Whats The Scam With The Old Man With White Hair On Soi 4?

[zorro1]

There have been a few threads here about this guy and Ive seen him around soi4, 5 etc. Just a bum and scamster..

..in other words, just like a great deal of people here...

is he better, or worse ?

He is a legend on TV. He is the guy that.........are you ready for it?............can you handle the truth?.............okay, he is the guy that invested more than he could walk away from

Bought a condo that never got built

Bought another that instantly crashed on the ever downward spiralling property market(and couldn't rent it)

Bought a house in his B/Gs wife's name and her brother threw him out

Bought a bar, drank it dry

Edited August 12, 2008 by zorro1

[mikethevigoman]

He is NOT santa claus, dont believe a word he says !

[jaiyenyen]

There is another guy that I often see hanging around Soi 4. He tends to stand right on the edge of the footpath, looking out across the road towards Nana Plaza, he stands for a long time, not moving, or doing anything. He is around 40 yrs old, medium build with dark hair, and dressed smartly. he's not begging, just standing and staring. My wife and I also saw him a few months ago in Walking St, Pattaya. He was doing the same thing there.

[apple69]

dam_n it, that guy with the white hair... I've seen him too! I was over in bkk back in January and saw him by Asok. He looked clean cut and seemed so out of place with his "need job" sign stuck to his wheelie suitcase. I'd been wondering what the deal was there.

There was also some mid thirties/early fourties English guy walking around Soi 7 saying that he'd lost his wallet and was "very sorry to ask" but could I "spare a few baht for a beer". He almost seemed believable but his crazy wild eyes made it obvious he'd lost a lot more than just his wallet.

Edited August 12, 2008 by apple69

[ukrules]

He almost seemed believable but his crazy wild eyes made it obvious he'd lost a lot more than just his wallet.

His glasses ?

[apple69]

His glasses ?

More like his marbles

[MarkBKK]

He is NOT santa claus, dont believe a word he says !

Even on Thai Visa I'm pretty sure everyone knows there ain't no sanity clause.

[callipposhots]

What if you want to get home, no money, visa run out etc? Will they help you sort out transport if you promise to pay them back?

they won't advance you a penny. All they'll do is advise friends/family back home to send you some money to bail you out.

if a family of 6, even with small children, turned up at the UK mission in Benidorm and said they'd spent all their money and needed 300 Euros to pay for a room until their flight leaves in a few days, they'll be told to sleep on the beach. Embassies and consulates are there to expedite trade and diplomacy between nations, not bail out idiot tourists.

[glyph]

"this is why so many beggars have to give their eyes, legs & more to their mafia bosses..."

Oh, brother, another farang entranced by the thought of "mafia".

[Tod Daniels]

and this is why so many beggars have to give their eyes, legs & more to their mafia bosses

WOW! With a grand total of 8 posts, you are now the "expert in residence" on all things thai. Your gullibility is only exceeded by your ignorance.

You'll fit right in here, welcome to T/V.

It is so discouraging to read how easily foreigners are duped into thinking every beggar in the city is run by the ever present yet never seen "beggar-mafia".

I know the beggars in my neighborhood. They're the same people every day, who are most definitely NOT delivered by some mythical mafia each evening to start working, nor do they hand over their money after their "shift" ends either. I've chatted with them at length about their 'job', etc.

They have what best can be described as a 'team' of say 5 or 6 beggars. They pool their resources, rent a small room, look out for each other to some degree, and try to keep other beggars out of their area. They go "home" at nite after "work" just like everyone else. In their case, their "job" is to beg money from foreigners. The ones in my area won't let anyone who is able bodied into their "team", saying, "he can work, we cannot". Most of the people around my house are missing legs, arms, or have some type of major disability. All in all they are a good lot of people doing no one any harm, never forcing anyone to give, and are always polite to me yet I've not given them anything other than acknowledgement when I pass them.

NOW WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, BACK ON TOPIC:

After I read this thread, and living not to far away, I walked down there to look for the guy but alas he was a no show. (The Christian missionaries were in front of NEP but that is another story). I did speak to some gurls working in a bar beer who said the white haired guy comes by every couple of days and to their recollection has been there at least 6 months on and off.

It is reminiscent of the young foreigner who used to beg by the Sala Daeng BTS during the day with the sign about being short of money. Upon questioning he revealed he just begged to finance his travels around S/E Asia, saying the thai office gurls would often give 100-500 baht to help him out.

