Baggars Raking It In.

[BlackArtemis]

Better them than the farang backpacks pulling their scams.

Is that dutch kid still in BKK, raking in 30k+/month... he has only needed 5k baht to get home for 5 years now...

I have always given to two groups of people. The handicapped and people playing music. Either you can't work or I give because you are playing well.

I am more wary of little kids than anything else. The more they make the more likely they will be up til 3am selling roses to drunks than sleeping.

[FolkGuitar]

Years ago there was a fellow in Bangkok, behind the Wat at the end of Khao San Road who had the right idea...

This fellow always wore absolutely clean (but obviously quite old and threadbare) clothes, dressing very neatly. He never sat on the ground. he would always be standing with his hands at his sides. He had an old broken bathroom scale on the ground next to him and a sign that read; "Your weight - 1 baht" All he would say is 'Hello Mister' or 'Hello Madame' if you stopped, and politely say 'thank you' if you stepped onto his scale and dropped money into the can next to it. He never sat and slept. He never held the can out to passers-by, and he never asked anyone to use his scale.

Personally, I thought this was a very respectable way to collect money. He was providing a service, not begging, despite the fact that the scale was off by about 50 kilo. I would weigh myself every time I passed his locale, usually dropping in several coins. Judging from what I'd see already in the can, most folks donated 10 baht coins! By now he probably lives in a luxury condo and drives as BMW. More power to him!

[Loaded]

It's a difficult one whether to give or not.

We know that often it may not be as clear cut as it first appears: blind beggars who can flag down songtaews, kids forced to sell flowers for their drunk dad sitting along the road etc. But it's usually fairly obvious when someone needs help. It's then a personal choice and nobody else's business.

if you've just spent 600 baht on booze, 10 baht in to a plastic cup shouldn't bother someone's principals too much.

Thais know that if they ever need a meal or somewhere to sleep, they can visit a temple. Food is shared, a space is found for sleep and companionship is offered.

I remember two Christmases ago walking in to Rimping Supermarket Mee Chot. There were a couple of foreigners collecting for their charity standing at the door. One of them thrust his collecting tin in my face and when I walked on he called out in a sarcastic tone "miserable git". I might well be a miserable git but what and when I give is a personal choice and nobody's business except mine. I actually felt this farang was more offensive than any beggar that's ever approached me in Thailand.

[mnbcm]

I related a story about an unfortunate young woman and her babe in arms sleeping in a hole in the wall ("Sad but true"). This post is a direct response to that. It's here soley to satisfy people like you. To help you sleep at night. It was started by someone with the moniker of 'Gotlost'. (innuendo).

Are you telling me that that woman and child shouldn't be helped? She's sleeping rough with a young baby, it's about to rain, but so long as she has eaten, she doesn't need help, right? If I offered some of the bread and biscuits I had just purchased at 7-11, and she refused them, then she was obviously out to con me. Her Mercedes was probably parked around the corner. Right?

That's all you need, I presume? Just food. Nothing else. Clothes? A roof over your head? A bed? A shower? Medicine? Luxuries!!! (sarcasm).

You can help a little a lot. You could help a lot a little. Or you could do nothing. I can't find this story you're talking about in the forums.

[KevinHunt]

You can help a little a lot. You could help a lot a little. Or you could do nothing. I can't find this story you're talking about in the forums.

It seems to me that your reply was an excuse to do nothing. People need more than just food to survive, and even more to be happy. 

Try Page 2 this forum. 

[NaiGreg]

Perhaps if beggars were really fat and demanded gobs of money instead of loose change ...

Like these people in the UK

"A family of four with a combined weight of 83 stone say they are "too fat to work" and need more than the £22,000 they currently receive in benefits. " - Telegraph

[lannarebirth]

My Eyes!!!

[Donnyboy]

crickey, looks like they are single handedly keeping all the pie shops out of recession

[uptheos]

Yeah, I never give to those rag clad beggars with no arms or legs that crawl around Bangkok's dirty, smelly sidewalks and gutters - let them hire a suit and go get a regular job like other people!!

For Christ's sake, if you want to give then give and to hel_l what others think.

[gotlost]

TOUCHY TOUCHY. Take a chill pill. Say you have 666 post mean anything?

[uptheos]

TOUCHY TOUCHY. Take a chill pill. Say you have 666 post mean anything?

