Today I saw a white western guy sitting under the bridge next to Siam Paragon, he was selling some bracelets and there was a sign that said something like “I am traveling around Asia, help me to finance it by buying the bracelets” (don’t remember the phrasing exactly). It’s my first time in Asia and I have never seen something like this. My first thought was that it is really ignorant. I mean, shouldn’t tourists and locals buy from someone local? I find it quite problematic to ask for money in this way when a person is coming from a background of western privilege.
I was wondering: what do locals and expats alike think about this? Also, is this a common thing? Happy to know your opinions, maybe I’m missing the point here.
