High-End Tourists

[Darrel]

OK. So the half-naked loony farang who lives in Soi Diana is not really unusual. I've seen an assortment of them over the years.

The Irish guy who bums cigarettes on Beach Rd isnt the only one of his type either.

But just now I went for a stroll along Beach Rd and came across a farang squatting opposite the Royal Garden, with a begging bowl and no shoes.

And then just 50 yards further down there was a farang guy going through the big wastebins collecting plastic bottles which he was putting into a large sack he was carrying, presumably for resale.

What sort of visa do these high-enders have, I wonder?

[pluto_manibo]

I saw one last week helping himself to water bottles, bananas and assorted fruits from the Buddha altar next to the Banyan tree on walking street!

[morphic]

I saw one last week helping himself to water bottles, bananas and assorted fruits from the Buddha altar next to the Banyan tree on walking street!

Not in Pattaya at the moment, but the last time I was I would often see a very tall man, of probable African descent but with an American accent I think, begging outside the 7-11 on 2nd Road on the corner of Soi Honey Inn.

In fact, yes, I've seen a number of Western beggars. Do they come over and just run out of money, unable to go home for whatever reason, or is there more to it?

I'm not sure what to think. On the one hand they should have known better and they make us foreigners look bad etc etc, on the other there but for the grace of God go I etc.

[FarangBuddha]

It's the Great Recession...that and the dollar @ 30 has us all pinching our bahts.

[Parker1973]

Saw a farang beggar in Soi Diana Inn today and also one at Nana in Bkk last week.....sad.......

[chops]

yes, it's disgraceful. there's not excuse for it. if you have no money, you should return home.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

yes, it's disgraceful. there's not excuse for it. if you have no money, you should return home.

How so, if they have no money?? Even so, is it better to beg in their home country?

[vermut12]

There is also this old German man (probably in his 70s) who plays his flute every night near Thai pubs in Naklua. He is very annoying to people who are trying to sleep with their windows open because usually he starts playing his instrument at about 3 am in some areas. And I noticed that he is very popular with the Thai customers of those pubs. They always give him some money.

[miksguevara]

yes, it's disgraceful. there's not excuse for it. if you have no money, you should return home.

How so, if they have no money?? Even so, is it better to beg in their home country?

walk...and i aint jokin they might learn something along the way.

[AzarovDmitriy]

With best regards Dmitriy.

I think only God is the judge for them. If would you tried to explain me what is IPad in 1800-1900 years, I would think that you are crazy. We can't understand them. May be they know much more than we can understand.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

yes, it's disgraceful. there's not excuse for it. if you have no money, you should return home.

How so, if they have no money?? Even so, is it better to beg in their home country?

walk...and i aint jokin they might learn something along the way.

Perhaps you might too....

They will be also without money in every other country through which they pass....then they would need clothing for the different climates...

I can see from your style of writing that you don't really take the time to think things through.

They are probably learning something right where they are now.

Edited June 15, 2011 by Jiu-Jitsu

[Darrel]

The Soi Diana loony is on the move. This morning he was just outside View Talay 6 on 2nd road.

He hurled abuse at me (I dont know why: maybe he is a TV reader ) in German. Maybe someone should tell the German consulate about him. Unlike the others, he needs help.

[miksguevara]

yes, it's disgraceful. there's not excuse for it. if you have no money, you should return home.

How so, if they have no money?? Even so, is it better to beg in their home country?

walk...and i aint jokin they might learn something along the way.

Perhaps you might too....

They will be also without money in every other country through which they pass....then they would need clothing for the different climates...

I can see from your style of writing that you don't really take the time to think things through.

They are probably learning something right where they are now.

yeah your probably right, but hey the comment was tongue in cheek and made at the end of a hard days work - if you mean style of writing as in missing apostrophe/typos etc etc it's always a bit of a cheap shot on a forum don't you think? ...bye now!

