I have seen quite a number of references to the term Cheap Charlie on this forum and feel that sometimes, less well off visitors are treated a little unsympathetically.
It seems that anyone who is not spending at least 3,000 baht per day plus accomodation and flights is considered to fall into the cheap charlie category. Advice from some members seems to be that if you can't afford at least this level of expenditure, don't bother coming.
I do not fall into the cheap charlie category but I'm no big spender either.
I think that if students or other less well off people wish to visit and spend their limited precious hard earned funds, they should be encouraged. I would encourage anyone provided they are going to be respectful and courteous at all times.
Disrespectful behaviour is found across a whole range of social and economic backgrounds so this is no reason to shun the less well off.
Imagine a student who spends two nights out of three in his budget room drinking cans of beer from a supermarket but then spends what he can afford on the third night in a beer bar, ensuring that he sets aside enough to make a contribution in the form of tips or drinks for staff. This guy is not harming anyone. He probably spends quite a bit of time on the beach or at the local markets etc during the day and if he didn't budget carefully, he would not be able to visit at all. If he finds he can afford to spend a small amount on ST, he finds a girl who asks slightly less than he can afford so that he can tip her on top of the agreed price. I don't think this type of person deserves denigration. I empathise with this type of situation because I've been there before.
On the other hand, a better off person who thinks nothing of spending 5,000 baht on going out for a meal and a few beers at home then tries to claw back every last baht from the locals in LOS is to be thoroughly despised.
My point is that budget travellers with a well developed sense of fair play and who show all due respect to their hosts should be welcomed in LOS and not dismissed as cheap charlies.