Well spotted, I knew there was a reason.

I just don't get the analysing of beggars - they have always been around and they always will be.

If I see some poor sod and I feel like giving him/her something, I'm not going home and sit wondering 'did I do the right thing'...'am I encouraging them' etc, and I certainly don't give out of merit, because I don't buy into that rubbish either.

Equally of course, everyone has the right not to give and shouldn't feel guilty about it.

[uptheos]

"If they have the ability to work, please don't support them because they'll only go and spend the money on drink and gambling."

Maybe he should have pointed the guy to the nearest 'Job Centre' too!

......and alcoholics anonymous......and gamblers anonymous.......and to the welfare centre.....geeez!

Edited October 8, 2009 by uptheos

[Ulysses G.]

Today, I was approached for money by a fellow who I've been turning down for almost 20 years. He is thin, in his 40s or 50s and always wears a hat and hangs around Thapae Gate or one of the shopping centers. He was unusually persistent today, but I know that he has never tried to work since I've known him, so I don't feel sorry for him at all.

He seems in fine health and speaks English better than most of the Thai English professors at CMU and could easily work as a guide or something similar. He prefers to chat up every farang that he sees and eventually gets around to asking for money.

The problem with giving money to professional beggars is that most of them have no interest in working at all and just want some free money and you see the same ones most of the time.

I am not against helping other people, but, prefer giving my money to someone who is really down on his luck and needs a hand, rather than someone who begs for a living.

Edited October 8, 2009 by Ulysses G.

[cmsally]

Today, I was approached for money by a fellow who I've been turning down for almost 20 years. He is thin, in his 40s or 50s and always wears a hat and hangs around Thapae Gate or one of the shopping centers. He was unusually persistent today, but I know that he has never tried to work since I've known him, so I don't feel sorry for him at all.

He seems in fine health and speaks English better than most of the Thai English professors at CMU and could easily work as a guide or something similar. He prefers to chat up every farang that he sees and eventually gets around to asking for money.

The problem with giving money to professional beggars is that most of them have no interest in working at all and just want some free money and you see the same ones most of the time.

I am not against helping other people, but, prefer giving my money to someone who is really down on his luck and needs a hand, rather than someone who begs for a living.

I know the one you mean because he is often on the same bus as one of my employees (Sanpatong). I guess that is where he lives. Apparently early evening not good idea to sit next to him as he has had a drink or two or .... So basically he commutes into "work".

[gotlost]

Hey there is hope for these wanke_rs after all. They can not afford to live in the city so they move to the burbs. Now don't you fell sorry that the high cost of living in the city is driving them out.

[IanForbes]

Perhaps if beggars were really fat and demanded gobs of money instead of loose change ...

Like these people in the UK

"A family of four with a combined weight of 83 stone say they are "too fat to work" and need more than the £22,000 they currently receive in benefits. " - Telegraph

I see FAR too much of that here in Canada.

And folks wonder why us "ol folks" travel to Thailand each winter to visit our lady friends? What a comparison.

[dave2]

ug.. everyone

re ... He is thin, in his 40s or 50s and always wears a hat.

i know him ..... hes been begging for money to get to his home village for nearly five years.

he tagged on to a 50 ish woman on her own last week near thapae so she walked faster ... so did he ... he kept talking ... she kept walking .... then he touched her arm.

BIG mistake .... shed had enough badgering from him so she stopped turned round and shouted at the top of her voice ...#### off ...#### off ...#### off .

everyone heard her even people accross the moat and turned to see what was going on and he slinked off looking like a scalded dog ..

serves him right coz ive seen him do the same to hundreds of tourist who he follows / pesters untill they give him something

dave2

ps .... ug ... CFD are meeting me and my friends today

[Donnyboy]

Perhaps if beggars were really fat and demanded gobs of money instead of loose change ...

Like these people in the UK

"A family of four with a combined weight of 83 stone say they are "too fat to work" and need more than the £22,000 they currently receive in benefits. " - Telegraph

I see FAR too much of that here in Canada.

And folks wonder why us "ol folks" travel to Thailand each winter to visit our lady friends? What a comparison.

on the flip side Ian, if you stayed in Canada and dated one of these beauties you would get more woman than you could ever want!

[Petbon]

In NZ some beg for money to attend live concerts! And they rake it in too.

