Thailand Grapples with Growing Number of Foreign Beggars

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Foreign beggars face deportation, whereas Thai beggars are sent to reception homes for career retraining. Repeat offenders, regardless of nationality, can expect legal charges.

So what's the problem... step up the street inspections.

[Homburg]

5 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

So far not to impressed with Buddhism so just give the beggars a good kicking for being poor 🤔

B100k a month is not poor!

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, novacova said:

In the US foreign beggars are given credit cards and hotel suites. US citizen beggars are sent to the streets.

The USA has screwed itself.

[SiSePuede419]

4 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Wonder what the breakdown is on professional beggars vs down & out beggars.

11% of men in America don't have a job and they're not looking for a job. 

 

Why work if people give you free money? 🤑

[Homburg]

5 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

The USA has screwed itself.

It is not alone.

[Shocked farang]

32 minutes ago, RamblingOn said:

Explain

I guess that what he meant are some programs that help poor immigrants in the US, where they receive a hotel room and some money. It's mostly in big cities such as New York. 

[hotchilli]

3 minutes ago, Homburg said:

It is not alone.

Indeed...

[Celsius]

I was once a beggar too back in my country.

 

Begging every day for sex.

[cowellandrew]

Hope they do the 90 day reporting 

😁

[connda]

Thailand Grapples with Growing Number of Foreign Beggars

 

Most of whom are from neighboring SE Asian countries bordering Thailand, and like has been happening since I arrived in 2007, many if not most are run by mafia.

"You're wrong!  Grrrr!"

I've seen it in BKK as well as Chiang Mai.  Beggars are transported in pickup trucks and dropped off in the morning and then retrieved later in the day.  Some of the most vile instances is when a filthy parapalegic human corpse is laid out on the sideway with a collection cup placed next to him (common at the BTS in BKK) or a woman with an infant is dropped off to tug at the heart strings of passing ignorant tourists.

"You're heartless!  Grrrr!"

Far from it.  I don't support mafias or human trafficking.  Give these mafia plants money and you're doing just that.  They are victims, but victims of unscrupulous mafia-types as well as human traffickers compounded by a government that does little to end the practice.  This is a problem that should be addressed by the BIB - but.....

Human trafficking doesn't happen in a vacuum. 

When I lived in Chiang Mai we knew some really poor elderly people selling knick-knacks and food items on the sidewalks.  The wife talked with them, they were locals often without families who lived in the same area as we did.  Elderly, family-less Thais without pensions or sources of income - that can be tough.  We tend to help them when we can.  Often by just giving them 100 THB and not actually buying anything from them.

"They're conning you!!! Ha ha ha - fool!"

Some may, some may not.  It's our intentions to care for the down-trodden which is the act of generosity.  And it's a fine line between helping a truly poor person on the street and a mafia plant. 

Now - farang beggars?  Honestly, they probably are out there but I've never seen one.  This thread will now fill up with holier-than-thou types throwing shade at "Beg-Packers."  But I've never seen one.  The primary beggars are ASEAN mafia plants and actual dirt poor elderly Thais.  Knowing the difference.  It's a tough call sometimes. 

 

[Shocked farang]

10 minutes ago, Celsius said:

I was once a beggar too back in my country.

 

Begging every day for sex.

Now in Pattaya, the bar girls beg you for sex all day long... 

[CM Dad]

7 hours ago, novacova said:

In the US foreign beggars are given credit cards and hotel suites. US citizen beggars are sent to the streets.

Wrong!  US beggars set up Go Fund Me pages.

[spidermike007]

Thailand has done little to nothing to improve itself, or address the problems plaguing the nation long before covid, so they now seem to be attracting alot of low end, and low quality tourists. In the rush to garner higher visitor numbers, they are attracting quantity over quality. Did they not see all these potential problems coming? Thailand is no longer attracting very many Western tourists for a dozen very good reasons. Right now it is predominantly Malaysian, Indian, Arab, Chinese, and Russian. One could argue that these are relatively low quality tourists, in terms of the amounts of money that they spend. Sure you have a few wealthy Russians and some wealthy Chinese, but most are lower to middle income and don't spend alot. And some are downright poor.

This process will not be reversed until the authorities wake up and make some sacrifices such as lowering luxury taxes, lowering wine taxes, cleaning up the air, making the highways safer, allowing more private air travel, helicopter travel, high-speed trains and alternatives to the totally choked and extremely hazardous highways.

 

When I was living and working in India I realized that many of the beggars were doing this professionally or working for professionals who were collecting a significant amount of money from their work. So I started carrying around a daypack with fruit inside it, and when I would be approached by a beggar I would offer them a banana or an orange. The professionals would look at me with a great deal of disdain, whereas the real beggars would accept the fruit with gratitude as they were truly hungry. It worked!

