Thai Couple Poses As Blind Beggars, Earn Over Bt100,000 A Month

[webfact]

Couple Poses as Blind Beggars, Earn over 100K/Month

LAEM CHABANG: -- Begging proves to be a lucrative occupation. A couple admitted to posing as blind beggars who beg for money from patrons of restaurants in Laem Chabang area. They make more than 100,000 baht a month.

The Laem Chabang Police were notified of a domestic disturbance in a motel room at Bungalow England on Pattaya-bound Sukhumvit Road. The motel staff called the police when they heard a couple fighting loudly in the motel room. The police arrived at the scene to break up the fight that was turning physical between husband, 43 year old Hon Sompetch and wife, 48 year old Tem Cholrum.

During the interrogation, the police were able to determine that Hon and Tem pose as blind beggars to ask for money from patrons who dine at restaurants in Laem Chabang area. Hon would pose as a blind man while Tem poses as his helper. Hon would sing, using his portable sound system, while Tem guides him along the road as he pretends to be blind.

The investigators found several bags full of coins in the couple's motel room. Hon confessed to the police that he can see normally. He told the police that he started to pretend he was blind when he found out how much money a blind beggar could make in a day. He and Tem make around 3,000-4,000 baht a day from begging alone and can make more than 120,000 baht in a month.

Hon explained that the fight broke out when he and Tem argued about how the money should be split. Tem wasn't happy with his gambling habit. Hon admitted to blowing away his earning at bars and gambling dens.

The police have imposed a fine on the couple on charges of public disturbance. However, they are unable to prosecute Hon and Tem for their deception as no victims have officially come forward to file a complaint against the couple.

-- Tan Network 2012-02-03

[Soutpeel]

Maybe some of the English teachers should consider a new occupation in Thailand....

Can you get a WP for begging ?

[Buchholz]

The real shame is that it will put off people from donating to the ubiquitous blind singer being led about who really IS blind.

Put off by both feigning blindness and also from his claims of making 4K a day (which I find very hard to believe in in the Laem Chabang area).

p.s. personally, I don't see this fairly common nation-wide activity as truly begging.

.

[SgtPepper]

Begging is a 'reserved occupation' in Thailand.

[Reasonableman]

Mama's got a squeeze box

She wears on her chest

And when Daddy comes home

He never gets no rest

'Cause she's playing all night

And the music's all right

Mama's got a squeeze box

Daddy never sleeps at night

Well the kids don't eat

And the dog can't sleep

There's no escape from the music

In the whole dam_n street

'Cause she's playing all night

And the music's all right

Mama's got a squeeze box

Daddy never sleeps at night

She goes in and out and in and out and in and out and in and out

[marioc]

Maybe some of the English teachers should consider a new occupation in Thailand....

Can you get a WP for begging ?

[marquess]

The two of them are morally despicable, go and earn a proper living by working, this country is hard enough for the genuinely disadvantaged with the likes of these two putting people off giving to genuinely blind people.

[belg]

thank god there are not farang... god knows where there would be now (in jail waiting for proces, deportation, big fine, confiscated money...)

[Card]

Begging is a 'reserved occupation' in Thailand.

Begging is a preferred occupation in Thailand.

[Gers1873]

Amateurs compared to the Romanian beggars who have infested the UK.

[hyperdimension]

It reminds me of the beggar with his arms under his short-sleeved button shirt pretending to be armless who I used to see on the bridge from Central World in the direction of Petchaburi road. Beggars are such funny characters! I laugh at them whenever I see any.

e.g. how can you not laugh at those beggars who lie down on a narrow busy footpath in the way of pedestrians?

Edited February 3, 2012 by hyperdimension

[Deaw]

''Hon explained that the fight began over how the money should be split up''

shocking!

[anterian]

The women blocking the steps on pedestrian road bridges annoy me, particularly the ones with the rent a kid. Also the ones wearing orange robe which canvas the village.

[Estrada]

I remember an official survey being carried out of beggars in 1995 on and around the footbridge opposite Central Lardprao where there was at the time heavy foot traffic. Even then the average beggar was getting B30,000/month which was a lot more than the Thais that were giving them money. Often they have minders that drop them off and bring them back taking a fee from them. I am not usually fooled but I remember gving these two B20, can I get my money back?

There are a lot of scammers around, yesterday a very untidy monk came up to me and asked (in English) for money for a Taxi to go to his temple in Samut Prakarn from Seacon Square. I pointed out that I myself would go by bus and that the red and cream bus can be used and monks go free. Then I noticed that written in Thai on his temple bag was a Temple in Roiet and not Samut Prakarn so he was more than likely one of the many imposters posing as Monks that rip off the Thais and Tourists. It sure is true that many beggars earn more than many hard working Thais, and B100,000 does not seem to be impossible to scam. Which reminds me that from time to time they also catch farangs begging.

