What Hunger In Thailand?

[think_too_mut]

I just had lunch at Hard Rock Café and between music 2 spots, there was a short video of black kids with bloated bellies and an appeal for donations.

Among other places, they say, by donating you are helping fight hunger in several countries (can't remember them all) and the list ends with "Thailand and Indonesia".

What hunger in Thailand ?

What hunger in Indonesia?

Who are those people collecting money for non-existent hunger? Or, if there is any in Thailand or Indonesia, it does not need international humanitarian aid, at least not from the skunks like Bob Geldoff (who 2 weeks ago charged 100,000$ + first class ticket to speak about poverty in Melbourne) and Bono.

I visited their site site but could not find reference to Thailand, at least not within 5-6 minutes that I poked around.

Edited December 26, 2008 by think_too_mut

[bkkjames]

its the typical guilt you scenario rolled out at this time of year while you are chomping down on your 1/3 burger, large fries and a coke.

[mrtoad]

If the majority of the money was actually allocated properly and directly to the people that it is meant for it would be more palatable. Sadly, far too much money and aid is skimmed off by administration, flights of fancy and crooked officials in developing countries.

The reason that those two countries were mentioned has nothing to do with aid being allocated there, but more likely a misleading line which will encourage locals to give, as it is in the region, or on their doorstep.

Edited December 26, 2008 by mrtoad

[MJP]

If the majority of the money was actually allocated properly and directly to the people that it is meant for it would be more palatable. Sadly, far too much money and aid is skimmed off by administration, flights of fancy and crooked officials in developing countries.

The reason that those two countries were mentioned has nothing to do with aid being allocated there, but more likely a misleading line which will encourage locals to give, as it is in the region, or on their doorstep.

A dear old friend who used to work in the wilds of Africa building roads once described the act of western countries giving money to poor countries as 'poor people giving money to rich people'.

I had no idea what he was on about.

'Well, it's poor UK taxpayers giving money to wealthy African dictators'.

[GungaDin]

Hungry kids in Thailand?

Try any refugee camp for the Burmese or Lao in Thailand.

[bkkjames]

Hungry kids in Thailand?

Try any refugee camp for the Burmese or Lao in Thailand.

Hurry up and reply before Ms Arsenal closes this thread too

But back to your point, those kids you speak of are Thai?

[teacup]

Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, and forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, than those who has nothing to eat.

[MyphuketLife]

I just had lunch at Hard Rock Café and between music 2 spots, there was a short video of black kids with bloated bellies and an appeal for donations.

Among other places, they say, by donating you are helping fight hunger in several countries (can't remember them all) and the list ends with "Thailand and Indonesia".

What hunger in Thailand ?

What hunger in Indonesia?

While these orgs usually have little to no impact, and skim allot of the top.... I don't think you can honestly ask if kids are hungry in Thailand....

Every country has poor kids with lack of food, even fully developed countries... I am sure their are a number of hungry Thai kids, now whether or not the money that program collects ever makes it to Thai kids is another question all together.

[DP25]

They need to gather money. Doesn't matter whether what they say is true. Those cushy NGO jobs with nice apartments and SUVs don't pay for themselves you know.

[MJP]

http://www.childrenoftheforest.com/

Have a look. Fantastic chap is Dan Hopson.

[Lite Beer]

Off Topic, Flamming. Argumentative Posts Deleted. Which doesn't leave many.

Keep it on topic please.

[think_too_mut]

They need to gather money. Doesn't matter whether what they say is true. Those cushy NGO jobs with nice apartments and SUVs don't pay for themselves you know.

I remember (have some pics too, March 2005) of a Thai maid, good English. She brought a boy she was looking after to the Benjasiri park.

While my daughter was playing, we were watching the kids and chatted. She appeared to be proud about looking after the boy whose parents were UNICEF employees in BKK. Not IBM, not Goldman Sachs.

"Where do you live"?

She pointed towards 120-150K baht rent per month buildings.

[think_too_mut]

The point I wanted to make - false claims that Thailand has hunger problems.

Usual Hard Rock cafe patrons would not know Thailand has never had any hunger problems. But the video goes on.

