Beggars At The Border

[Begs]

This is for the guys that go to the Cambodian Border to do their Visa runs, Aranyaprathet , Had lek etc.

I have often heard Farangs complain about the beggars at the border, they are annoyed by them, they get impatient with them, they tell them in a loud voice to go away, some even take their own umbrella so the girls do not walk with them shielding them from the sun or the Rain, hoping for a few Baht.

Now i know farangs like to complain, but this complaint appears to be widespread amongst the border hopper fraternity.

What is it that makes you so annoyed?

If you are one of the complainers i would like to know how children that have nothing can annoy you by asking for a few baht?

[Dr. Jekyll]

I have often heard Farangs complain about the beggars at the border, they are annoyed by them, they get impatient with them, they tell them in a loud voice to go away, some even take their own umbrella so the girls do not walk with them shielding them from the sun or the Rain, hoping for a few Baht.

Farang complaining at the Cambodian border?

What kind of farang?

What about the Thai?

And it is not at all an excuse for the farang,....

[the scouser]

If you are one of the complainers

I don't complain of their antics yet the twice I've been to Aranyaprathet I have never given out any assistance for the following reasons:-

1. Once you give some dosh to one the rest of the ensemble pesters you to the point of distraction.

2. Being surrounded by such a clamourous bunch of children who are pocket height makes me wary of the wellbeing of my wallet.

3. There are hundreds of 'em so whilst I don't begrudge a few baht, this times their number is a small fortune.

4. I genuinely don't want a bloody brolly and there's the catch 22; give a brolly girl some money to go away and then the rest move in because they think you'll pay them to bugger off too (see point 3).

A friend of mine has the solution. When he goes he takes 500 baht in 1 baht coins and when surrounded by the swarm lobs his coins in to the air and runs like buggery whilst the kids are scrabbling to pick up the money.

Scouse.

[Begs]

A friend of mine has the solution. When he goes he takes 500 baht in 1 baht coins and when surrounded by the swarm lobs his coins in to the air and runs like buggery whilst the kids are scrabbling to pick up the money.

Scouse.

Your friend is a good man.

I was at first saddened not annoyed when i went to the border for the first time, i sat in the small food shop, me and my gf had some food there was some Cambodian kids sitting on the floor looking at us, when i put down my fork i still had food on the plate....within a micro-second the plate was whisked away and the kids where scoffing down my leftovers, i felt terrible, i ordered a lot of food for these kids, went to 7-11 and bought them some sweets and coke and gave them 50 Baht each.

I saw other farangs fattened by their wealth walking past these human tragedies as though they did not exist.

Did the children annoy me? No

Maybe we should drop to our knees, and thank whoever our higher power is that we where never in that situation.

[Ajarn]

A friend of mine has the solution. When he goes he takes 500 baht in 1 baht coins and when surrounded by the swarm lobs his coins in to the air and runs like buggery whilst the kids are scrabbling to pick up the money.

Scouse.

Your friend is a good man.

I was at first saddened not annoyed when i went to the border for the first time, i sat in the small food shop, me and my gf had some food there was some Cambodian kids sitting on the floor looking at us, when i put down my fork i still had food on the plate....within a micro-second the plate was whisked away and the kids where scoffing down my leftovers, i felt terrible, i ordered a lot of food for these kids, went to 7-11 and bought them some sweets and coke and gave them 50 Baht each.

I saw other farangs fattened by their wealth walking past these human tragedies as though they did not exist.

Did the children annoy me? No

Maybe we should drop to our knees, and thank whoever our higher power is that we where never in that situation.

The tossing money thing is bound to piss off some Thais. Some see it as being disrespectful to the King, because his image is on it....

But, under the circumstances, it sounds like a sound defense!

I believe we all share a responsibility for the world we live in, and we should feel obliged to help when we can, in the way we can... Money, food, or even just sharing a smile with anyone. It all contributes to the well being of someone.

Good intentions are a key, I feel. If you have that in your heart, everything seems to work out better for the intended, too

[Begs]

I believe we all share a responsibility for the world we live in, and we should feel obliged to help when we can, in the way we can... Money, food, or even just sharing a smile with anyone. It all contributes to the well being of someone.

True Ajarn, i wonder what it must be like for those kids, no education, no future, open to all types of exploitation because they was born in the wrong place and the wrong time.

If i was a rich man i would build a school for the beggars, and make sure their families let them go to school even if i had to pay the families for loss of income from begging.

Life sucks at times.

[rod_kalashnikov]

 

[Ijustwannateach]

Good topic, Begs. Good plan, too... having an institution standing up for them also gives them a place to be "from," when they're trying to fit somewhere into society. But have you considered that it's the practice of giving money to the beggars that gives the family incentive to send their children into the streets there- kinda like what happens when you start feeding wildlife without considering the long-range consequences? I'm not saying that NOT paying them is a great thing either- and if they didn't get the money there, I have no idea how else they would survive. As you said, it sucks.