[SabaiBKK]

The two of them are morally despicable, go and earn a proper living by working, this country is hard enough for the genuinely disadvantaged with the likes of these two putting people off giving to genuinely blind people.

EXCUSE ME but appart from faking blindness ... isn't singing earning a proper linving by working? I agree that they are despicable for faking a disability, but appart from that singing to patrons at bars and restaurant is an honest work .... in europe tons of people get regisered to play music or sing at public places such as the subway and no one finds it questionable.

[Estrada]

''Hon explained that the fight began over how the money should be split up''

shocking!

''Hon explained that the fight began over how the money should be split up''

shocking!

There was a similar case a couple of years ago. This was a family of beggars who were staying in a very nice hotel at night and changing into their begging clothes in the day.

[maapaa]

Maybe some of the English teachers should consider a new occupation in Thailand....

Can you get a WP for begging ?

My first idea, yes. Why am I dealing with the - in most cases - not eager to study students for less than a third of their "salery"?

[wimpey1946]

In China I saw children who's legs were broken by the father to make them begg better

let that not happen here

[asdecas]

What a quintessentially Thai story!

Edited February 3, 2012 by asdecas

[BookMan]

Robbing people blind! oh dear...

[Commentor]

The two of them are morally despicable, go and earn a proper living by working, this country is hard enough for the genuinely disadvantaged with the likes of these two putting people off giving to genuinely blind people.

Why didn't the Blind association or social welfare for the blind to come forward and take legal action.

That is why the crime rates are rising all the time since no action is taken toward such crooks !!

Any Thais here perhaps can raise this to the Blind organization. Confiscate their money and out them in jail for that rather than letting him gamble away money means for the unfortunates.

Edited February 3, 2012 by Commentor

[Haydn]

I thought that Begging was a major source of income in Thailand -- Every Bar I go in the girls want money -- the mamsan wants a drink -- in a cafe they want a tip -- I found one Coconut bar girl work as a waitress -- she is over 55 -- she was insulted saying she could always get men to feel sorry for her and give her her enough for a room four or five times a day

[sparebox2]

Why wait for 300 baht a day from Yingluck, when you can beg for 10 times more.

[rustydick]

c.mon now they are forcing no one to give them money.if you want be a do gooder then give but in my case i never give anything.i spend enough in thailand without giving money away.the guy in sukimvith bkkwho drags himself around on his stomach is a con man i was going to give him some money and a that said there is nothing wrong with him .so as they say its up2u

[Payboy]

The two of them are morally despicable, go and earn a proper living by working, this country is hard enough for the genuinely disadvantaged with the likes of these two putting people off giving to genuinely blind people.

EXCUSE ME but appart from faking blindness ... isn't singing earning a proper linving by working? I agree that they are despicable for faking a disability, but appart from that singing to patrons at bars and restaurant is an honest work .... in europe tons of people get regisered to play music or sing at public places such as the subway and no one finds it questionable.

Exactly - same for a model or actress with fake boobs really.

[myfriendu]

very funny story,makes the money and blows it

[lannarebirth]

If anyone here has read any Thai social history, they'd probably note that absolutely nothing has changed in many decades. Given the opportunity, this is what some people will do. Though an atheist myself, Christianity ( despite every negative you could name) certainly did extend morality further than any other belief system (religion wise).

[djayz]

The two of them are morally despicable, go and earn a proper living by working, this country is hard enough for the genuinely disadvantaged with the likes of these two putting people off giving to genuinely blind people.

EXCUSE ME but appart from faking blindness ... isn't singing earning a proper linving by working? I agree that they are despicable for faking a disability, but appart from that singing to patrons at bars and restaurant is an honest work .... in europe tons of people get regisered to play music or sing at public places such as the subway and no one finds it questionable.

True - but I think you're missing the point here: it's despicable that they are pretending to be blind it's not despicable that they are trying to earn a living playing music or whatever. We all know that most people who do give to beggars do so out of sympathy... i.e. he's blind, she's limbless, they're only kids etc.

[julemanden]

I come forward as soon as they are willing to split the "pot" with me

[blackthorn2005]

There are no shortage of these 'blind' beggars in Patong, they usually drive to work, adopt their blind camoflauge and mislead people who are being charitable. It is not illegal so the police pick them up, drive then 3-5 Km's into the hills and drop them off. I am sure they have a network where other 'blind' beggars pick them up.