Foreigner Begging for Money in Bangkok Sparks Investigation

[Sydebolle]

Immigration and Department of Labour will be out in forces to hunt down the dirty farang, a.k.a. alien, for begging without work permit.

Needless to say, that such news is terrible as it taints the "farang ruae" (foreigners are rich) message hammered into the semi-divine Khon Thai which results in getting overcharged due to white skin - on all levels, governmental (national parks and sightseeing sights) as well as private (hotels, taxis etc.).

And then they wonder, why the very group with fed the tourism industry billions of dollars in the past, went elsewhere and, what is left behind is either a poor fellow begging or a crook taking Thais for a ride. 

[bbko]

1 hour ago, PremiumLane said:

This will get the old boomers on here all frothed up. Nothing like a story about a farrang beggar, someone working with out a work permit, someone in hospital facing a huge bill etc. to get the righteous warriors of this forum all worked up. 

Would you contribute to a beggar's GoFund me page?

 

 

[silent]

1 hour ago, roo860 said:

He's no more British than you. 👍🏾👍🏾

lol

[billd766]

5 hours ago, nikmar said:

There was an English fella begging in Nana once. Late 20's or early 30's with a similar story. Lost everything to theft and just wanted to go home. I was working for a teaching agency and said i could set him up with soem smart clothes and some food and expenses to cover him until he got paid, therefore he could earn his fare home. I was willing to do it as one day you never know, it could be me. He point blank refused to work, just wanted cash. Unbelievable.

 

Having said that , i would never judge someone without knowing his story. 

Thank you for at least making an effort to help another human being and not instantly condemning them without asking or knowing their story.

[orchidfan]

4 hours ago, 1happykamper said:

Plenty of Thai beg.. Especially in Bkk. What law is the farang breaking? 

Yes there's a "resident" beggar outside my local 7/11...right at the entrance/exit for the shop....nearly every afternoon /evening.

He's not skinny BUT filthy dirty and clothed only in a pair of ragged black shorts.

He rummages through the bin for any edible scraps thrown away.

 

I give him some money every time I go by him, for which he is most grateful.

 

BUT 99% of local customers give him a very wide berth. No Buddhist empathy there. It's like (in their minds) he has the plague.....which he does not.

A few lice maybe.

 

Thing is,  that NO authorities or humanitarian organizations call by to offer help or find out his situation and why.

I think it takes a complaint or social media "outrage" to get any assistance !

 

Appalling really.

[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, swm59nj said:

I don’t know why tourists and expats complain about how expansive things are.  And trying to make a go of it. 
This proves there are always opportunities for all in the LOS 

Expansive as in ??? 

[metisdead]

A post with a trolling meme contravening our Community Standards and the replies have been removed.

[billd766]

3 hours ago, NanLaew said:

 

Thanks for your empathy. As you rightly point out, there's a global shortage.

And even less on this forum in the last few years.

[NanLaew]

2 hours ago, maddox41 said:

I see Thais living in Australia and they have all the rights as any other person here, ...

 

Wow, really? The vote, welfare, Super? All that AND Vegemite?

 

Where do I sign up?

[NanLaew]

22 minutes ago, orchidfan said:

Yes there's a "resident" beggar outside my local 7/11...right at the entrance/exit for the shop....nearly every afternoon /evening.

He's not skinny BUT filthy dirty and clothed only in a pair of ragged black shorts.

He rummages through the bin for any edible scraps thrown away.

 

I give him some money every time I go by him, for which he is most grateful.

 

BUT 99% of local customers give him a very wide berth. No Buddhist empathy there. It's like (in their minds) he has the plague.....which he does not.

A few lice maybe.

 

Thing is,  that NO authorities or humanitarian organizations call by to offer help or find out his situation and why.

I think it takes a complaint or social media "outrage" to get any assistance !

 

Appalling really.

 

Where is it written that Thai people need to dole out cash to EVERY beggar they see? They may have one on the corner of their soi every morning, at their daily market shop, or they may have already given generously at the temple.

 

Anyhow, I love it when foreigners pretend to know more about the practises of the Buddhist faith than the Thai people themselves and base their opinions of Thai society on that.

 

No, I don't really.