In BKK my son suggested I donated food instead so the genuinely hungry were helped - not the opportunists.

[Donnyboy]

In NZ some beg for money to attend live concerts! And they rake it in too.

im assuming youre using the word "beg" loosely here

[envirogirl]

Does Thailand have any sort of welfare/dole system other than the sanctuary of the temple? If not then, I feel as though we have the benefit to choose who we give to rather than support the whole lot of people who claim to be in need.

In regard to passing out money on the street, I go with my feeling at the moment I look the person in the eye. I probably give to half or less of the people I see asking for money. If I have left over food with me (more likely to happen back home given the portion sizes), I offer that up. I have negotiated a couple of times with beggars back in the US. I tell them what the food item is and ask them to tell me the truth if they really want it. I do this because I saw this over weight beggar with a sign saying he wanted food, throw away the left over turkish pastry I just gave him. Another time in the US, I told the beggar that it was a Korean noodle soup and he politely turned it down. In India, I handed a begging woman an ice cream and she seemed pretty disappointed. Three little girls wouldn't stop following me in the streets of Kampala, Uganda and I had no money on me at the moment so I couldn't give. A Ugandan man yelled at me to just give them something - I was pissed. I actually enjoy the people singing in the markets here - ads to the atmosphere.

[slapout]

In my short time on this beautiful planet, I have been exposed to beggars in several Asian countries; Europe and the America's to a smaller degree, with the exception of China, maybe I was not in the right/wrong area, even walking around the central areas. What charity/individual I give too is a private matter for them and me to know about(sometimes they do not know where the benefit came from) Some people may disagree with some of my choices if I were to publicized it (which I will not do). Its a personal decision I make and it does not need anyone's approval after the fact. A contribution to a commercial charity (my term) can be researched while those needy individuals that tug at our heart require a gut feeling and a individual decision. In the latter case, if you have a better feeling for yourself, the recipient, and the action, you should feel better than when you woke up that day.

[daisychains]

I say; good luck to them.

If all someone has to do is sit somewhere on the street looking down on they’re luck and idiots give them money, I can see nothing wrong with that.

The so-called beggar makes a living and the idiot feels good believing he/she has done a good deed. So everyone’s happy all round.

The thing is these people are sometimes also drug users so by saying good luck and supporting begging your also supporting many other crimes!

people need to look deeper in to things sometimes!

[wolf5370]

If I gave 10B to every beggar I see I would have to join them!

I don't mind them really - sometimes I give, sometimes I don't - depends how I feel (If in Burma its advised not to, as its like feeding goats, feed one and suddenly you have a heard of the blighters chewing at your coat edges and following you everywhere).

I am more 'prickled' with the badgering of flower and wooden frog sellers who argue with you to try and get you to buy from them when you are sitting in a bar trying to enjoy a beer after work. Same ones every time, they almost know my name, they know I don't but the bar staff roses, but they still waste ten minutes trying to talk me into it. Sure, at least they are doing something and not begging etc, but I have never been overly badgered by a beggar here (have not met UG's 'friend').

Edited October 9, 2009 by wolf5370

[sparticus]

I see an old lady of about 95 pushing a trolly around for about 10 miles everyday collecting bottles and cans, she is always dressed clean and she has massive respect as she never begs for nothing! now she is poor and i give her a little bit of money when i see her because she deserves it!

alot of the old women you see begging with babies, well their daughter {the real mother} is usually working in the bars and they do the begging as they are now too ugly to work in the bar.

they get good money from some idiots.

If you want to donate something put it in the many children's charity boxes you see in the airports and shopping centers.

[momtaz]

I do not give anything to anyone, but I give only in these cases:an old lady who can't work, a hadicapped person, a homeless and hungry person (buy food) or help to buy a bus/train ticket to go back home, but NO give him money what so ever the other reasons NO CASH at his hands, i have experienced such beggar pretenders,

somehow, I believe to help whom in need is always a nice thing to do whenever we are able to do, but we should make sure that we do the right thing in the right place and at the right time....

so, eveyone can use his/her intuition and common sense to investigate

[uptheos]

I do not give anything to anyone, but I give only in these cases:an old lady who can't work, a hadicapped person, a homeless and hungry person (buy food) or help to buy a bus/train ticket to go back home, but NO give him money what so ever the other reasons NO CASH at his hands, i have experienced such beggar pretenders,

somehow, I believe to help whom in need is always a nice thing to do whenever we are able to do, but we should make sure that we do the right thing in the right place and at the right time....

so, eveyone can use his/her intuition and common sense to investigate

Sounds a bit moralistic to me.

