近來出現一種現象，越來越多的西方人到東南亞“乞討”窮遊，外媒都看不下去了。
《每日郵報》毫不留情地使用“shameless”（可恥的、厚顏無恥的）來形容這些“乞討客”（beg-packers）。
Beg-packer由backpacker“背包客”一詞改編而來，藉以嘲諷和批評這些“乞討客”。
“乞討客” 不知羞恥日漸壯大：令人震驚的現象，西方背包客在一些世界最貧窮地區，向人乞討，求人資助其旅行。
《太陽報》也以辛辣諷刺的文字報導了這一現象。
貪得無厭的“乞討客”群體日漸壯大：一些厚顏無恥的西方背包客在世界上最窮的一些國家乞討，求別人資助其環球旅行，真是令人憤怒。一些背著價值數百英鎊照相機的遊客在新加坡街頭乞討。
事情還要從新加坡網友麥莎拉·阿布·沙瑪發在推特賬號 @sarahcoldheart 上的兩張照片說起……
照片中的幾個西方遊客在新加坡街邊賣藝、售賣明信片，其目的是籌錢實現自己環球旅行的夢想。
The first pair are sitting on the ground behind a cardboard sign that says " Support our trip around the world ”, and are peddling postcards. Other photos show a different young couple playing Pink Floyd and Guns 'N' Roses songs on the guitar and harmonica next to a cardboard sign with the same message.第一對席地而坐，面前擺著一個紙板，上面寫著“ 支持我們的環球旅行 ”，同時兜售著一些明信片。其他照片中顯示一對小年輕彈著吉他、吹著口琴，表演平克·弗洛伊德和槍砲玫瑰的歌曲，旁邊的紙板上寫著同樣的信息。
法蘭西24小時電視台網站寫道：
These young people don't seem to be in dire need, however — they own expensive equipment such as an amplifier.這些年輕人背著昂貴的設備，比如擴音器，不像是有什麼緊急需求。
一名西方男子在街邊乞討
對於這種現象，麥莎拉·阿布·沙瑪和很多當地人表示很不理解，甚至感到有些憤怒。
It was the first time I've seen something like that and it stopped me in my tracks.我第一次見到這樣的事，驚訝得把車都停了下來。We find it extremely strange to ask other people for money to help you travel.我們會覺得向別人要錢資助你旅遊是件極其奇怪的事。People who do so are really in need: they beg in order to buy food, pay their children's school fees or pay off debts. But not in order to do something seen as a luxury .這樣做的人真是被逼無奈：他們用乞討得來的錢買食物，付孩子的學費或還債，而不是來做什麼看上去很奢侈的事。
“ 我正在進行環亞洲旅行，沒錢，請支持我的旅行。 ”
其實，新加坡政府對街邊賣藝有著很嚴格的規定。《海峽時報》在文章中也進行了解釋：
Buskers in Singapore need to audition with the National Arts Council and get a busking card to perform in public.新加坡街頭賣藝者要去國家藝術理事會進行試演，然後取得在公共場所演出的許可證。Only foreigners on employment passes staying in Singapore are eligible for the busking scheme. They also need to get permission from the Ministry of Manpower.在新拿著務工簽證的外國人才能參與賣藝計劃，而且必須要從勞力部獲得許可。
但是很多西方背包客無視當地法律法規，隨意進行賣藝或乞討行為，這就引發了不滿。
不光是新加坡，泰國、馬來西亞等都是這些“乞討客”的天堂。
據《每日郵報》報導，上面的那張照片是泰國曼谷當地人發在網上的，配文：
Lost his money on girls, bar, or what?他這是把錢花在姑娘身上了，還是揮霍在酒吧了，還是啥？
窮外國人，只有在泰國曼谷才能見到。
參與這種窮遊的不光是年輕人，還有不少的中年人。
紙板上寫著“求幫忙，需要錢買票回家。謝謝。”"Please help, need money for the ticket home. Thank you."
這種“籌錢窮遊”的趨勢還蔓延到了網絡上，不少人利用眾籌網站或慈善公益項目滿足自己集資去環遊世界的夢想。
There is even a dedicated website, “fundmytravel ” , which allows people to appeal for donations to 'fund meaningful travel experiences.'