[Andrew65]

I always got the impression that Thais, especially the middle classes, view falang beggars with utter disdain, they don't expect white people to be doing such a thing. 

[Andrew65]

49 minutes ago, BestB said:

Country has almost zero % unemployment where in real life translates into shortage of staff across all sectors. In addition lack of skilled staff across all sectors and yet government keeps idiotic restrictions and conditions with jobs reserved for Thai only. Or/ min salary caps.

 

Thailand is a Buddhist country and yet temples do nothing to help the poor or homeless. Watchai in Pattaya owns half of prime realestate in the city, collecting insane rents and yet would not set up shelter or feed the poor.

I've never believed their unemployment numbers. 

[Yagoda]

I dont give to beggars. I do give to the coffin foundation once a year

[Heavy Metal]

46 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

Temples in Thailand are run as a business, nothing more. And they are often inhabited by 'reforming' criminals dressed in monk robes.

Following the American Dream

See Joel Osteen

[Butts]

Immigration?🫣

[BobBKK]

Repatriate, what's the problem?

[Iron Tongue]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

 

"Beggars caught with unrelated children will face criminal charges," Varawut sternly noted.

Wait.  Wut?  Really?

 

[Sydebolle]

800 beggars a year, 30% of them foreigners (240 people) from South Asia, Indochina and many other countries. Latter not equipped with work permits; lock 'em up and throw the keys away. 

On a more serious note, this is certainly not newsworthy; maybe instead of buying submarines and funny new aviation toys the self-elected few pay a kinder attention to real problems. 

[ujayujay]

They wantet more Tourists and more Beggars came

[G_Money]

The new upscale version of a farang beggar is to create a “Go fund me Account “.  aka E-Begging.

 

Not as dirty, a little more dignified than sitting on a sidewalk with a cup or pestering people as they walk away from an ATM.

 

Works great those who come to Thailand way before they should with Lack of Funds or Inadequate Funds.

 

Perfect for those who:

 

1.  Hoped to be a digital nomad in Thailand but it didn’t quite work out according to plan.

 

2.  Want to be the next “Mining for Bitcoin” millionaire.

 

3.  Actually believe the “I can live in Thailand for $500.00 USD a month ” blogs.

 

4.  Come with $50k USD thinking it will last forever and buys a bar and is broke within one year.

 

5.  Abandoned their job back home after a visit.  Been working dead end jobs for years (bar manager most popular).  No health insurance, no savings, no pension, no longer vested in their country’s Social Security or equivalent.  The years have taken their toll and have a major illness.

 

6.  Short term holiday makers will no insurance or medical evacuation insurance.

 

Just to name a few.

 

7.  Add yours!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[OneZero]

7 hours ago, ravip said:

How can one apply to be a beggar in the US?

Sounds very attractive - rather than doing a regular job LOL

Just cross the border illegally.

[Gknrd]

Actually that is a pic of me, I just paid my 800K for the visa. That was ok until they hit me with the tax on my income. Next year I will have a card board box..

[Frankie baby]

Many beggars employ emotional tactics like begging with young children or pets, aiming to garner more sympathy and money.

 

Looks like they've done their homework as well, watching the Thais at work can eventually pay off. 

[thesetat2013]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

“It’s difficult to remove all beggars because the fines are minimal compared to their earnings,”

The beggars continue because they are not charged with any crimes. they need to actually charge them and perhaps need to make a law that increases the punishment for doing the same thing and getting caught multiple times. Instead the beggars pay some money and are let free to go out begging some more. As for their report about more foreigners begging than Thai. I find that hard to believe simply because if a thai is begging then they will not really arrest them or make record of it. If a foreigner is caught begging they wil be arrested and deported and records will be kept of that. So, of course the records will show more foreigners doing it. 

[Dan O]

9 hours ago, novacova said:

In the US foreign beggars are given credit cards and hotel suites. US citizen beggars are sent to the streets.

Post some facts on where you're getting that information from?  Illegal immigrants or legal asylum seekers are not the same thing, so I question your information

 

 

[wensiensheng]

8000 arrested over ten years. In other words, and average of 800 per year. Hardly streets teeming with beggars stuff. 
 

I’m not sure I have ever seen beggars in Phuket tbh. Maybe in Patong, but I don’t go there.

 

In Udon there are always a few dotted around Tong Si Meung, normally outside 7-11’s.

 

In Bangkok Sunhamvit area, sure. There are beggars on and under pedestrian bridges across major intersections, but again, a few. Nothing  like Siem Reep for instance.

 

I dunno, the stats just don’t stack up from what I see with my own eyes. But who are you going to believe, the stats or your own eyes? 

[SAFETY FIRST]

8 hours ago, bob smith said:

stick em all in the IDC.

 

round up the soi dogs as well while you are at it,

 

them things are bloody dangerous!

 

bob.

I thought you'd be in full support of these foreign troublemakers.