Beggars And Poor Thais In Hua Hin

[hinhua]

Hello. I've just seen a lady struggling to walk around with an old wooden cart picking up bottles and 'rubbish' off the street, presumably to sell so she can eat and pay the rent etc. Makes you think how lucky we all are, and how having western privileges like a good education is really a benefit in life. I guess here there's no such thing either as old age pension...? a little bit heartbreaking to see so many poor Thais around. Next time I think about parting with 1000 baht in a bar, I just might think twice and give it to someone that needs it more (and more than I do for sure).

Another thing is the kids that sell flowers around town - have seen them at 1 and 2 am - they should be asleep or going to school the next day. I wonder if they get to keep the money, I guess it all goes to their parents. Sad situation really.

[katabeachbum]

about a year ago Police was watching a beggar for 2 hours. 2 hours he had collected 3.500 baht. As begging is illegal in TH, Police took him to a tempel, he was encouraged to donate 3.300 baht and got to keep 200 baht, an ordinary dayworkers salary.

Children selling flowers often do not have parents, but taken care of by others as they are their income

[maccaroni man]

my wife was paying some land tax in cha am while I waited I watched a pick up full of beggers getting ready for work, it was amazing to watch how they could change into deformed figures one second and then unfold their limbs and stand tall the next. big money to be had in begging. the real shame is in not knowing who is real and who is on the game.

[challenger99]

Not only in Hua Hin you find people on all age which seek for "bottles and rubbish" in the blue and other garbage container along all streets. Some have nice motorcycle with side car, daily 3 - 5 turn around through our village and if I have a basked full with alu cans ( thins bring biggest money) I give them insted bring myself to the junkshop. As soon the have a good quantity they sale this in any junkshop (have many along the canal parallel the Phetchakasem). Thanks we have this people even they are poor otherwise Hua Hin would be a town full of garbage as you fin left and rifht on the border of exit streets of Hua Hin. I propose you follow one the indication to Black Hill Resort (not main road) and behind 3 km it start this dirty roads full of garbage which mostly Thai deposit.<br><br>I think spend next time 1000 Bath to any for any poor person is false but from good heart. If you give to some poor in the street 100 Bath it is large enough because with this he can spend 2 meal !!! That kids saling flower at 01:00 - 02:00 am (I have never seen at this time because only few lady bars are open) I am woundering but from 06:00 pm close to midnight is possible but not many are "orphan" as katabeachbum say. Watch this kids well in Hua Hin mostly somewhere wait the mother with the motorbike and this is a problem as my friend, a teacher say, those kids sleep almost during morning in school. It is ashame that parents use kids to awake pitty and make us buy. So please "hinhua open" your eyes at the right place and by spoiling to much money don't helps in real. Help moderate.

Edited July 31, 2011 by challenger99

[johnnyk]

Sme of the kids are "rented" out by their parents to flower wholesalers. Babies rented out, too.

[stgrhe]

Actually, many of the "professional" beggars are Burmese or Cambodians.

[hhfarang]

When we first moved here years ago we noticed a Thai couple with a motorbike and sidecar digging through our trash barrel every time we put it out front. We went out and spoke to them one day and they were really nice people, but the husband has a game leg and cannot find good employment so they recycle for a living.

Now we just save all the recyclable trash from paper, plastic, metals, glass, and even old broken pumps or housewares that we don't want and they come each week and ring our bell to pick everything up. It's a great win-win-win. We now recycle about 90% of what we used to through away, easy for us and good for the environment, and they get a big load of stuff they can sell each week without having to dig through our trash bin!

[jupiter7]

When we first moved here years ago we noticed a Thai couple with a motorbike and sidecar digging through our trash barrel every time we put it out front. We went out and spoke to them one day and they were really nice people, but the husband has a game leg and cannot find good employment so they recycle for a living.

Now we just save all the recyclable trash from paper, plastic, metals, glass, and even old broken pumps or housewares that we don't want and they come each week and ring our bell to pick everything up. It's a great win-win-win. We now recycle about 90% of what we used to through away, easy for us and good for the environment, and they get a big load of stuff they can sell each week without having to dig through our trash bin!

Excellent. Nice to be able to help out the less fortunate

[atyclb]

according to a thai/G7 dual national, one such example, the children begging and/or selling flowers at soi cowboy are overseen by their parents that hang out on asoke near the street entrance. those children are made to stay up half the night. reportedly they earn more money than many of the legit s c employees. some of those children have become hard core and obnoxious and pushy.

lovely parents huh ??

[kmj]

my wife was paying some land tax in cha am while I waited I watched a pick up full of beggers getting ready for work, it was amazing to watch how they could change into deformed figures one second and then unfold their limbs and stand tall the next. big money to be had in begging. the real shame is in not knowing who is real and who is on the game.

and some are just genuine old, alone, poor & sick. I hope I can tell the difference and so give small amounts.

[clifric]

Like HH farang we put out our newspapers and bottles (plastic and glass) for an old gent who cycles past every day. My wife used to store all the old copies of BPost biut when she told me she got around 100 baht for a month's worth I told her to put hem out daily for the 'collector'.

As for children collecting, I originally paid them so they could get home to bed only to be told they get sent out again as soon as they sold out. There is one kid who goes to the barbecue by Hua Hin school who can cry to make you feel really sorry; however I now find myself immune along with all the other patrons. I think it is donw to our own conscience and yu never know if oyu have bnen fooled. There is a foul smeling lady who walks around Hua Hin market every morning and she is loaded - I've seen her throwing food away as she has too much.

As the Thais say - up to you'