[faggyjing]

low end tourists should just stay at home in the caravan! thailand should simple only allow people in with a net worth of over 1 million euro's ( meet half way from piunds and dolla)

[johnnyk]

Used to be a falang beggar at Vic Monument skytrain station in BKK. Saw him many times but never gave him a satang, there are more deserving people than falang drunks who can't figure out which way is up.

Next time you wonder why Thailand is getting narky about visas think of these dickheads, Thailand wants them gone.

Edited June 15, 2011 by johnnyk

[tropo]

Darrel - you're certainly not a humanitarian are you? I would have been more concerned about their well-being than their visa status.

Here's one possible reason (only one of many). I'm going to use a story I know about a vagrant foreigner in the Philippines to illustrate it.

This Australian was penniless in a rural province of the Philippines. He just wandered around the roads (rice & sugar cane fields) accepting food from the locals. He was heartbroken when the woman he loved, (the woman whom he spent his last dime on... the mother of their child) kicked him out when his funds ran out. He decided he wanted to die there rather than return to Australia. The mayor of the town even bought him a ticket home which he refused.

Not once was anyone remotely interested in his visa status. The locals treated him well.

Have some heart next time you see someone down on his luck.

Edited June 15, 2011 by tropo

[Darrel]

My word, you do like sniping at people, don't you?

In case it was beyond your perspicacity, my post immediately prior to yours did indeed show concern for the only farang of the four who deserves any sympathy. Had he hurled abuse at me with a British accent I would have contacted the UK consulate myself (not that they would do anything, apart from try to charge me for taking up valuable drinking working time). As he is German(ish) I will leave it to the many German nationals around to take care of their own. We won the war, after all. (And there I'm being facetious, in case you still aren't quite in gear.)

The other three deadbeats in my original post can look after themselves. There is nothing wrong with them apart from (apparently) being on the breadline, which is probably due to a total lack of desire to go home and do some work.

[tropo]

My word, you do like sniping at people, don't you?

In case it was beyond your perspicacity...

It is you who has no perspicacity... of the people down on their luck.

It was hardly a snipe. Surely if you make posts you don't expect everyone to agree with your point of view - which in this case shows little concern for people suffering hardship.

Edited June 16, 2011 by tropo

[dean999]

With best regards Dmitriy.

I think only God is the judge for them. If would you tried to explain me what is IPad in 1800-1900 years, I would think that you are crazy. We can't understand them. May be they know much more than we can understand.

low end tourists should just stay at home in the caravan! thailand should simple only allow people in with a net worth of over 1 million euro's ( meet half way from piunds and dolla)

I'll have whatever you two have had.

First one is just jibberish and the second..... well those that are not rich like obviously you are, we should stay home. Get your head out of your rich cloud and understand that even people that are not worth your net million, still live in there means and don't go begging.

I'm going now to polish my caravan windows and dream of having a million or half a million, what did you call it piunds or dolla. :jerk:

[Darrel]

Surely if you make posts you don't expect everyone to agree with your point of view - which in this case shows little concern for people suffering hardship.

I'm delighted when people disagree with me. It would all be just too boring otherwise. You, however, seem to turn disagreement into a habit. Not that it bothers me at all.

Apart from the German loony, the people I described are not suffering hardship. They are just unwilling to go somewhere where they can legally work (or claim benefit) and hence get themselves out of the situation they are in. All three of them seemed to be of European origin, which means they have a large choice of countries to work in and some sort of social security system available in all of them. They do not need to beg or collect plastic bottles here; that is best left to local people whose need is surely greater than any European farang's. If you want to see people suffering hardship, just look at some of the vagrant or disabled Thai people around town. They dont have the option of going home to a relatively rich country and getting benefit or a decent job.

Personally it doesnt bother me at all whether these farangs go home or whether they stay here making fools of themselves and wondering where the next cigarette or plastic botttle is coming from. Just as long as they dont expect me to contribute, that's fine by me. I just posted about it because I thought that the high number of these people on that one day was somewhat remarkable, and the town is rather quiet at the moment with not much else happening worth talking about apart from smelly drains and barking dogs.

