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

[issanpaul]

Dont you think the Title of this Thread should not be changed? I Think we have established he is not begging.

[Super Hans]

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.

Only 10,000? Only? I can understand giving a few hundred to help someone out, but 10,000?

[Mossfinn]

Dont you think the Title of this Thread should not be changed? I Think we have established he is not begging.

[RusticCharm]

yet another reason why i tend to avoid that part of town.

If you're this sanctimonious when out having a beer, that part of town is better off without you. 

[desi]

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.

Has anyone seen him lately?

[random]

last time I saw him was two years ago, he was sat outside mcds on Silom with the same sign asking for work, never seen him since.

[ukrules]

Maybe he finally got the job he was looking for.

[WarpSpeed]

A couple of days ago i drove down soi 4 in sukhumvit to have a couple of beers. Just before i got to the rajah hotel carpark i noticed an old man in his 60s with white hair sat on the curb out side a hotel adjacent, I thought nothing of it just he was waiting for a lift.

Anyway 2 hours later after finishing my drink i started to walk back to the car and i noticed the guy was still sat there. As i was driving i thought maybe i could help him so i asked if he was ok and needed a lift anywhere as he seemed to of been there for a while. He stood up and said "well yes i have a big problem, my thai women has took everything from me, i dont have anything"

I looked at his rucksack and he had wrote a message on it saying "please help me". At the this stage i just said sorry mate your a scamster arent you and walked off.

To be honest maybe i should of give him more time to explain but there were lots of people looking.

He didnt look like he was homeless etc. clean shaven, neatly combed hair, shirt, trousers etc.

Anyone spoke/seen him?

If he was a scamster whats he gonna get? few hundred baht everday?

But to get back to your old man and why he begs. If he is in genuine need then his embassy should help him. Full stop.

Embassies won't help squat if you don't have someone back home to cover you, full stop.. I went through this back some years ago with an elderly Aussie..

[WarpSpeed]

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.

Agreed..

[Kilgore Trout]

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.

Agreed, something very fishy about this story :jerk: