Wheres All The Money Gone?

[krisb]

A previous thread started by a member about do gooders raised a valid issue.

These NGO or non government organisations including the various churches, religions , charitable donation organisations that exist and claim to be helping the poorer areas of many countries including the poorer areas of Thailand, from what Ive seen and heard of dont seem to be doing much.

So can anyone please tell us of any projects or groups of people they know have been helped or recieved assistance....Cause I havnt seen or heard of any.

[diggledunc]

Yes I agree. I live in Isan and have done on and off for 7 years. Many people are poor where I live. Never seen anything or heard anything. There are not many foreigners so if any were involved they would stand out and be known about.

[MYKTHEMIN]

Like most aid here, it is in some hiso's back pocket!

[Gary A]

If you do your homework you will find that of all the money donated to various charities, most deliver only a small amount to where the money is actually supposed to go. Many are in the ten percent range. The rest goes to pay greedy executives.

[Geekfreaklover]

The NGO workers I know live in beautiful condos on Sukhumvit soi 11 Bangkok and go out clubbing every night. They have salarys five times the amount a western English teacher in an Isaan school might get. They spend all day dicking about on facebook as 'social media consultants' or some such nonsense.

Nice work, if you can get it.

[krisb]

If you do your homework you will find that of all the money donated to various charities, most deliver only a small amount to where the money is actually supposed to go. Many are in the ten percent range. The rest goes to pay greedy executives.

..Nothing to do with me not doing my homework....

Your answer hasnt answered my question.

Edited October 30, 2012 by krisb

[krisb]

The NGO workers I know live in beautiful condos on Sukhumvit soi 11 Bangkok and go out clubbing every night. They have salarys five times the amount a western English teacher in an Isaan school might get. They spend all day dicking about on facebook as 'social media consultants' or some such nonsense.

Nice work, if you can get it.

So they abuse the power your saying?

So what do they do in way of helping others?....or do they just help thmselves?

[jacnl2000]

That's a question I've asked myself quite often, repeatedly, especially the last few years. Money simply doesn't seem to have value anymore. Hope not to be trumped one of these days.

[isanbirder]

Isan is not high profile.

Large chunks of NGO money go to the hilltribes in the north or the Burmese refugees in the Mae Sot area. Sometimes in Mae Sot, it's difficult to get a hotel room, there are so many NGO 'workers'. Some do a lot of good, others just do very well.

[Scotswahay]

I'm often very sceptical towards charity organisations having been involved with one myself. (I wrote about my experience in the doogoders topic mentioned) I have to say though that they are not all maggots gnawing on the carcus of our decaying society. Take the "Karen hilltribes trust" in north Thailand for example. Have a look at their website. I for one am very impressed with their work. There's alot of people doing good for the less fortunate in the world. Most of them you don't hear about coz they just get on with it without blowing their own trumpet to get credit.

[IsaanAussie]

This subject and the dogooders one prompted me to contact a couple of guys I have known for a long time involved with NGO projects here and in the region. Whilst neither had control of the purse strings they seemed to think the work was achieving something whilst they stated that the overheads were high proportionately. All pretty happy with their lot!

[jamescollister]

On one point regarding NGOs, some are not what they seem. Had a bit of involvement with one in the Solomon islands. That was a straight out and out, Government funded, using a factitious charity. Purpose was to buy friends and influence people, while setting in place structures to help the new friends stay in charge. Jim

[Ragzilb]

What about Martin Wheeler hasn't h done some good in Kalasin??

[jamescollister]

What about Martin Wheeler hasn't h done some good in Kalasin??

Don't think he is an NGO, just another ex pat doing his bit, like many of us. Jim

[krisb]

This subject and the dogooders one prompted me to contact a couple of guys I have known for a long time involved with NGO projects here and in the region. Whilst neither had control of the purse strings they seemed to think the work was achieving something whilst they stated that the overheads were high proportionately. All pretty happy with their lot!

So your friends are employed by the NGO's?...So are they paid well to live and work in Thailand?

Sounds like a good way to get a paid job and visa to live there huh?...maybe I should start applying!

[krisb]

What about Martin Wheeler hasn't h done some good in Kalasin??

Don't think he is an NGO, just another ex pat doing his bit, like many of us. Jim

Do gooder perhaps?

Your thoughts on that James?

[jamescollister]

What about Martin Wheeler hasn't h done some good in Kalasin??

Don't think he is an NGO, just another ex pat doing his bit, like many of us. Jim

Do gooder perhaps?

Your thoughts on that James?

