News network France 24 recently did a feature on a "beg-packers." Obviously, the term is a take on "backpackers."
As France 24 explained: "'Beg-packers' is the word sometimes used to describe young Western tourists who play music or sell knick-knacks in the streets of Southeast Asia to pay for their trips or to purchase their ticket back home."
The report noted that "locals have been shocked to see white tourists begging in the streets of Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Singapore to raise money for their travels."
One of the contributors to the France 24 report was Singaporean Maisarah Abu Samah, who spotted two couples who were beg-packers. She took photos of them and posted the images on Twitter.
Ok but seriously got the non emergency line or email for @SingaporePolice or not. To just go see the nonlegal buskers like? pic.twitter.com/qQkVWtuJpP
— Sarah Coldheart (@sarahcoldheart) April 4, 2017
Both the France 24 article and the images got angry reactions from netizens.
These aren't coal miners or redundant factory workers. Privilege.
— Sebastian Su (@Sebastian_su) April 18, 2017
Would you pay for 'beg-packers’ holiday? https://t.co/IvgME1FiNN
Here are my thoughts on white "beg-packers" in my country pic.twitter.com/RkN1xawPfB
— T K (@icametobargain) April 18, 2017
A "colonial legacy. These begging tourists would have been treated completely differently if they weren’t white." https://t.co/bblkR2G8MN
— Erin Moriarty (@ErinMoriartyH) April 10, 2017
#IdeaBubble Why not travel #KarmaFree by financing your own way, instead of 'begging your way' along? https://t.co/chxf2jAKmV
— CherokeeBlueVintage (@CherokeeBlueTP) April 10, 2017