And who is going to be the judge of what's the right thing to do, where the right place is and when the right time will be?

Just give or don't give....end.

[caf]

I do not give anything to anyone, but I give only in these cases:an old lady who can't work, a hadicapped person, a homeless and hungry person (buy food) or help to buy a bus/train ticket to go back home, but NO give him money what so ever the other reasons NO CASH at his hands, i have experienced such beggar pretenders,

somehow, I believe to help whom in need is always a nice thing to do whenever we are able to do, but we should make sure that we do the right thing in the right place and at the right time....

so, eveyone can use his/her intuition and common sense to investigate

Sounds a bit moralistic to me.

And who is going to be the judge of what's the right thing to do, where the right place is and when the right time will be?

Just give or don't give....end.

the poster said "so, eveyone can use his/her intuition and common sense to investigate"

he was not being overly moralistic or judgmental. i would do the same.

[Drew Aitch]

Feed a Hungry Man Today and he'll be Hungry again Tomorrow!

Cash Handouts given to able bodied people are not really helpful in the long term and do little to give the beggar incentive to do much else. Of course there are certain circumstances where a little 'one-the-spot-cash' will help the moment, but generally speaking it's promoting the 'profession' and encouraging new recruits the more lucrative it becomes!

If a beggar has got all of his (or her) limbs and ligaments, and everything is in good working order, then why not busk for a living? Dance, wail, play the frigging spoons, it doesn't really matter, but at least it's more akin to earning a living!

There's not the same kind of poverty in Thailand that you would see in some neighbouring countries or regions of the world such as the Sudan, where there is actual famine, wars, and a real lack of food, sanitation, and clean water. No one need go hungry in Thailand. There is so much food grown here, year-round, that it would not be an understatement to call it one of the bread baskets of South East Asia.

It's a far better policy to help folks to help themselves, and giving lose change to beggars is actually fuelling the problem, not solving it. So when an able bodied, middle-aged (or younger) person comes up to me with a scrawny hand stretched out, I'll usually ignore them. If they appear mentally backward or have limbs missing, I may buy them some food so long as they sit down and eat it at a nearby stall. If they just request money to go shopping at their leisure (AKA counting their stash down a dark alley), then they can sod off!

You'll probably laugh at this, but I bought a one-armed man a bowl of noodles at Sompet market one day only to see the same bloke cheerfully walking through the town the following day swinging 2 goods arms as he strode about his business.

Then there was this old man standing outside a 7-11 a few weeks back holding an empty fuel container. He rambled on something about how his car had broken down and that he had no money to buy fuel to get home. He asked for just 50 Baht to buy enough petrol to get him back. I emptied my pockets and had 40 some odd Baht in change. He then asked if I could make it a round 50 Baht while informing me that 7-11 would change any big notes I had. I left it at 43 Baht (i think) for which I got a deep wai of gratitude!

Guess who I saw at the same 7-11 just recently? Same bloke, same empty jerrycan, and same story. Obviously he'd forgotten my face and probably thought I was heartless as I walked past him as though he was invisible.

Feed a hungry man today and he'll be hungry again tomorrow!

As for the Night Bizzar beggars with babies that never cry- well, that's a whole new thread!

Aitch

[vagabond48]

While in India recently, if I saw an elder woman or man, I would occasionally give them my spare change. At a train station, I gave 1 woman some small change. When she saw what I gave her, she looked at me with eyes that mildly said (to me) "you cheap foreign ba$tard". I looked at her and while her hand was still open, removed the change and walk a couple of meters away turning my back. I waited a couple of seconds and returned to give her back the same change. After I placed the change in her hand, she quickly closed it just in case I had a change of mind for the 2nd time.

Expectation can be disappointing. I expected her to be just a little appreciative and she expected a generous donation.

Oh well, mai bpen rai.

On other occasions, I figured begging can work both ways so when young kids would run up and put their hand out, I would simple put my hand out as well asking them for donations too. After a while, some would smile and go back to doing what kids normally do.