Watched the vid of him, not a do gooder by far, wants paid for giving lectures, dislikes all things western. Just another guy trying to get by in Thailand. If he does any good that's a by product of what he does to live. Same as me I guess, taking an elderly person to hospital when we are on our way to town is just being neighborly, not saving souls. Jim

[DILLIGAD]

The NGO workers I know live in beautiful condos on Sukhumvit soi 11 Bangkok and go out clubbing every night. They have salarys five times the amount a western English teacher in an Isaan school might get. They spend all day dicking about on facebook as 'social media consultants' or some such nonsense.

Nice work, if you can get it.

Where do I sign up!!!!!

'western English teacher'

Wot you mean like The Worzels'???????

Edited October 31, 2012 by DILLIGAD

[David006]

tend to agree with Jim.if you want to help do it directly...

knew a couple of farangs that set up funds post tsunami , witnessed a bun fight between them ...thousands of baht from overseas ..who knows where it ended up...????

[pianoman]

I have a good friend who over the years has invested with me in several different business ventures... About 12 years ago after I had started "Vacationing" in Thailand he spoke to me about an Orphanage that their Church in the States that he and his wife attended was supporting... He said that the Church had supported this place for almost 12 years with monthly donations from the church of between $6,000 and $7,000 USD's, but the Director in Thailand was asking for $35,000 USD's to purchase a "Bus" for transporting the 12 to 14 residents to various functions and locations... Having never been to Thailand and only seeing Photos of the Orphanage, they asked me to take the $35,000 in a Cashier's Check and present it to the Director personally... The place was located about 80km outside of Chaing Mai, and when I arrived (unannounced) I found nothing but a small village with maybe 20 to 25 Thai houses, and found the "Director" (also village Puyai Ban) living in a very nice Westernstyle house with maybe 20 Rai of land and a nice Honda sedan and 2 Toyota pickup trucks, nothing older than 3 years old... After asking around found out that they did not have any children and never had any, but everyone in the village said that they were very rich... After informing my friend and his wife of the situation, they obviously did not want the check given out, and requested that I obtain information regarding how they could contact the local police to report this obvious criminal act... The church ended up spending almost $10,000 US working with a lawyer out of Bangkok and ended up with "Nothing can be done" as their only answer to their situation / complaints...

I took several years for them to starting "Trusting" again, but now that I am living in Thailand, the church has started supporting a small Orphanage & school about 50km from where I live, and now receive full accounting for every dollar spent...

Pianoman

[Cuban]

There is a small Christian Church near here that get financial support from US and visiting Chinese Christian MIssionaries, it serves an active congration of some 30-40 people which spans the local demographic although to be fair there are no truely destitude-poor that attend.

As for giving directly to the people, the most recent event was a promotional give-away to the people in the market place by Red-Bull's marketing people.

[krisb]

I have a good friend who over the years has invested with me in several different business ventures... About 12 years ago after I had started "Vacationing" in Thailand he spoke to me about an Orphanage that their Church in the States that he and his wife attended was supporting... He said that the Church had supported this place for almost 12 years with monthly donations from the church of between $6,000 and $7,000 USD's, but the Director in Thailand was asking for $35,000 USD's to purchase a "Bus" for transporting the 12 to 14 residents to various functions and locations... Having never been to Thailand and only seeing Photos of the Orphanage, they asked me to take the $35,000 in a Cashier's Check and present it to the Director personally... The place was located about 80km outside of Chaing Mai, and when I arrived (unannounced) I found nothing but a small village with maybe 20 to 25 Thai houses, and found the "Director" (also village Puyai Ban) living in a very nice Westernstyle house with maybe 20 Rai of land and a nice Honda sedan and 2 Toyota pickup trucks, nothing older than 3 years old... After asking around found out that they did not have any children and never had any, but everyone in the village said that they were very rich... After informing my friend and his wife of the situation, they obviously did not want the check given out, and requested that I obtain information regarding how they could contact the local police to report this obvious criminal act... The church ended up spending almost $10,000 US working with a lawyer out of Bangkok and ended up with "Nothing can be done" as their only answer to their situation / complaints...

I took several years for them to starting "Trusting" again, but now that I am living in Thailand, the church has started supporting a small Orphanage & school about 50km from where I live, and now receive full accounting for every dollar spent...

Pianoman

So no "busses" needed by yourself?

[krisb]

There is a small Christian Church near here that get financial support from US and visiting Chinese Christian MIssionaries, it serves an active congration of some 30-40 people which spans the local demographic although to be fair there are no truely destitude-poor that attend.