"Steven"

[bkk barney]

bloody horrid obnoxious dirty kids, if there parents had used bloody condoms then this problem would never be, now dont say that they couldnt afford condoms, there r other ways of having sex without having children, im sure ijwt can attest to this, also i feel that begs could mention a few places in soi post office that could prove that im right, anyway i went to had lek yesterday and it was great, it was clean and not a beggar in sight, no queues at any of the immigration booths, also on the thai side they got marlboros for 180baht per carton plus quality wines at half normal thai prices, yep u wont see me at that beggar infested poi pot crossing again, i think the thai govt should round em all up and sell em to euros or usa couples that want to adopt, could be a good money earner for the familes and a better life for the kids.

[medicinebox]

Ok, its not much of a life, but I'm a firm believer of "You don't miss what you never had"

If you want to give, then give. If you feel it will lead to more problems.. i.e. parents buying whiskey with the kids money etc, then don't.

You often find in life that aquiring things dosen't make you any happier in life. These pesants seem happier than almost everyone I know in the UK.

Maybe a simple life is better than the greedy, selfish, materialistic lives we live in the west.

Maybe in an ironic way, they are richer than us. If its all down to happiness and contentment, then I'm sure they are millionares.

"Without a rich heart, wealth is an ugly beggar. "

Ralph Waldo Emerson

[davethailand]

This is for the guys that go to the Cambodian Border to do their Visa runs, Aranyaprathet , Had lek etc.

I have often heard Farangs complain about the beggars at the border, they are annoyed by them, they get impatient with them, they tell them in a loud voice to go away, some even take their own umbrella so the girls do not walk with them shielding them from the sun or the Rain, hoping for a few Baht.

Now i know farangs like to complain, but this complaint appears to be widespread amongst the border hopper fraternity.

What is it that makes you so annoyed?

If you are one of the complainers i would like to know how children that have nothing can annoy you by asking for a few baht?

Don't know about the border because i've only ever done 1 border run.

beggers in general are annoying But i normally tip, BUT not to the annoying ponces that pull your clothes and comeback 10 mins later for more, and not to the kids whose lazy arsed parents are sitting there watching and waiting to collect the money.

[davethailand]

If you want to give, then give. If you feel it will lead to more problems.. i.e. parents buying whiskey with the kids money etc, then don't.

agreed

[myfriendu]

the beggers dont get up my nose begs,but you do with the utter crap you come out with,you must be a good friends with the mods on here too,you can attack people on here and never get deleted,are you for real?

[davethailand]

[Begs]

the beggers dont get up my nose begs,but you do with the utter crap you come out with,you must be a good friends with the mods on here too,you can attack people on here and never get deleted,are you for real?

Attacking people like you are attacking me?

"Utter Crap"? What do you base that little chesnut on?

I get warned about some of my posts, Mods show no favouritism.

You will only feel under attack from me if you are one of the low life scum that i have a habit of attacking, if the cap fits, wear it.

You will have to do better than that to flame me, your a <deleted> amateur.

[Dickie]

If i was a rich man i would build a school for the beggars, and make sure their families let them go to school even if i had to pay the families for loss of income from begging.

No you wouldn't. You'd be a rich man because you didn't splash out money on things like that. The number of times I've heard people say "I'd do this IF..." boggles the mind. If you really think these kids deserve all you say and you really would pay their parents to have it happen, then why not set up a charity and haggle and bother people for donations in the rich countries, then organise the construction of the school, employment of staff, tea-money for those who need it and then pay off the parents?

The answer is: because it's much harder work than getting lacrymose in a web-based forum.

[Begs]

If i was a rich man i would build a school for the beggars, and make sure their families let them go to school even if i had to pay the families for loss of income from begging.

No you wouldn't.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Yes i would !

What you gonna say to that? Listen mate i have to work, and i am in no position to do the things that i think would be benificial, have you been to the place i am talking about?

If you have you will know what i am talking about, if you havn't then maybe you should.

I can do my little bit that i do, i do not look for self grataification, i just know that if i was mega rich, i would donate a lot of dosh to help those less fortunate than me.

[chingy_]

i try to ignore what's around me when im down there at the border, too much sadness, don't blame the kid they are innocent, they didn't ask to be born to this awful place, blame the parent for not care enought to make the right choice,

im not rich enought to throw money around for them to pick-up, but if i were buying a drink or a hotdog in 7/11, i surely buy them one as well, you can't help them all but helping one is a good deed for the day.

[bkk barney]

^^^^ all 1000 of them?? u must be rich..