[IMA_FARANG]

I just had lunch at Hard Rock Café and between music 2 spots, there was a short video of black kids with bloated bellies and an appeal for donations.

Among other places, they say, by donating you are helping fight hunger in several countries (can't remember them all) and the list ends with "Thailand and Indonesia".

What hunger in Thailand ?

What hunger in Indonesia?

Who are those people collecting money for non-existent hunger? Or, if there is any in Thailand or Indonesia, it does not need international humanitarian aid, at least not from the skunks like Bob Geldoff (who 2 weeks ago charged 100,000$ + first class ticket to speak about poverty in Melbourne) and Bono.

I visited their site site but could not find reference to Thailand, at least not within 5-6 minutes that I poked around.

I thought you had been in Thailand longer than that? Poverty in Thailand may not be noticeable if you spend a lot of time in the Hard Rock Cafe type places, but there are a lot of people in Issan and other parts of the country who find it hard to get enough to eat every day. Even in BKK, do you think those kids out in the middle of the street selling flower garlands are there because they enjoy it?

Yes, I know there are "professional beggers", but there also are thousands of children around Thailand who barely get two meals a day...if they are that lucky. A lot of children are going to school hungry....and they are the lucky ones who are able to go to school.

[mijan24]

I just had lunch at Hard Rock Café and between music 2 spots, there was a short video of black kids with bloated bellies and an appeal for donations.

Among other places, they say, by donating you are helping fight hunger in several countries (can't remember them all) and the list ends with "Thailand and Indonesia".

What hunger in Thailand ?

What hunger in Indonesia?

Who are those people collecting money for non-existent hunger? Or, if there is any in Thailand or Indonesia, it does not need international humanitarian aid, at least not from the skunks like Bob Geldoff (who 2 weeks ago charged 100,000$ + first class ticket to speak about poverty in Melbourne) and Bono.

I visited their site site but could not find reference to Thailand, at least not within 5-6 minutes that I poked around.

I thought you had been in Thailand longer than that? Poverty in Thailand may not be noticeable if you spend a lot of time in the Hard Rock Cafe type places, but there are a lot of people in Issan and other parts of the country who find it hard to get enough to eat every day. Even in BKK, do you think those kids out in the middle of the street selling flower garlands are there because they enjoy it?

Yes, I know there are "professional beggers", but there also are thousands of children around Thailand who barely get two meals a day...if they are that lucky. A lot of children are going to school hungry....and they are the lucky ones who are able to go to school.

To this I agreee, many a Thai person/family live on next to nothing (not talking beggars) and they scrape borrow to pay for their children to go to the free schooling. Not tear jerking but sometimes people need to take a look before spouting off.

[think_too_mut]

I just had lunch at Hard Rock Café and between music 2 spots, there was a short video of black kids with bloated bellies and an appeal for donations.

Among other places, they say, by donating you are helping fight hunger in several countries (can't remember them all) and the list ends with "Thailand and Indonesia".

What hunger in Thailand ?

What hunger in Indonesia?

Who are those people collecting money for non-existent hunger? Or, if there is any in Thailand or Indonesia, it does not need international humanitarian aid, at least not from the skunks like Bob Geldoff (who 2 weeks ago charged 100,000$ + first class ticket to speak about poverty in Melbourne) and Bono.

I visited their site site but could not find reference to Thailand, at least not within 5-6 minutes that I poked around.

I thought you had been in Thailand longer than that? Poverty in Thailand may not be noticeable if you spend a lot of time in the Hard Rock Cafe type places, but there are a lot of people in Issan and other parts of the country who find it hard to get enough to eat every day. Even in BKK, do you think those kids out in the middle of the street selling flower garlands are there because they enjoy it?

Yes, I know there are "professional beggers", but there also are thousands of children around Thailand who barely get two meals a day...if they are that lucky. A lot of children are going to school hungry....and they are the lucky ones who are able to go to school.

The Hard RockCafe was in Nagoya, Japan.

Other things you said are plain rubbish. Whatever I may complain about Thailand, it's far away from Thai kids going around hungry, or have bloated bellies.

