Women With Children On Sidewalk

[male]

The only thing that puts me down when I walk Pattaya streets: women with children on sidewalk asking for change. Isn't it sick? Shouldn't government take care of poor people, especially kids?

Andrew.

[offset]

The only thing that puts me down when I walk Pattaya streets: women with children on sidewalk asking for change. Isn't it sick? Shouldn't government take care of poor people, especially kids?

Andrew.

I think that you will find that most of them are not Thai well that is what the G/F tells me she will never give them anything although she give to a lot of Thai beggars

[Texpat]

If you don't have a gross disfigurement to wave around, I'd imagine a toddler is a very good prop.

[loong]

Some of them do it because they have no money.

Some because they can make a lot more money begging than by working.

there are enough kind hearted farang that will hand over a 100 Bt, so they dont need too many in a day.

Some beggars can pull in 1000 Baht per day or more.

Problem is that you never know who is in genuine need.

[BigSnake]

Yes, a real DOWNER but sad to say a common sight in Pattaya, the big mango and other parts of the Kindgom. Not much we can do but spare a baht or two, then again "give a man a fish, food for a day, teach his to fish guess they are already fishing

[Meg_2003]

I often have young, healthy fit looking women in come up to me in the market with a baby in their arms saying "Madam, 10 baht for milk for baby..give me".. I will NEVER ever donate to these kinds of people as they have 2 arms and 2 legs and should find a job like everyone else has to.

I do, however, always search in my purse for some spare coins when I see a beggar who is clearly unfit to work, ie No arm or leg.

Theprasit Market last Saturday night I saw a Thai woman sat on the side of the street with a new born baby, begging. I didn't see anyone give her anything..

[syd barrett]

That half-man at the Markets, makes a fine living. But these women and babies all along 2nd Road from 'Made in Thailand' to Royal Garden, I am sure they are either Cambodians or Burmese and owned by a gang like the beggars in India.

Giving to the limbless is understandable, as I doubt that the same 'back street amputations' by begging gangs (like in India) happen in Thailand, and there is a plentiful supply of limbless from landmine-Cambodia.

[Penkoprod]

I often have young, healthy fit looking women in come up to me in the market with a baby in their arms saying "Madam, 10 baht for milk for baby..give me".. I will NEVER ever donate to these kinds of people as they have 2 arms and 2 legs and should find a job like everyone else has to.

I do, however, always search in my purse for some spare coins when I see a beggar who is clearly unfit to work, ie No arm or leg.

Theprasit Market last Saturday night I saw a Thai woman sat on the side of the street with a new born baby, begging. I didn't see anyone give her anything..

That remeinds me of a Thai guy who used to work Jomtien Beach when i 1st started coming to Pattaya many years ago. He had lost both his hands and some of his forearms, but was up and down tnhe beach all day selling cartons of cheap Marlboro cigarettes that used to be availible in Pattaya. You should have seen him counting money with his stumps!!!!!! The guy was an inspiration to all.....disabled AND able bodied. I hope he made a fortune for himself and his family

Penkoprod

[Boater]

they are all over bangkok ! , but i think most are run by gangs

[pattaya_girl]

I only give to the Beggars with missing Limbs or severely Disabled.

I was approached one time be a very very drunk Thai man - he was drinking Thai Whiskey - He begged me for 50 bt so he could eat, so I told him that I would buy him 50bt worth of rice from the nearby foodstall - he refused my offer, he wanted the Cash, and I know that he wanted it to buy more Whiskey.

[bojo]

I don't think we'll ever really know the truth, but it's common knowledge that some are owned by gangs and have to make a certain amount of money each day. If they don't make their targets, I would imagine that some would be beaten.

Difficult call .. it may be against ones principles not to give to beggars, but if one doesn't, they may get beaten, especially harsh when you see kids out there begging.

One can only imagine what happened to some beggars with missing limbs in a gang's 'employment'.

How did they really come to lose those limbs?

I usually give some small change to the obviousely crippled.

regards Bojo.

[wileycoyote]

Yes ,I agree "organised beggars"

[IanForbes]

The flower kids and ladies that constantly bother you at bars are also a nuisance. The sad part is the kids should be in school the next day but are up at 1:00AM begging. I've heard the older ladies "rent" babies just for the job.

[DonTron]

My cleaning lady talked to one of these so called "poor mothers" and she told her that she borrowed the baby from her sister because it could get her more money, and that she made more money just sitting on the sidewalk begging money from stupid tourists than she did preparing food to sell at the marked. So sitting down and hold out your hand was for her a better financial decision - less work, more pay.

My advise... do NOT give them money!

And often if you offer to give them food, they wont even accept it.

[rafval]

what about all the women without children (with them anyway) on beach road that ask for 20b?

[Hssl]

If you want to give to those with nothing or very little in their lives drop some cash or food items off at places like Pattaya Orphanage.

I wouldn't give the street beggers nothing, most aren't even Thai!

[MayBeLater]

I only give food away, and stay with them untill they have eaten it all. In that way I make sure it fills their stumach and not the stumach of some alpha/male. I also only give to non thai beggars (Burmese and Cambodian) because they are misused already in a bad way by the thai people. Also only to them because they appreciate it way more then some thai low life that despises me because I am only a farang.

