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When most people think of Thailand, the image in their minds may be sun, sand and coconut groves, but if you walk into the streets of Thailand, you will find a different scene: ragged, yellow-skinned white people, sitting on the street, holding a cardboard with "need help" written on it, begging from passers-by.
Who are these white beggars? Why would you rather wander in a foreign country than return to your hometown to earn a living?
Pattaya: Red Light District and Sweet Dreams
Pattaya, originally an obscure fishing village on Thailand's east coast, rose to prominence in the 60s when a war broke out. The decade-long Vietnam War made it an important military supply point for the U.S. military in Southeast Asia.
A large number of U.S. soldiers were stationed here, and in addition to combat missions, they also needed to relax. As a result, with the arrival of the US military, Pattaya rapidly developed a industry. Bars, nightclubs, massage parlors, etc., have emerged, and the bejeweled neon lights flicker at night, attracting the lonely and depressed soldiers.
For a time, Pattaya became a "happy city", full of wine and hormones. The influx of dollar bills transformed this small fishing village into a synonym for the "Hawaii of the East." It was a materialistic and rotten paradise, but it was also a rare place for the US military to relax during the war years.
Ten years later, the Vietnam War ended and American troops withdrew. Pattaya was soon transformed from "paradise" to "grave", and fell into a short-lived deserted situation.
Luckily, the once "City of Joy" didn't stop there. On the contrary, Pattaya has seized the opportunity of tourism development and has become a new holiday paradise for many European and American tourists with its unique "red light district" culture. For a time, it once again became a well-known "happy city".
Paradise Trap – The temptation of sensuality and money
For some white Europeans and Americans from poor families, Pattaya is simply a "paradise". Here, they don't need much money to live the life of the "uncle" of the soldiers. Every penny can be infinitely magnified here, even if it is penniless, they can be greedy and happy.
For foreign guests, Pattaya can be described as "a treasure of things and talents". These ragged, skeletal white tourists, once they arrive here, are immediately treated like "high society". After all, in the local area, white skin is an innate "privilege".
Many local women favor white men and regard them as "fragrant buns". In order to get these "pilgrims", they will do everything they can, as long as you are white, you can enjoy all kinds of "intimate services".
In such an environment of "objectification", some white people are inevitably completely carried away by the temptation of sensuality and money. When there is money, they have fun, squander the money and then beg everywhere. In this way, their lives seem to be stuck in an endless cycle, becoming more and more unfounded.
At first, they may just want to come to Thailand to experience the exotic atmosphere, but they didn't expect it to be so in line with their dirtiest desires. Over time, Pattaya's "paradise life" dragged them into the quagmire of dissolute wreckage, living a life of bohemianism and chaos.
Fascinated by begging, he left his hometown to develop in Thailand
As the saying goes, "if you don't die, you won't die", but for these white beggars who indulge in Pattaya's "paradise life", it seems that death is the whole meaning and motivation of their lives.
Some low-level European and American whites have problems even eating and clothing in their hometowns, but once they come to Pattaya, it is like opening the door to a new world. In order to pursue the romantic lifestyle of the drunken and gold-obsessed here, they have no scruples and have gambled almost all their lives.
Some people even left their hometowns for this reason, abandoned their relatives and friends, and went to Thailand alone. They would rather live on the streets in a foreign country than miss out on Pattaya, a "paradise on earth". never returned, and eventually became a homeless prodigal son.
Others, on the other hand, wait until they have enjoyed the prime of their lives. In order to "burn the last fire of life", many retirees from European and American countries have traveled thousands of miles to Pattaya, where they squander all the old money they saved when they were young without restraint.
For them, Pattaya is the end of life, the last stop for indulging in lust and lust. When the last penny is squandered, they would rather live on the streets and beg for a living than leave this sinful and enchanting paradise.
For them, Pattaya is a kind of madness and obsession that they can't extricate themselves from, a kind of endless desire and pursuit of pleasure, even if they know that they will end up penniless and ruined, they can't extricate themselves, they can only make mistakes again and again, and die tirelessly.
The price of the "Hawaii of the East".
Pattaya is like a bane hidden behind the tropical atmosphere, attracting many people to "wander". However, for the Thai government, these white beggars are undoubtedly a social headache.
In order to solve this phenomenon, the Thai government has had to take a number of measures: strengthen visa management, prohibit open begging, and provide skills training for beggars. But with little success, some white beggars simply chose to destroy their passports and identity documents in order to continue their stay.
For these people, Pattaya is their "home", and begging has perhaps become a "way of life". Even when the government tries to repatriate them, they are still reluctant to give up their obsession with "life in paradise."
Faced with this phenomenon, we can't help but ask: Are these white people looking for meaning in life, or are they completely self-indulgent? When the short-term carnal desires have passed, leaving only emptiness and hesitation, how will they face loneliness and old age?
epilogue
"Paradise life in Pattaya" is undoubtedly the reason for these white beggars to dream of, but this happy lifestyle will only end up leaving them penniless and ruined. Maybe when they face the end of their lives, they will regret it, maybe they will persevere to the end, and finally die alone in a foreign country.
This is a social phenomenon that deserves our deep thought. Everyone has the right to pursue their own way of life, but blind indulgence and aimless aimless aimlessness often lead people into deeper predicaments. For Thailand's white beggars, is there a chance they will ever turn back? Or will you sink into Pattaya's "paradise trap" forever?
China News Network 2018-03-05Chinese media: Professional beggars in Bangkok earn a lot of money, with a maximum daily income of 5,000 baht
Huanqiu.com 2019-07-24 15:25·Travel while begging! Backpackers are outdated, and beggars earn their travel expenses by crying poor
China News Network2017-04-15 11:17· "Poor travel" becomes "begging" Western tourists begging on the streets of Asia cause controversy