*edited for pesky spelling errors*

Edited August 21, 2008 by tod-daniels

[callipposhots]

he revealed he just begged to finance his travels around S/E Asia, saying the thai office gurls would often give 100-500 baht to help him out.[/i]

I'd take that with a pinch of salt, frankly. 500 baht is roughly around 4% of an 'office girls' monthly salary. How often do you think a London 'office girl' bungs a beggar fifty pounds or a hundred dollars?

[ozsamurai]

Confirmed story, I find this amusing. My friend (thai girl) took pity on a Farang beggar and slipped him a few hundred baht, which on her salary was a little bit generous. Having felt good about herself she moved on, with her friend for a drink. The same Farang, came in to the drinker a few hours later, sat next to her and asked her 'how much for a short time?'.... She had the bouncers beat the shit out of him, what goes around comes around. Its down to natural selection, the longer you suport them the longer they will do nothing.

[JiveTalker]

This dude?

http://www.gurubangkok.com/view_clip.php?i...&idxstart=0

[callipposhots]

she had the bouncers beat the shit out of him

so this impecunious office girl can't only afford to give a farang beggar a significant slice of her income, but can also pay Thai bouncers out of her salary to perform acts of violence on her behalf?

Is she moonlighting, does she have a dumb foreign benefactor, or are you just telling porky-pies?

[ozsamurai]

no she didn't pay the bouncers, they were quite happy to beat him up for free when she told them the story. Its just the Karma Police. She is not saint, but she did have heart enough to give to a Farang supposedly in need, money that she could have been drinking instead of him.

[callipposhots]

money that she could have been drinking instead of him.

so she's an alcoholic now as well is she as well as somebody ready to commission acts of violence. That makes it even less likely that she could have afforded to give a farang beggar such a substantial portion of her income.

office girls on 10,000 baht a month just don't frequent the kind of bars where they're likely to be propositioned by farangs for short time unless they're moonlighting as whores.

[nikster]

I see people missing an eye, leg or more on the streets. Those people I give some Baht, no one else.

But remember these people are run by the Mafia, and never really see any of the money they receive, so by giving to them you are giving to the mafia and funding orginized crime

I dont give them money, but food or water

I didn't see anything wrong with giving them a few baht until there was this - very real - case where some organized crime ring drove around in a van collecting children to be turned into beggars. That was only 1 or 2 years ago in northern Thailand, and people told me it's happened before. They choose good looking kids not too old (and probably sell them on)... I'd usually dismiss such a story as things people make up but it did happen in my own back yard so to speak.

Giving them food items or somesuch is therefore the way to go.

Edited August 24, 2008 by nikster

[grtaylor]

The old story the embassy will help you is cr*p. I have / had friends who work at a few different ambassies and they don't do much except notify someone at home for you if its possible and you cooperate (many times no one at home and/or no one wants to help) or provide the usual support if you are arrested or in detention.

They do not help down-and-outers / beggers etc.

What if you want to get home, no money, visa run out etc? Will they help you sort out transport if you promise to pay them back?

I heard that it work this way (for the Brits - don't know about others), but I don't actually know if its true. If your friends/relatives deposit the necessary amount of money at the Foreign Office in London, then the Embassy will give you the Baht equivalent here.

[enfield951]

I see people missing an eye, leg or more on the streets. Those people I give some Baht, no one else.

and this is why so many beggars have to give their eyes, legs & more to their mafia bosses......this way they earn more baht from people like you. listen to the king...never give money to a beggar!

Could be Glitter ,and a test, £1m. if you help !!

Maybe not , though !!

Happy Sunday

[callipposhots]

I heard that it work this way (for the Brits - don't know about others), but I don't actually know if its true. If your friends/relatives deposit the necessary amount of money at the Foreign Office in London, then the Embassy will give you the Baht equivalent here.

they just tell you to send the money Western Union or some other method of sending money overseas. Obviously that's a lot more convenient than going all the way down to the bloody Foreign Office in London if your friends or relatives happen to live in Carlisle.

[phaethon]

What if you want to get home, no money, visa run out etc? Will they help you sort out transport if you promise to pay them back?

Simply go to any Thai Immigration department and get them to deport you for free. It is amazing how quickly your Embassy will step in an assist you so you do not blot their copy book..