One more: I showed this reply to my wife (an Isaan woman, now with me in Japan) and she says - get lost. No hunger in Thai, ever. Poor , OK, but never hungry.

Just think : does it take scumbags like Bob Geldof or Bono to save them?

[Kerryd]

Too many charities seem to exist for the benefit of the people running them, not for those they are supposed to be helping. Some charities it seems exist because the people running them can't bring themselves to accepting welfare, but are more than happy to do nothing and live off of donations.

But what if the donations start to dry up ? Nothing like a created crisis, or good sob story to start the money flowing again.

I stopped donating to the United Way many years ago. I was asked to collect pledges from my platoon. Many of the guys wanted to know where the money was going to go. I didn't know so I asked.

The United Way it turns out, is an umbrella group for a number of different charities. They collect money, paying themselves from the donations, and then distributing what ever is left to the many charities they support/sponsor/take care of.

I recall on of the "charities" they gave money to, was the "Jewish-Christian Ladies Tea Society". A group of Jewish and Christian women that got together for tea every so often, paid for by people who thought their donations were going to help the needy or underprivileged.

I was told that if we wanted to, we could specifically chose which charity(s) our money would go to, but it wasn't hard to see through that BS. I could tell them to make sure my money went to the Battered Women's Shelter, or an Orphanage or an Animal shelter, etc, but in reality, all the money goes into the main kitty, and gets divvied up from there by the administrators. How they decide who gets what, I don't know.

I do know that now I donate directly to a specific charity itself, not to an "umbrella" collection agency. I'd give Tony 5,000 baht for his animal shelter long before I'd give 20 baht to the United Way again.

[spiderman2]

If there are people starving and not due to abuse in LOS there is no one other then the government to blame for this.

As for Geldof he didnt visit Africa for 20 years after Live Aid 1, after he received his sainthood, i cant find exact figures but it was something like 90% of the money made from Live Aid 1 went to the hands of the rich and corrupt, hence why he didnt have the balls to ask us outright for more money second time round, he was sneaky and asked the governments who donate billions to Africa for more billions of debt relief.

As for Bono he mixes with the British government at conferences yet sings anti British songs, the nicest thing i could wish this fraud is a slow painful death.

[MrHammer]

I could think of many countries more deserving of aid than Thailand in Asia, Bangladesh and the Phillipines to name a few.

[Gertrude]

I thought you had been in Thailand longer than that? Poverty in Thailand may not be noticeable if you spend a lot of time in the Hard Rock Cafe type places, but there are a lot of people in Issan and other parts of the country who find it hard to get enough to eat every day. Even in BKK, do you think those kids out in the middle of the street selling flower garlands are there because they enjoy it?

Yes, I know there are "professional beggers", but there also are thousands of children around Thailand who barely get two meals a day...if they are that lucky. A lot of children are going to school hungry....and they are the lucky ones who are able to go to school.

What a load of CR!P

[henryalleman]

I thought you had been in Thailand longer than that? Poverty in Thailand may not be noticeable if you spend a lot of time in the Hard Rock Cafe type places, but there are a lot of people in Issan and other parts of the country who find it hard to get enough to eat every day. Even in BKK, do you think those kids out in the middle of the street selling flower garlands are there because they enjoy it?

Yes, I know there are "professional beggers", but there also are thousands of children around Thailand who barely get two meals a day...if they are that lucky. A lot of children are going to school hungry....and they are the lucky ones who are able to go to school.

What a load of CR!P Go on living with closed eyes in your nice ivory tower

[billd766]

I live way out in the sticks and there children living around here that don't go to school pas about 12 years old as their parents can't afford to send them, buy school books and lunch as well.

Also during the planting/ harvesting times schools partly close down as the pupils are in the fields helping their families out.

Now that there is a slowdown in the world economy which will affect Thailand more families who had work in the cities and lose their jobs will be back on the farms for a while.

[Geekfreaklover]

They need to gather money. Doesn't matter whether what they say is true. Those cushy NGO jobs with nice apartments and SUVs don't pay for themselves you know.

You took the words out of my mouth,.

I met a number of NGO's in Cambodia, and my first and last thought was what a bunch of nasty indivduals actively contributing to the social problems in hand in order to keep the pay check coming. If the problem is solved they have to go home. They don't want to go home.

