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.

I give to real beggars, not those part of gangs

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.

On 12/13/2024 at 6:29 PM, snoop1130 said:

In a surprising twist, a search of one Thai individual's lodgings unveiled 300,000 baht in cash and a bank book indicating a balance of one million baht.

Okay, think I know of a new career change for me.

On 12/14/2024 at 7:48 PM, Gobbler said:

 

That would be very convenient for the police.  You are in jail and they are searching your home.  

 

That's a big moneymaker. 

 

And for some of you who think the police can do what they want, guess what, they can, because you are all to stupid to tell them no. 

 

Ignorance for the sake of being ignorant is disgusting. 

 

 

If you told the Thai Police no, they would do what they want anyway.

 

Why? Because they can.

Back before i got desensitized to this crap i gave the ones with babies food from nearby vendors a couple of times. If the eyes could speak they were yelling "wtf is this, where's the money".

It's the beggars that don't beg that i support occasionally. Fake vs real are easily distinguishable.

10 hours ago, MartinL said:

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.

 

   Why don't you ask him ?

8 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

 

If you told the Thai Police no, they would do what they want anyway.

 

Why? Because they can.

 

You're wrong, and you spread disinformation. Stop it.  

 

They are much more careful not to violate foreigner's rights? Why?  We push back. 

 

Go peddle nonsense somewhere else. 

22 hours ago, mokwit said:

"agree" was in inverted commas for a reason. I am talking about Thailand, you may be extrapolating from a Western country, that is not to say that what you are saying might be the case in law. I am wondering why people seemingly invariably agree to let the police search their apartment. You have your rights when taken to a safe house, but people seem to confess. This is not America.

 

 

This may not be America; however, my brain still thinks American.

 

 

5 hours ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   Why don't you ask him ?

I did, years ago, but he wouldn't/couldn't give a clear answer, lack of which doesn't stop me wondering.