Thailand no longer wants backpackers

When I first came over here at the turn of the millennium, Thailand was exceptionally welcoming of backpackers and over the years I have seen that situation change dramatically. They have transitioned their tourism strategy to attracting high-end tourists, primarily from China, who are going to come into the country for a few weeks, spend a bunch of money and then head back home. While i find this frustrating, from a business point of view I can't really fault them for this.

For the uninitiated, a backpacker is much more than just someone who uses what is bound to be the least efficient method of suitcase - they are also a group of people that are traveling for a very long period of time, normally many months, and tend to be on a very low budget in order to extend their travels for as long as possible. I have met people that were trying to spend less than $10 a day on all things consumed. I was never this stingy but at one point I owned a guesthouse that catered to them. They can be a bit frustrating.

However, in order for this situation to work out for them, backpackers need to visit countries that are willing to accommodate the fact that they don't necessarily have a plan. Thailand used to accommodate this, they do not anymore.

Years ago it was possible to cross into this country and get stamps pretty much endlessly. The stamp was only for 30 days but then people would simply pop down to another country for a few days and come back. The people that were really enjoying this country would simply go to a border crossing and get stamped into malaysia for 2 minutes then come straight back. This process is all but impossible now.

While it is kind of up to the attitude of the individual immigration official, there are a few things that they can request, that will throw off the plans of a backpacker these days and send them "packing" in the other direction.

1. proof of funds - they can and sometime do request to see proof of having 20,000B (about $700) on your person. While i am quite certain that most backpackers do in fact have this much money, requesting that they currently be carrying it is a bit absurd and only invites theft.
2. proof of onward travel. It is necessary to show that you will be leaving Thailand upon arriving. This is problematic for backpackers because often they don't know exactly when they will be leaving or will be departing Thailand by land on a bus or train. I think this rule is particularly stupid because there is no way to get a certified bus ticket before arriving.
3. proof of lodging for your entire stay: This is pretty annoying. The whole idea behind true backpacking is that you don't know where you will be staying for the next few days, let alone for an entire month. The backpacking culture is one of adventure, not of rigid plans.

I don't know if these requirement were designed to thwart backpackers from coming here at all but it is working. Many people decide to travel to nearby Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, or even Indonesia who are still quite welcoming to the backpacker hordes. I would imagine this is because Thailand attracts significantly greater numbers of tourists than probably all of those countries combined.

The elimination of this demographic is not good for the tourism sector as an awful lot of the lodging and attractions in this country were designed specifically for catering to backpackers. Now, the people I know that have businesses geared towards the backpacker are all suffering and many are closing entirely. The government doesn't care for a very specific reason: These small businesses do not pay very much tax. They pay extremely little if any. Giant hotel chains have teams of accountants and pay a massive amount of tax based on sales to higher-end tourists who stay for a short amount of time.

So once again, the reasoning behind a bunch of rules is the fact that the gubment wants their cut.

I am no fan of government, but like I said at the start of this article. Like most things in life, it all boils down to money. The days of simply rocking up to a street and finding a place to stay will likely come to an end in this country very soon. I find it sad because a lot of people don't want to live a regimented life - the adventure of not knowing where you are going next (but still knowing you have the resources to do so) is a really exciting way to live your life, even for a short while.

it looks like crap, but it is actually a lot of fun

I don't think backpacking is done, it is a right of passage for many of the world's youth and one that I think is extremely helpful for personal development. However, I do believe that the days of Thailand being even a little bit welcoming of it, is coming to a close :(