有人甚至還成立了一個專門的網站，名叫“資助我的旅行”，幫助人們籌集捐款來“資助有意義的旅行”。While many projects on the site seem to be linked to worthy causes - such as humanitarian work in impoverished countries - others seem to be less deserving .
儘管該網站上的很多資助項目看起來非常有意義有價值，比如在貧困國家進行人道主義幫助，但還有很多項目似乎沒什麼值得稱道的。
馬來西亞一位學習政治經濟學的女士路易莎（Louisa）從更深層的角度剖析了這一現象。
她認為這種現象揭示了西方世界和曾被殖民的亞洲之間仍然存在的不平等關係。
I think that this kind of behaviour shows how many people still look at the world with an orientalist view [Editor's note: a way of seeing that imagines, exaggerates and distorts the differences between so-called “Eastern” and “Western” cultures] . They see Asia as an exotic place of spiritual discovery.
我認為這樣的行為表明許多人仍然以東方主義的視角看待這個世界（注：這種視角指過度想像、誇大和扭曲所謂的“東方”和“西方”文化的差別。）這些人認為亞洲是個可以進行精神探索的充滿異域風情的地方。
This turns our continent into a caricature, a mystical land full of adventures or, in other words, a playground for white people. People come here on a journey of self-discovery, eager for exotic experiences. Sometimes, I want to ask them: what makes you think that this kind of behaviour is normal in Asia? Why don't you do the same thing at home?
這種想法把亞洲變成了一幅漫畫、一塊充滿了冒險活動的神秘大陸，換句話說，一個白人的遊樂場。白人來到這進行自我探索式的旅行，並希望碰上充滿異域風情的經歷。有時，我只想問問他們：你們憑什麼認為你們這麼做在亞洲是正常的？你們怎麼不在自己的國家做這種事？
Unfortunately, there is still discrimination and racism directed at people who aren't white, while white people are worshipped. It's a colonial legacy. These begging tourists would have been treated completely differently if they weren't white.
不幸的是，目前仍然存在對非白人的歧視和種族主義，而白人卻受到盲目崇拜。這是殖民時代遺留下的問題。如果這些乞討的旅行者不是白人，他們就會受到完全不同的待遇。
If we think about it in terms of fairness, and particularly now when everyone is talking about immigration policies, I think it's crazy that governments in the global north are so strict towards foreigners and demand that migrants contribute to the local economy, while all the while , their own citizens can travel anywhere they want to without having any economic requirement.
如果我們從公平的角度來想，尤其在當前所有人都在討論移民政策的背景下，北半球的各國政府對外國移民實行的各種嚴厲措施簡直就不可理喻。他們要求移民必須對當地經濟做出貢獻，而這些白人國家自己的公民卻可以在全世界到處旅行，而當地政府對他們卻沒有任何經濟要求。
This phenomenon just highlights the fact that the tourist industry in the global south is highly problematic and contributes to the myth of the “good savage" , this person of colour who is gentle and well-meaning, but poor and ignorant, and whose only goal is to serve the white man and welcome him to his country.
