While the Covid-19 pandemic has brought tourism to Thailand to an abrupt halt, causing significant damage to funds to the existence of millions of Thais and the country's economy, one unpleasant phenomenon for the locals has returned to the streets of Thailand. We're talking about backpackers. While the Thai authorities advocated attracting only wealthy tourists, the streets of the kingdom went rogue with backpacks.
According to The Thaiger, there are incredibly many of them in the resort and beloved by Russians Pattaya. Many of them are not just walking with backpacks at the ready, but sitting on the sidewalk, begging for money for further travel. Photos posted on social media of a foreign tourist sitting on Pattaya Beach Road holding a sign offering to sell beads to pay for his round-the-world trip have sparked controversy about the portrait of a tourist choosing to travel to Thailand.
The photos were taken on the night of September 12 near Mike's Mall on Pattaya Beach. They depict a long-haired foreigner sitting on the ground offering beads for sale at 1 baht (1.64 rubles at the current exchange rate) apiece and necklaces. He also carried signs in Thai and English asking him to help pay for his travel around the world.
Some argue that backpacking is a legitimate way to travel that doesn't hurt anyone asking for donations or purchases. Proponents argue that no one is forcing anyone to buy anything or give money, and that such begging tourists usually keep to themselves. This is an argument that tourism should not be just for the rich.
Others take great offense at bagpackers who ask other people to pay for their vacations when, in the sane world, no one should travel without insurance and sufficient funds to survive. They point out that foreigners are often prohibited from asking passers-by for money or selling goods without a license, proper visa or work permit. And perhaps charitable donations go to tourists for entertainment, instead of buying something from locals in need of food or shelter.
Of all the types of tourists who have disappeared during the global pandemic, backpackers have become those with whom the Thais and the tourist industry parted without regret. As tourism returns to Thailand, backpackers will inevitably return, experts say.
Help: Backpacking – from English. backpacking, which translates as “backpacking” – a term common in recent decades, denoting travel that a tourist (backpacker) makes for little money, most often fundamentally refusing the services of tour operators. In Russian, the word has a rarely used analogue – backpack. As a rule, backpackers plan and carry out their trips on their own without a third-party organization. To move, they choose all types of public transport, using any opportunity to save money. Hitchhiking is also popular among backpackers. As an overnight stay, not only comfortable hotels are suitable for them, but also hostels, campsites, as well as houses of local residents, where such travelers can eat for free. One of the most important components of a backpacker's equipment is a backpack.
For those who value a healthy lifestyle, we recommend reading: “The ranking of the healthiest countries in the world has been compiled: the leader has a long life expectancy and a low level of obesity.”< /p>