Say Goodbye to Backpackers

Bangkok, Thailand.  August 21, 2012.  Thailand is a major world destination for backpackers, but here’s a new one on me:  they are

no longer called “backpackers.”  Now, they are known as flashpackers—high-tech, socially connected young travelers.  In fact, with the amount of time they spend buried in electronic gear, I don’t know why they bother to leave home in the first place.