If you put a sign on a shop 20÷35 % UP on anything you buy. Would you think that anyone will enter your shop? Perhaps the present will leave.
Lets spin that a bit because there are so many implications, if i decide to buy nice 30M property in Bangkok next year sudently this property gets >35 % more expensive. What do think is going to happen in the already overpriced and oversupplied marked like Bangkok?
That is almost always a problem with people ob long trips:
"...in Thailand for a number of months before making his way to the Thai capital."
Which is leaving me with another question, about " ... he had a good graduate job"
Or better, this "had", did he loose the job, before he left?
I mean, no suicide reason might be the question to solve this
Not for the man, he has nothing from the money!
And the 10k seem to be enough, already!
A friend of mine had to bring his brother home, from the Philippines.
That was about 7k Euro.
But as long people feel the need to give, others feel the task, to help them to do that!