[Geekfreaklover]

I live way out in the sticks and there children living around here that don't go to school pas about 12 years old as their parents can't afford to send them, buy school books and lunch as well.

Also during the planting/ harvesting times schools partly close down as the pupils are in the fields helping their families out.

Now that there is a slowdown in the world economy which will affect Thailand more families who had work in the cities and lose their jobs will be back on the farms for a while.

So living, as you do, out in the sticks you should be aware that Thai people are not starving.

The original question was about food, not about schooling and the economy.

From my expereince living out in rural Thailand for many years there is an abundance of food. You can always eat rice, fruit, even exotic meats, like frogs if you so desire. Food is almost free. It is everywhere. Any Thai child that goes hungry in rural NE Thailand, goes hungry due to parental neglect, not from lack of available produce. There is a lot of food in Thailand. In the fields and hanging from the trees.

[Sabum]

Ok PLEASE can someone post some official figures or information or something to send the message home to some of you that have absolutely no idea what is going on in Thailand but seriously think you do? There is an abundance of food in Thailand. Living in poverty in this country is NOT the same as living in poverty in India or some other country where children starve or barely get enough to eat. Thailand is not this place. I cant believe how deluded the vision is of some of the posters here, it's outrageous.

[Geekfreaklover]

I thought you had been in Thailand longer than that? Poverty in Thailand may not be noticeable if you spend a lot of time in the Hard Rock Cafe type places, but there are a lot of people in Issan and other parts of the country who find it hard to get enough to eat every day. Even in BKK, do you think those kids out in the middle of the street selling flower garlands are there because they enjoy it?

Yes, I know there are "professional beggers", but there also are thousands of children around Thailand who barely get two meals a day...if they are that lucky. A lot of children are going to school hungry....and they are the lucky ones who are able to go to school.

It is better to NOT post, when you do not understand this subject in any way shape or form.

Isaan has a lot of food and the people in Isaan get by very well generally. I have lived in probably the most poorest parts of thailand and I have never seen anyone go hungry.

The kids in Bangkok are not selling items becasue they need food. They are selling the items because their parents put them to work because their parents/guardians have drug or alcohol addictions that need to be fed. It is a different social problem and has nothing to do with lack of food.

Please do not bore me with your National Geographic knowledge.

Some people on this forum have been in country and have seen how people live here.

[dumball]

Must be lots of expats living in or connected to , rural Thailand , why not run a poll and get some down to earth idea instead of running off blindly , yes , you got it , into the trees .The villages I have been in , when hungry , use your nose , follow the aroma , sit down with the crowd , lots to go around for extra eaters .

[Lite Beer]

No one goes short of food in the Isaan village where I live. In fact they never seem to stop eating.

Granted by western standards they do not own a a lot and some of the kids miss out on school but they never go hungry.

[think_too_mut]

Must be lots of expats living in or connected to , rural Thailand , why not run a poll and get some down to earth idea instead of running off blindly , yes , you got it , into the trees .The villages I have been in , when hungry , use your nose , follow the aroma , sit down with the crowd , lots to go around for extra eaters .

There was an article in the Economist on December 13 2008 about it.

It says Japan is the best place for children, Niger is the worst.

The article is based on this research by Save the Children UK

Edited December 27, 2008 by think_too_mut

[think_too_mut]

As if I knew this pic may become handy.

This is my baby, today back in 2005.

She is eating her lunch at Pattaya Water Park while Bono, her savior (according to that crap that I saw in the spot at the hard Rock Cafe ) is watching her malnutritioned and going hungry in Thailand.

I thought Bono has retracted his horns while Africa is watching Mugabe dstroying Zimbabwe and several other horror spots on the African continent.

Where is Bono now?

Now he and his gang have included Thailand, perheps because most of the human kind have understood that Africa has to help itself first.

How little has he known all along the way. What a self promotion, only a junk magazine like one pictured would have given him any credit.

Edit: she is eating fried rice with vegetables, a common fare in Thai, hard to imagine anyone who can not afford that simple meal.

Edited December 27, 2008 by think_too_mut