Note to self:

If I turn into a really nasty horrible piece of work with nothing nice to say then shoot myself in the head.

Its with a heavy sigh that I have to admit to feeling sadness for those who fail to 'make it' in Thailand. Although most who end up in this position are running from various things back home in my exerience I still feel compassion for them.

As to whatever help I might offer...well only if directly approached...I would acceed to a bottle of water....the best advice I could offer...and perhaps a meal if I felt the situation warranted.

I'm jaded by this I must admit and bitten too often by the mosquitoes to feel comfortable.

The British Embassy is as much use as a chocolate fire Gard.

Gard ?

They where both alcoholic

where were they alcoholic ?

drank about half of it up the gal I left money with

he drank it up her ?

When I was in Bangkok in April I saw him sleeping on the stairs of a shop between Sukhumvit Soi4 and the Landmark Hotel needles to say I didn't wake him up or bother to help, he isn't ready for help.

I would have woken him up with a swift kick to the ribs & told him I'd be back in 4 hours for my 2,000 Baht !

nightmare immagration centre ?

immagration ?

i would still give the guy the price of a drink or a meal

I'd give Immigration a call & get him off the BTS porch.

Maybe the guy sleeping on the bench had is reasons which could well include the speculation in scorpio's post.

what are "is reasons" ?

I'd give Immigration a call & get him off the BTS porch.

]

Would they even bother to haul off a homeless Farang? Who would pay for deportation?

Some people are struggling to differentiate between helping those who have genuinely fallen on hard times through unfortunate circumstances, and being wary of the cheats and scammers of which there are many.

The genuine ones want a plane ticket home. The others want cash to the same value.

Would they even bother to haul off a homeless Farang? Who would pay for deportation?

if he was annoying a single Thai citizen wit his presence , yes !

He would pay for the deportation, after his Embassy or Consulate arranges for it.

At least that's what I've heard. They'll send you home, but the money used to do that is considered a LOAN !

Is that young woman still on Koh Samui? I remember seeing her every time I went there over a period of 3 or 4 years.

Ever thought his/her/there medication may have run out ,

Sorry to bring up an old thread however I read this article and thought it may be worth some discussion of just one of the reasons farrang sleep rough in Thailand.

http://www.dailymail...port-bench.html

Is that young woman still on Koh Samui? I remember seeing her every time I went there over a period of 3 or 4 years.

If you mean the German (I think!) girl no I haven't seen her for a long time anyway.

There was a tall man who used to hang around Sukhumvit 22 and sleep outside Family Mart. He looked in his early 40's, brown hair, beard and wore light blue jeans and a green combat type jacket. I haven't seen him in a long time. Wonder if this is the guy.

Would they even bother to haul off a homeless Farang? Who would pay for deportation?

if he was annoying a single Thai citizen wit his presence , yes !

He would pay for the deportation, after his Embassy or Consulate arranges for it.

At least that's what I've heard. They'll send you home, but the money used to do that is considered a LOAN !

What is wit?

If you get my point.

What I always wonder is, if the genuine ones want money for an airfare and receive money from begging, where do they put the money?

Say they need 30-40K for a flight, how are they going to hide that from other beggars or thieves?

And the people who scorn them should remember that their house of cards they've built in Thailand is just that....

It could happen to anyone. It just takes something like a mental health issue you may not be in control of to change everything.

so not sure if he is still there, I would speak to him, but really am unsure what I should say or ask.

Start by just asking him what his username is on Thai Visa. He's already commented on this thread.

Sorry, but this is a load of old troddle in this day and age.

What's the point of teaching someone how to fish or giving him a fishing rod if he's starving and homeless in the centre of Bangkok or any other major city?

By the time he`s learned how to fish, he would be already be half dead from thirst and hunger.

New to metaphor, are you? Sorry to troll, but your comments really made me smile. It's hard to tell if you actually understand the concept of the "teach a man to fish" parable. (and no, by 'parable' I do not mean 'story from the Bible')

I agree with most of your points, but the mental imagery of someone sitting next to a Sukhumvit beggar and patiently explaining the use of a fishing rod is going to keep me smiling all week. If you did get the original concept, I don't think the OP was suggesting that anyone should try to teach him anything, but was pointing out that simple and direct charity in the form of hard currency is not the answer to his (or the other peoples' discussed here) problems.