Crackdown on Sukhumvit Beggars Reveals Hidden Wealth

[Surasak]

On 12/14/2024 at 1:27 PM, wavodavo said:

Years ago I used to drink regularly at the Golden Bar at the Nana Hotel in BKK. and every night an old Thai man with a speaker in a  wooden box hanging around is neck playing a tune  and him singing. He was wearing blind man dark  glasses and was being lead by a lady who had a begging bowl.Everyone used  to give them money thinking he was blind and feeling sorry for him.My mates and I were always suspicious and one night during Songram as  they went to cross Soi 4 which was very busy the lady took a step forward and suddenly a motorbike  came along and the old man saw it and pulled her back and saved her.There was so much noise there that he would't have heard the bike coming and he looked at .That proved our theory that he was not blind.He did that for many years and got away with it.

A similar experience in Phuket back in 1986. I was highly suspicious and never gave anything. The following year he was there again, still making gains from the gullible.

[scubascuba3]

I give to real beggars, not those part of gangs

[MartinL]

On 12/14/2024 at 10:02 AM, ChrisY1 said:

Many BKK beggars were "owned" by gangs....send them off in the morning...keep a watch on them during the day, and collect in the evening. 

Not sure if that's still the case

In our local travelling market, there's often a bloke with no arms, no legs. Not even stumps of previous limbs. He's just placed on a sack barrow and left to attract donations. There's no way he could get himself about. He must be under someone's control - 'owned' if you like. He's alert, talks to folks, smiles, he doesn't seem in the least unhappy but I find it impossible to imagine how his life must be. I always wonder how much of the money given to him he gets to keep for himself.