[Ajarn]

I believe we all share a responsibility for the world we live in, and we should feel obliged to help when we can, in the way we can... Money, food, or even just sharing a smile with anyone. It all contributes to the well being of someone.

True Ajarn, i wonder what it must be like for those kids, no education, no future....

No education?

Well, maybe not a formal one...

Living by one's wits certainly is one of those 'sink or swim' kinda deals, for sure. The one's who swim and survived have likely at least gained the skills of manipulation, based on survival, and honed on the day-in-day-out for years on end hustling of people from all over the world.... To me, a very valuable education, and quite useful in life- assuming you can survive long enough. They just need some support sometimes to use those skills to help them in more positive and hopefully more fruitful ways.

Positive Role Modeling. That's the best teacher. The Natural Method

We can all give that to those kids (or most anyone else!), in some way, big or small. It all sticks, from my experience- on both sides of this issue.

[bkk barney]

i suppose extermination would be too extreme for these horrid little brats, wot i propose is begs looks after all of them and then we can all go to poi pot and actually enjoy the border crossing, but we should all take condoms to give to the poor ppl after begs has given lectures on their use, i think even rolls of cling film will be ok.

[Bangkok_Helicopter]

Begs......no they dont bother me....most people give a little, thats why there is so many there !!.....if u want to talk about poor people, go to Northern India.....the girls there can not go to Pattaya or NaNa etc. and make a small fortune when they get into there late teens....and alot of the thai guys feed of that industry as we all know......

[Dickie]

If i was a rich man i would build a school for the beggars, and make sure their families let them go to school even if i had to pay the families for loss of income from begging.

No you wouldn't.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Yes i would !

What you gonna say to that? Listen mate i have to work, and i am in no position to do the things that i think would be benificial, have you been to the place i am talking about?

If you have you will know what i am talking about, if you havn't then maybe you should.

I can do my little bit that i do, i do not look for self grataification, i just know that if i was mega rich, i would donate a lot of dosh to help those less fortunate than me.

Nicely selective editing by you there. You forgot to include "You'd be a rich man because you didn't splash out money on things like that.". It's always easy to talk grandiose when you're incapable of delivering.

[Begs]

It's always easy to talk grandiose when you're incapable of delivering.

I give what i can give when i go, it is true that i am not in a position to help all. Anyway, you do what you think is right. Just like i do.

[Begs]

Begs......no they dont bother me....most people give a little, thats why there is so many there !!.....if u want to talk about poor people, go to Northern India.....the girls there can not go to Pattaya or NaNa etc. and make a small fortune when they get into there late teens....and alot of the thai guys feed of that industry as we all know......

Yea, life sucks eh?

I was in Nepal before too. Then again i suppose they are better off than the starving of Africa.

I wonder what they think when they see a huge fat westerner?

"Lucky Bastard" probably.

[Dickie]

I wonder what they think when they see a huge fat westerner?

"Lucky Bastard" probably.

Dunno, we never felt jealous about other people being 'better off', though at times hunger made us wish we had more food (back down my mate's farm for a feed ). From what I've seen over the years the jealous types are those with enough to be better off than some, but not enough to be 'on the top level of society'.

[Up2U]

Yes, these kids used to annoy me when I went on visa runs.

They are there every day, all day begging for money - which the majority have to hand over to their 'handlers'. Better to feed them than give money. At least the food goes where you believe it should.

A few days ago, when out in Pattaya with my wife and seven-year-old daughter, there was a small Cambodian kid begging. My daughter had a few baht to buy something in the 7-11. Instead she gave it to the kid and turned to her mum and said 'If I didn't have any Mama and Papa, I would have to be like that'.

Out of the mouths of children .....

[Up2U]

Begs......no they dont bother me....most people give a little, thats why there is so many there !!.....if u want to talk about poor people, go to Northern India.....the girls there can not go to Pattaya or NaNa etc. and make a small fortune when they get into there late teens....and alot of the thai guys feed of that industry as we all know......

But they used to go to the 'Cages' in Grant Road, Bombay.

Don't know if that situation still stands - long time since the British Army was there.

[Captain Chaos]

It does still exist. Lots of girls from the hinterland of Maharastra and other parts of rural India. These days there are also a lot of Nepalis too.

What is disturbing about it is that so many are 'bonded' into it via one way or another. Whatever your opinions on the Thai scene, it seems like most girls are not held in it against their will?

[Limbo]

Whatever your opinions on the Thai scene, it seems like most girls are not held in it against their will?

The ones who go to Bangkok sitting in the bus are probably relatively free.

The ones which are transported in cartons between the luggage under the bus not so. These are the Burmese and hilltribe kids.

A good thing that the Royal Thai Police is trying to stop these practises.