Or go to KSR, buy a passport in the name of Paul Gadd and then drop by immigration for a chat...

TGs like to give a few baht to disabled beggars to 'build credit' with Buddha - I knew someone who carried a stack of 5's just for that purpose - but a few hundred seems a bit much. However even if the girl mentioned earlier was freelancing on the side and could therefore afford a 'few hundred baht', it doesn't mean she deserved or would be happy about being scammed.

And... since when did Thai bouncers need to be paid extra to beat the s*it out of a farang?

Edited August 30, 2008 by phaethon

[StanSmith]

and this is why so many beggars have to give their eyes, legs & more to their mafia bosses

WOW! With a grand total of 8 posts, you are now the "expert in residence" on all things thai. Your gullibility is only exceeded by your ignorance.

You'll fit right in here, welcome to T/V.

It is so discouraging to read how easily foreigners are duped into thinking every beggar in the city is run by the ever present yet never seen "beggar-mafia".

I know the beggars in my neighborhood. They're the same people every day, who are most definitely NOT delivered by some mythical mafia each evening to start working, nor do they hand over their money after their "shift" ends either. I've chatted with them at length about their 'job', etc.

They have what best can be described as a 'team' of say 5 or 6 beggars. They pool their resources, rent a small room, look out for each other to some degree, and try to keep other beggars out of their area. They go "home" at nite after "work" just like everyone else. In their case, their "job" is to beg money from foreigners. The ones in my area won't let anyone who is able bodied into their "team", saying, "he can work, we cannot". Most of the people around my house are missing legs, arms, or have some type of major disability. All in all they are a good lot of people doing no one any harm, never forcing anyone to give, and are always polite to me yet I've not given them anything other than acknowledgement when I pass them.

NOW WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, BACK ON TOPIC:

After I read this thread, and living not to far away, I walked down there to look for the guy but alas he was a no show. (The Christian missionaries were in front of NEP but that is another story). I did speak to some gurls working in a bar beer who said the white haired guy comes by every couple of days and to their recollection has been there at least 6 months on and off.

It is reminiscent of the young foreigner who used to beg by the Sala Daeng BTS during the day with the sign about being short of money. Upon questioning he revealed he just begged to finance his travels around S/E Asia, saying the thai office gurls would often give 100-500 baht to help him out.

*edited for pesky spelling errors*

Nothing irritates me more than the one poster belittling another poster, simply because he has a low post count. It may be that he has lived in Thailand for 25 years for all you know mate, but has only just joined. Why the fark should you pass judgment on his knowledge of Thailand, simply owing to the fact he has only posted 8 times?

Is my opinion valued, with only a handful of posts also?

Anyway – back on topic.

I lived in lower Suk for quite some time and most of the beggars who retire to normal rooms at the end of each day. The chap who is severely disabled and can usually be seen somewhere between Hillarys 2 and the corner of NEP, lives in a small hut adjacent to the train tracks close to Soi 1. He, like many of the beggars, are ‘self employed’.

Some of the beggars usually to be seen around the overpass by soi 7 are involved with mafia – but to call it ‘mafia controlled’ would be over the top. They simply give a kick back to certain people in order to keep the police of their backs. These are mainly Burmese.

Most of the genuine homeless in that area who sleep rough every night are not beggars, just drunken bums. You rarely see them asking for money – they just sleep on the street during the day and get battered on rice wine during the night.

I have no idea of the ‘slug’ who crawls between soi 7 and 11. I only know he does extremely well, in comparison to beggars who hang around outer Bangkok areas. It’s not uncommon for a p1ssed up ferang to throw 500 Baht in his bowl, at 3am.

The white haired guy has been hanging around lower Suk for a year now. I have never seen him beg – he just sits there with his sign, looking for work. He must live somewhere as he always looks clean.

The bloke who really gets on my tits is the Dutch bloke. I genuinely feel like slapping the lazy <deleted> whenever I see him.

Anyone remember the English guy who totally lost the plot earlier this year? He spent around 4 months sleeping rough around Nana area. Usually next to Golden bar. Claims his TG took him for all his money, lost his passport and had no friends and family back home. He was a right state – ripped clothes, a bomber jacket with no shirt underneath, wild eyes – mad as ten bears, totally lost his mind. You would see him barging in and out of NEP, knocking people out of the way sometimes. He was English Indian I think. Only about 30 years old. Jeeeez..... 30 man.