[stevoo]

there is a guy who begs in the pattaya bars who is missing his lower leg he basically crawls around the bars. one night when walking down second road i saw this chap down a side soi fit his artificial limb back on and skip down the road.

As for these ladys begging with badies, the kids always seem to sleeping??????

[SoiGirlHunter]

I never giver to beggars, there are enough in my wifes family

[Mattd]

It used to the case many years ago, so it most likely still is, that these beggars 'rented' a child for the night, they all used to congregate on what was then waste land on Soi 7 and get their child for the night!

It happened with me one time whereby I didn't give the little girl money, I bought her some chicken instead, she went away happy......until the fat mamasan renting her that night got hold of the chicken, threw it down on the floor and then belted the little girl around the head with some rather nasty expletives!!!

Basically do not give anything to them, they are not genuinely in need, the children should be in bed resting for school and the women are all perfectly capable of working for a living.

[IanForbes]

As for these ladys begging with badies, the kids always seem to sleeping??????

Drugs tend to do that to you.

[MayBeLater]

As for these ladys begging with badies, the kids always seem to sleeping??????

Drugs tend to do that to you.

Huh, you get sleepy from drugs??? Totally not the effect they had (and very occasionally still have) on me, perhaps you should try something else

[ozsamurai]

I've seen the one legged man that prostrates himself, crawling flat on his belly though the streets of Silom and Suk, pushing his bowl. He is a con, one trouser leg longer than the other is his only disability. I popped into Villa in Suk. for some groceries and then jumped a cab to Khlong Tom, he got there faster than I did, following the crowd as it were. On the return home after a drink or two, he was sitting in a back soi, both legs intact reading the newspaper and having a few beers with his mates.... eased my guilt! There is a sucker born everyday and most beggars know it, if they choose to live like that, thats their problem, I'd give them a job before a hand out, but they most likely have no will to do a days work. The rented kids scene is apauling, the kids should be in bed, not out begging, the parents should be shot!

Oz

[IanForbes]

As for these ladys begging with badies, the kids always seem to sleeping??????

Drugs tend to do that to you.

Huh, you get sleepy from drugs??? Totally not the effect they had (and very occasionally still have) on me, perhaps you should try something else

Sleeping pills are drugs. I'm not referring to the illegal ones. There are all sorts of drugs that will make a person drowsy. If you give an adult's portion to children it will knock them out.

[doggie888888]

I decided long ago NEVER to give to a beggar on the street. Because there should be no "reward" for begging on the streets...everyone complains about begging but still get affected (understandably) by the situation and reward the beggar. I feel heartless sometimes but I stick to my guns and ignore the begging, affected as I am by the crying baby, handicapped beggar, diseased child or whatever.

Twice a year, usually at mid year and at year end, I make a donation to various charities. This is another minefiled to unravel, but it's another story relating to genuine needy charities vs. "professional" charities.

Of couse, everyone does their own thing and not everyone can be as "heartless" as I am in ignoring street beggars, but I sometimes wonder if we all did it, wouldn't it remove the reward for begging on streets and instead these people will move on to shelters, charities etc which would be swamped and hopefully organised enough to reprsesent to governments for more funding or else resort to private fundraising/donations.

I am probably wrong, but I feel beggars in Thailand are exploiting the cultural aspects of Thai buddhist society to extract the maximum guilt and "merit" money. It suits the Government (until some big summit, when these beggars become an embarrassment) because taxpayers money that should be used to fund programes for the needy can be allocated elsewhere, since people are giving alms all the time anyway!

[IanForbes]

And you just know where this kid is going to wind up...

All you can do is help a few families help themselves if you are willing to spend the time and the money. Just don't ask for thanks. It ain't coming. I helped this family start a small business selling ice, water and cold drinks. Seeing their business succeed and grow over the past 4 years is all the reward I need.

[Tokay]

Most of them are "owned" and pimped out.

Do any of you old timers remember 11 or 12 years ago the small army of people that would get dropped off at shopping malls in BKK with limbs cut off, pussing and bleeding? They would get them all jacked up on some opiate and toss them out in the morning, let them collect all day and then pick them up at night. The next day, open the wound again or cut off another inch and do it all over. HORRIBLE SHIT. The victim would just lay there and bake in the heat all day.

At least they cleaned that up. I have not seen that in a long time. That was horrid.

[male]

Do any of you old timers remember 11 or 12 years ago the small army of people that would get dropped off at shopping malls in BKK with limbs cut off, pussing and bleeding? They would get them all jacked up on some opiate and toss them out in the morning, let them collect all day and then pick them up at night. The next day, open the wound again or cut off another inch and do it all over. HORRIBLE SHIT. The victim would just lay there and bake in the heat all day.

Oh My Buddha...

[Yknot]

If everyone stopped giving them money, how much longer would they stay there? A week? Maybe. A month? I don't think so.

I've been doing my part. Some of you folks need to get with the program, if we want to get the beggars off the street.