The German loony does need help, as I mentioned. Perhaps my post will bring him to the attention of one of his countrymen, who will do something.

[changnaam]

Anyone bumped into the norweigen fella who always has a pair of jeans, vest and a small back pack. Mid fifties with long grey hair? Usually around second road between Klang and Nua? He got me the first time with the lost passport and had wallet pinched, just need to get to embassy line. He looked pretty hot so I gave him a can of coke. That was six months ago, saw him again last week, same gear, guess pulling the same story.

Edited June 16, 2011 by Rimmer
Racist comment

[surangw]

interesting that the beggars are no doubt visa over stays, but are left alone by the powers that be, but anyone show up at the immigration counter with and over stay and here is hell to pay ( money wise)

[Darrel]

Anyone bumped into the norweigen fella who always has a pair of jeans, vest and a small back pack. Mid fifties with long grey hair? Usually around second road between Klang and Nua? He got me the first time with the lost passport and had wallet pinched, just need to get to embassy line.

I dont know that one but a young (20-ish) German guy tried the same trick with me a couple of months ago. I offered him my mobile phone to call the German consulate but for some reason he wasnt interested.

[balo]

Anyone bumped into the norweigen fella who always has a pair of jeans, vest and a small back pack. Mid fifties with long grey hair?

He is not Norwegian but a Swede , and yes he is quite famous for telling the same old story.

[tropo]

Surely if you make posts you don't expect everyone to agree with your point of view - which in this case shows little concern for people suffering hardship.

I'm delighted when people disagree with me. It would all be just too boring otherwise. You, however, seem to turn disagreement into a habit. Not that it bothers me at all.

Nonsense.

I reply on very few threads and only ones where I would consider my insight to be of some interest to the topic. I can think of only 2 topics I have posted on this week.

In this case you're mocking people on "hard street". I despise such an attitude, so don't feel my reply is a dig at you personally as I would have replied similarly to anyone who had posted such a pathetic topic about people doing it tough.

Some people believe beggars and other unfortunates should be swept away like garbage. Others see them as people with problems who could use some help. You've made it well clear which type you are.

[Darrel]

I have great sympathy for people who are genuinely hard up. In that group I would put the people from the north of Thailand who travel here and then walk the streets selling trinkets for a pittance, and who possibly dont see family for weeks or months.

However layabouts from Europe who dont want to go home and get a job are certainly not in that group, and they deserve nothing at all apart from a kick in the pants.

I will continue to give my money to support people and causes that actually deserve it.

[tropo]

I have great sympathy for people who are genuinely hard up. In that group I would put the people from the north of Thailand who travel here and then walk the streets selling trinkets for a pittance, and who possibly dont see family for weeks or months.

However layabouts from Europe who dont want to go home and get a job are certainly not in that group, and they deserve nothing at all apart from a kick in the pants.

I will continue to give my money to support people and causes that actually deserve it.

It's pretty obvious these vagrants are "genuinely hard up". How they got there doesn't change the fact that they are.

There are many possible reasons for their vagrancy and the reason may very well be the same reason some guys jump of high floors.

Why would you sit here an condemn people you know absolutely nothing about. Obviously these people concern you enough for you to make a post about them so why not sit down with them in order to discover their back story. Appearances can be deceptive.

[moo9]

yes, it's disgraceful. there's not excuse for it. if you have no money, you should return home.

Will you pay him the ticket?

[thaiman]

I'd rather see a bunch of poor tourists about than rich tourists. Rich tourists only help raise prices in pattaya and spoil the thais even further.

[manarak]

The Soi Diana loony is on the move. This morning he was just outside View Talay 6 on 2nd road.

He hurled abuse at me (I dont know why: maybe he is a TV reader ) in German. Maybe someone should tell the German consulate about him. Unlike the others, he needs help.

The problem is that the consulates and embassies don't give a darn nowadays.

Besides lobbying for augmenting trade, their only purpose is to provide the services that they *must* provide to their nationals and visa applicants.

sad...