[G_Money]

Strange how they never think of returning home and get that ….,dreadful job before their money runs out. 
 

So much for “living the dream “.

[proton]

8 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

There are some pretty harsh people on this forum, it seems like when someone falls on hard times most jump on the bandwagon of harsh criticism and accusations of poor planning and things like that. The reality is that people do fall on hard times, there's a dozen different reasons why somebody could run out of money, and it sucks.

 

So perhaps a little bit of sympathy is appropriate? 

 

The other comical aspect of this post is the name of the organization that investigated. The Rapid Response Centre for Accelerating Public Welfare Management of SDHS. Quite a fancy name for an organization that likely does very little to help the people. 

 

Harshness has nothing to do with it, begging is against the law, overstaying is against the law and getting stranded with no ticket home is just idiotic. Probably not collecting for a ticket home anyway, more likely a fill up at the local dope shop. This nonsense needs hitting down on to stop more of these jokers.

[proton]

35 minutes ago, billd766 said:

And even less on this forum in the last few years.

 

Why should we have 'empathy' for foreigners begging here? poor Thais, orphans, political prisoners and victims of crime yes. But people who come here then try to scam Thais with a sob story, i think not.

[biggles45]

7 hours ago, DjSilver said:

And when Thai people are begging and scamming foreigners, the Thai officials do nothing

 

From the full article "Furthermore, there were a few Thai individuals found in the area allegedly asking for money. The SDHS officials escorted them to the SDHS department for further processing" 

[Seeall]

9 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

There are some pretty harsh people on this forum, it seems like when someone falls on hard times most jump on the bandwagon of harsh criticism and accusations of poor planning and things like that. The reality is that people do fall on hard times, there's a dozen different reasons why somebody could run out of money, and it sucks.

 

So perhaps a little bit of sympathy is appropriate? 

 

The other comical aspect of this post is the name of the organization that investigated. The Rapid Response Centre for Accelerating Public Welfare Management of SDHS. Quite a fancy name for an organization that likely does very little to help the people. 

 

if on salary and there are no tea money for efforts = why do more than one has to?  its "human" nature..

[rct99q]

There always has been, and always will be, segments of all societies who have no option but to beg. 

We, as people, in every country, need them. For as long as there is someone, anyone, worse off than myself, I am safe from ridicule and threats. When the extreme poor become just poor as we increase living standards etc, the poor will be the targets. Once poverty levels rise, the poor become lower class, thus making the lower class the targets. Eventually you will find the middle class becoming the main targets. Imagine a day when people could be making $30,000 a year or more, have a home,, etc and suddenly find yourself being targeted as being unwanted in society. Shunned, labelled as being riffraff, scum etc. 

We shouldn't be targeting people like the guy in the article, we should encourage more of them to be beggers, otherwise they may be coming after me, or you,

next. 

[flyingfox1]

8 hours ago, findlay13 said:

I saw an old German dude begging 20 years ago outside Tops supermarket in Pattaya.He had a cardboard sign in German and Thai in front of him.His wife/girlfriend was lurking in the background.🙄

how do you know he was German ? 

[Mywayboy]

7 hours ago, ezzra said:

In Melbourne where i have my second home, every supermarket has this beggar sitting in front like he own the place,

they're all able bodies in their 40-50' and bagging for money 7 days a week,

Begging become a thing to rely on now days and seeing a foreigner begging is an eyesore as those people sits there

for quite sometimes, this is why there embassies to help in such cases... 

 

There are 2 fellas present themselves alternate days outside  Woolworths Melbourne suburb where I live.

Both of them puffing on fags.

Cigarettes now $70.00 a 40 pack in Oz now.

Beggars Belief.

[BritScot]

10 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

There are some pretty harsh people on this forum, it seems like when someone falls on hard times most jump on the bandwagon of harsh criticism and accusations of poor planning and things like that. The reality is that people do fall on hard times, there's a dozen different reasons why somebody could run out of money, and it sucks.

 

So perhaps a little bit of sympathy is appropriate? 

 

The other comical aspect of this post is the name of the organization that investigated. The Rapid Response Centre for Accelerating Public Welfare Management of SDHS. Quite a fancy name for an organization that likely does very little to help the people. 