As for giving directly to the people, the most recent event was a promotional give-away to the people in the market place by Red-Bull's marketing people.

So free red bulls for all?

[Gary A]

If you do your homework you will find that of all the money donated to various charities, most deliver only a small amount to where the money is actually supposed to go. Many are in the ten percent range. The rest goes to pay greedy executives.

..Nothing to do with me not doing my homework....

Your answer hasnt answered my question.

I suggest that you read and concentrate a bit more. After the administration costs are paid, there is very little money left.

[MYKTHEMIN]

If you do your homework you will find that of all the money donated to various charities, most deliver only a small amount to where the money is actually supposed to go. Many are in the ten percent range. The rest goes to pay greedy executives.

..Nothing to do with me not doing my homework....

Your answer hasnt answered my question.

I suggest that you read and concentrate a bit more. After the administration costs are paid, there is very little money left.

Well said Gary

[isanbirder]

If you do your homework you will find that of all the money donated to various charities, most deliver only a small amount to where the money is actually supposed to go. Many are in the ten percent range. The rest goes to pay greedy executives.

This is indeed true of some, but it's a wild generalisation to apply it to 'most'.

I gave as an instance in the previous thread the NGO I was running (helping poor kids with school expenses). I was paid a salary overseas, but of the money which was sent to Thailand, less than 0.50% was used for expenses. Yes, that's right, o.50%.

Karen Hilltribes Trust was instanced above. It happens that I know this organisation well. Your criticism certainly doesn't apply to them.

[krisb]

If you do your homework you will find that of all the money donated to various charities, most deliver only a small amount to where the money is actually supposed to go. Many are in the ten percent range. The rest goes to pay greedy executives.

..Nothing to do with me not doing my homework....

Your answer hasnt answered my question.

I suggest that you read and concentrate a bit more. After the administration costs are paid, there is very little money left.

Thats a load of bs. If you beleive for 1 second theres not much left then your mistaken badly unless you personally worked in these NGO's and had access to see their cash, your wrong.

[Gary A]

If you do your homework you will find that of all the money donated to various charities, most deliver only a small amount to where the money is actually supposed to go. Many are in the ten percent range. The rest goes to pay greedy executives.

..Nothing to do with me not doing my homework....

Your answer hasnt answered my question.

I suggest that you read and concentrate a bit more. After the administration costs are paid, there is very little money left.

Thats a load of bs. If you beleive for 1 second theres not much left then your mistaken badly unless you personally worked in these NGO's and had access to see their cash, your wrong.

For your own information, I would suggest that you Google charities and become more educated. Take a look at how much the executives make per year. Don't just look at their salaries. There are a lot of hidden benefits.

Professional fundraisers are another hurdle before the charity gets any of the money collected. Of course that expense is nor reported as an expense.

There are also a lot of tricks to hide what they actually spend other than where the money is supposed to go.

There are some good ones so they are not all bad.

[krisb]

People keep mentioning I should get 'educated'.

We all know alot of the cash gets sucked up. Perhaps some of the people who tell me to get 'educated' should get 'educated' themselves and learn to read the op better. Its in black and white and basic english.

All I asked is what projects people have seen or people that have been helped in Thailand?

We all know these places use up perhaps as much as 90% of donated money. Alot.

That would leave 100grand in every million. At least.

Thats alot of cash in Thailand.

So wheres it being spent?

ps, please dont tell me to get 'educated' anymore.

Edited November 2, 2012 by krisb

[isanbirder]

People keep mentioning I should get 'educated'.

We all know alot of the cash gets sucked up. Perhaps some of the people who tell me to get 'educated' should get 'educated' themselves and learn to read the op better. Its in black and white and basic english.

All I asked is what projects people have seen or people that have been helped in Thailand?

We all know these places use up perhaps as much as 90% of donated money. Alot.

That would leave 100grand in every million. At least.

Thats alot of cash in Thailand.

So wheres it being spent?

ps, please dont tell me to get 'educated' anymore.

krisb, I have given a couple of instances of where the money is being well spent. They don't happen to be in Isan, but that's because they're the ones I know best... and I spent 15 years in Chiangmai compared with 4 in Isan. I spent 10 years of my life working for one of these, and I know where the money went.... to the students we were supposed to be helping.

It would be nice if someone posted the names of Isan-based charities which are doing good work... and not sequestering all the donated cash.

Gary A is full of bluster; he keeps telling us to 'google charities' but he doesn't say which charities. Name some names, Gary.