這一現象恰恰證明南半球各國的旅遊業有很大的問題，並且助長了一種“高貴的野蠻人”的錯誤觀念。這一觀念指的是有色人種，他們雖然溫順善良，卻貧困無知。推崇這種觀念的唯一目的無外乎是為了更好地服務白人，熱烈歡迎他們來到自己的國家。
這個現像也引起了外國網友的熱烈討論。
光是《每日郵報》一篇文章，就有2000多條網友留言。大多數人都譴責這種行為。
美國的網友Mr Magooo說：
Went BackPacking in my 20's around the World for a year. Saved up for a few years before we went.... then WORKED in Australia New Zealand etc. Didn't sit on our asses in 'poorer' countries with a begging bowl. These kids are despicable.我20來歲的時候用了一整年背包環遊世界。我們去之前攢了好幾年的錢，然後還在澳新打過工。從來沒有一屁股坐在“貧窮”國家街頭，擺個碗乞討。這些小孩真是太可鄙了。
馬來西亞的網友Ms2017很憤怒：
If you want be a beggar, be a beggar in your country, and then use that money to travel to my country. Don't be a beggar in my country, travel at the expense of people in my country who work hard for a living and probably couldn't even afford to travel to neighbour countries.如果你想當乞丐，回你自己國家當乞丐去，然後再拿著那些錢來我國旅遊。別在這兒乞討，然後花著我們的錢旅遊，我們這兒很多人都在辛辛苦苦賺錢，而他們可能都負擔不起去鄰國旅遊的費用。
日本網友kawaii3也表示鄙夷：
Last weekend, I saw a French female backpacker who was doing hula hoop and begging money in front of Harajuku station, Tokyo. She seemed so pathetic. If she doesn't have money, she shouldn't have visited Japan.上週末，我看到一個法國女背包客在東京原宿地鐵口轉呼啦圈討錢。她看起來真可憐。如果沒錢，她不應該來日本旅遊。
也有網友指出給錢的人也很蠢。
英國Spike58：
All I can say is more fool the people who give them money. I certainly wouldn't.我只能說那些給錢的人更蠢，要我肯定不會給。
泰國handy1912：
If people knew that nobody was going to give them anything there would not be a problem. Generosity may be admirable but it has caused this problem.如果他們知道沒有人會給他們錢，那就不會有這個問題了。慷慨也許值得敬佩，但它也導致了這個問題。
但是也有不少網友挺他們……
英國Don Maico：
What they are showing is true enterprise. It takes a lot of guts to go out into the big wide world and take one chance. People have been doing this kind of thing since the sixties when hippies used to back pack to the far east. Good on them I say and shame on the DM for trying to turn what they are doing into some kind of negative.他們展現的這種才是真正的冒險精神。要到外面的世界闖蕩，抓住一次機會，是需要很多勇氣的。從60年代嬉皮士背包探索遠東開始，人們就在做這種事了。要我說，他們做得好，《每日郵報》才垃圾，一個勁黑他們。
浪漫主義者覺得來一場說走就走的旅行才沒有錯。
samantha10：
Nothing shameless or wrong with it. People should travel as much as they can. You've just got to pack up and go. Worry, nerves or lack of money shouldn't stop people.這麼做一點也不可恥，也沒有錯。人們就應該多旅行，背起行囊，說走就走。擔心、緊張、缺錢都不應該阻止你的腳步。
還有網友自己也是“乞討旅遊”的踐行者……
新西蘭Penny Pincers：
It's really not as bad as it seems. My girls and I did this when we were in Cambodia. We were 19 at the time and travelling around Southeast Asia during our university break. We had just enough money to get by for four weeks but we wanted to extend our trip and see more of Cambodia.這真的沒有看起來那麼糟糕。我和女伴去柬埔寨旅行的時候就這麼做的。我們那時候19歲，大學放假期間在東南亞旅行。我們的錢只夠4個星期，但是我們還想多玩玩，看看柬埔寨。A large part of our trip was fully funded by the generous people of Cambodia, all of whom were male, might I add. They seemed to really love the attention from westerners, especially me with my blonde hair lol! It was fine, honestly. It's called redistribution of wealth. We pumped all the money back into their economy.我們的大部分行程都是慷慨的柬埔寨人資助的，順說，全都是男性。他們似乎真的很高興有西方人搭理他們，尤其是一頭金發的我，哈哈！真的沒什麼大不了的。這叫做重新分配財富。我們然後又把這些錢都貢獻給當地經濟了。
但是也有網友立刻懟了回去：
新西蘭nzbased：
How dare you call it "redistribution of wealth". You were taking money from some of the poorest people on the planet. We donated money and goods to orphanages in Siem Reap when we visited, and you go begging for money to extend your travels! You should be ashamed, not saying it's not as bad as it seems. You should reflect on that!你也好意思說這是“重新分配財富”。你是從世界上最貧窮的人民手中要錢。我們去柬埔寨暹粒旅行的時候，給當地孤兒院捐錢捐物，而你卻討錢旅行！你應該感到羞恥，而不是說這沒有看起來那麼糟糕。你應該好好反省反省！
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