[apple69]

Yep... I've heard the guy that crawls between soi 7 and 11 does very very well. I guess it's easy to see why, just think of all the new tourists that are walking past him every day of the year.

As for the white haired guy, i've only seen him last time I was over in bkk earlier in the year. To be honest I found the sight of him all quite surrile. A clean cut, white haired guy that I could easily imagine being someones grandad.

I'm not sure I've seen that English Indian but there was a 30ish English jack-the-lad "geezer" type wandering around soi 4 - 7. He almost looked normal but for his wild crazy eyes. I saw him on the first day I was there and he came out with the schpill about having lost his passport, money and bankcards... and so could I spare him 100baht for a beer. Anyway, I was out of bkk for 2 weeks and when I came back there he was again with his wacky lost-it eyes and going through the same lines.

You get oddballs and broken men everywhere in the world but... Thailand seems to attract them/break them like no other!

[dotcom]

This dude?

http://www.gurubangkok.com/view_clip.php?i...&idxstart=0

The a-hole has money to buy cigarettes.

[StanSmith]

Yep... I've heard the guy that crawls between soi 7 and 11 does very very well. I guess it's easy to see why, just think of all the new tourists that are walking past him every day of the year.

As for the white haired guy, i've only seen him last time I was over in bkk earlier in the year. To be honest I found the sight of him all quite surrile. A clean cut, white haired guy that I could easily imagine being someones grandad.

I'm not sure I've seen that English Indian but there was a 30ish English jack-the-lad "geezer" type wandering around soi 4 - 7. He almost looked normal but for his wild crazy eyes. I saw him on the first day I was there and he came out with the schpill about having lost his passport, money and bankcards... and so could I spare him 100baht for a beer. Anyway, I was out of bkk for 2 weeks and when I came back there he was again with his wacky lost-it eyes and going through the same lines.

You get oddballs and broken men everywhere in the world but... Thailand seems to attract them/break them like no other!

Same guy. English born, Indian parents. Seen him many a time sitting on the steps to Golden driking Mekong or Hong Thong, neat.

[robee]

can anyone get photo evidence of this guy

can u post picts here?

[bonobo]

I am usually wary of giving away money to other than known charities. A couple of months ago, though, I went to Koh San to get a masssage, and while I was leaving, I was aksed to help a young Portugese girl who couldn't get any money from the ATM. I helped her try several, and she was distraught at not being able to withdraw any money. I ended up giving her 10,000 baht (which was what she was trying to withdraw), and she thanked me profusely, giving me a copy of her passport and promising to pay me back.

For several days, I felt like a fool. Not about the baht, but thinking I had been taken. What kind of fool was I?

Well, four days later, I got a call. The problem had been with her family's account back in Portugal, and the problem had been fixed. She insisted on paying me back.

I wasn't really too concerned about only 10,000 baht, but I was concerned about being scammed, so this made me feel great. I felt justified in my own decision, and I felt better at the honesty she exhibited.

So sometimes, the "scams" aren't really scams at all. It is OK to help out your fellow human being.

[Mossfinn]

money that she could have been drinking instead of him.

so she's an alcoholic now

Someone liking a few drinks is an alcoholic? Now that is a leap of Faith,

Nothing irritates me more than the one poster belittling another poster, simply because he has a low post count. It may be that he has lived in Thailand for 25 years for all you know mate, but has only just joined.

To add to this, they may well have prodigious other scores on other boards, or Heaven forbid in a previous incarnation on this one.

Alternatively, do you give credence to someone who has a variety of scores in the jokes forum or Pub? or perhaps the nonsense spouted in a multiplicity of fora on here, look at the content of the post, not the scores on the doors.

[jimmyredcab]

I am amazed that so many of you have set yourself up as Judge, Jury and Executioner ------ I have spoken to this guy, he did not attempt to get any money from me but I gave him 100 baht anyway, he told me his name is Bob.

Lets hope that none of you ever lose all your possesions to a mercenary Thai woman.

[Thaifan2]

I am amazed that so many of you have set yourself up as Judge, Jury and Executioner ------ I have spoken to this guy, he did not attempt to get any money from me but I gave him 100 baht anyway, he told me his name is Bob.

Lets hope that none of you ever lose all your possesions to a mercenary Thai woman.

I do feel sorry for him .It can not be an easy life for him .Not sure that i would give him money though .