trip before being allowed to enter the country.
Customs officers at airports and border crossings may require visitors to present at least 20,000 baht (14.3 million VND) in cash. However, this regulation does not apply to all border crossings or visitors. Customs officers will make specific requests on a case-by-case basis.
In addition, in 2016, the country introduced a law that made street begging illegal. This move allows local authorities to deal with illegal beggars, including locals and foreigners, who can be detained and fined.
The practice of asking for money through free hugs
Meanwhile, in Singapore, begging is considered an illegal act. Individuals who violate the law multiple times can receive a fine of more than 2,000 USD (nearly 50 million VND) or even a maximum of 2 years in prison.