Very nieve post. Begging is big business, there are organised gangs of beggars all over the world, even in Thailand!

[billd766]

1 hour ago, proton said:

 

Why should we have 'empathy' for foreigners begging here? poor Thais, orphans, political prisoners and victims of crime yes. But people who come here then try to scam Thais with a sob story, i think not.

Nobody says you HVE to have empathy. If you don't want to help another human being then don't. From your posts, you obviously don't want to help. It might be you one day. But please don't pontificate about foreigners coming to scam poor Thais when you have no idea why people are begging without knowing anything about them.

[proton]

2 hours ago, billd766 said:

Thank you for at least making an effort to help another human being and not instantly condemning them without asking or knowing their story.

 

Another sucker is born every minute for these scammers to exploit, they would love to meet up with you 😃

[proton]

8 hours ago, 1happykamper said:

Plenty of Thai beg.. Especially in Bkk. What law is the farang breaking? 

The same law, most of the beggars in Bkk are not Thai, mainly Cambodian. There is the slithering man on Suk, he used to earn a lot from gullible tourists and the fake nuns of course.

[Montnoveau]

10 hours ago, sumongkhwai said:

I thought you had have R/T ticket when entering the Kingdom, assuming he flew into BKK. I guess coing from Laos or Cambodia land crossing maybe not an issue?

Yes, this foreigner is likely from Cambodia or Burma. 

[off road pat]

10 hours ago, Masterton said:

Funny how some on here automatically assume he has fallen on hard times and actually needs a plane ticket. Most of these types are scam artists praying on the genorisity of other people (mostly Thais) to fund their 'stay' in Thailand. Personally I find 'begpackers' despicable and give foreigners here a bad name. 

Hm,...You don't know his story,.. but you are already condemning him !?!?

[CLUBBER]

9 hours ago, bbko said:

Those falang backpack beggars have been in/around Bangkok for decades, always seem to be same Khaosan road types.

 

AKA Losers 

[off road pat]

8 hours ago, Serenity_Now said:

could be a ukrainian
could be russian
he may well have had adequate funds at one time immigration would come to a standstill if they asked everyone to prove cash
who carries cash anyway
on a flight into cm one time i got pulled aside
show money
i showed a few hundred dollars 
plus 2+k of travelers cheques
this not money the 4ft io said
i corrected him better than money if lost get it back
it was lost on him it was a scam marched to atm take 20k baht out
i pointed to the balance more than enough mate
take money take money
i eventually seceded to their demands
now show return ticket there was the scam
unfortunately for him and his chums i had a ticket to loas 
they were so disappointed............

made me fan out the cash holding it up whilst they stood proudly by my side for a photo as if they were gifting it to me like i had won a prize.

as for this poor guy his fate is sealed hes white begging in a foreign land where he sticks out like a sore thumb
i find far to many are hurtfully judgmental here 
its hardly surprising thais look upon some of us old geezers like we are a dog turd
a certain sense of entitlement because you have succeeded in some way in life
im glad im not young the world is not a good place at this time
and the thought of being drafted to go to a front line would not be my ideal choice

he is obviously alone without two cents to rub together
no chance of repatriation 

maybe once he dies someone will open a go fund me page 

the world is upside down
you dont have to give him cash or your vitriol

I am happy people like you still exist,.....the world is not completely gone mad.

[Liverpool Lou]

9 hours ago, ezzra said:

there embassies to help in such cases... 

That's not what embassies are for, unless it is just contacting family to send money.

[Liverpool Lou]

9 hours ago, nikmar said:

Lost everything to theft and just wanted to go home. I was working for a teaching agency and said i could set him up with soem smart clothes and some food and expenses to cover him until he got paid, therefore he could earn his fare home.

Why would you have inflicted that sort of person on Thai schoolchildren or did he have the necessary degree? 

[Liverpool Lou]

9 hours ago, cracker1 said:

Are these people committing a crime ?

Yes.  Begging is illegal.

[Liverpool Lou]

8 hours ago, 1happykamper said:

Plenty of Thai beg.. Especially in Bkk. What law is the farang breaking? 

The law that makes begging illegal!