Yesterday afternoon I walked back to my car after having taken care of business in a government office located in a small soi off Chao Fah West Road. At the top of the soi, I was surprised to see a farang lifting several bags out of a garbage can, they were the sturdy type of white bags which are used to keep things like rice in. When he saw I noticed him he looked kind of startled, having an ashamed or shy expression on his face. Obviously there was something in the bags which had resale value, off he went on a motorcycle, carrying about six of those bags. On the main road he almost collided with my car, which was parked in front of a closed shop, about 60 centimeters from the road. Bit tricky to ride on the extreme left, carrying three large bags in both hands.

Guess if I would have been an Immigration officer partaking in the hunt, I would have stopped him right away.

Sad, I think in any "tropical paradise" where people come in the pursuit of happiness, you can come across scenes like this. No reason to feel superior though, life has its twists and turns, and anybody could end up in a situation like this.

Could have been a drug pick up.

Could have been a private investigator going through the targets rubbish.

There could have been waste from a nearby business that he uses. Eg. sawdust for gardening etc.

There could be many other reasons for what he was doing other than looking to recycle something because he is skint.

Plastic bottles... Poor fella

Come to Pattaya where there are homeless farangs living in tents!

Have known expats who were low on money to collect cans and bottles.

Unfortunately, once they are at this stage, they don't have the airfare to go home.

I have met a few homeless foreigners living in Thailand. Once in Phuket town I was approached by one in KFC with a sob story begging for money. It has been reported in the media recently that the number of homeless foreigners living in Thailand is increasing.

Homeless foreigners with motorbikes????

"No reason to feel superior though, life has its twists and turns, and anybody could end up in a situation like this". Very true.

We never know what cards fate will deal us in the next few days. One year you can be a millionaire and the next year you could be sorting through the bins.

Sympathy for all the people that live like this but maybe they'll pull themselves back up.

meet one last week on the road to PSU/Katu walking..American , dident know you need a visa (overstay 3 years) to stay here,had a accident, now out of money and were walking to the waterfall to drink water..

"No reason to feel superior though, life has its twists and turns, and anybody could end up in a situation like this". Very true.

We never know what cards fate will deal us in the next few days. One year you can be a millionaire and the next year you could be sorting through the bins.

Sympathy for all the people that live like this but maybe they'll pull themselves back up.

Rubbish....it's all down to the choices we make and going from millionaire to rag-picker is very, very unlikely.

Homeless foreigners with motorbikes????

you're right, he should be driving a sidecar.

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Sad, but well written posting.100% correct IMO.No need to feel superior,there but for the grace of God.

Probably bored of wine connection and went to get the next best thing, for free.

I was approached some time ago by a western man on a motorbike in the carpark at Central. I think he was American or Canadian. He asked for a hundred baht with the promise he would pay it back.

Not just in Thailand either.

I was working in the Philippines a few years ago and there was a expat begging in the Mall.

Pretty grim way to end up

"No reason to feel superior though, life has its twists and turns, and anybody could end up in a situation like this". Very true.

We never know what cards fate will deal us in the next few days. One year you can be a millionaire and the next year you could be sorting through the bins.

Sympathy for all the people that live like this but maybe they'll pull themselves back up.

Rubbish....it's all down to the choices we make and going from millionaire to rag-picker is very, very unlikely.

Said the person who didn't have a career and life savings stripped from them when Enron went broke, or MCI, or....

And who did not invest their life savings with Bernie Madoff, or any one of hundreds of corporations that went belly up..

And didn't lose their retirement benefits and insurance when the city government or the corporation they worked for declared bankruptcy

And whose spouse or child doesn't have cancer for which insurance still leaves millions unpaid.

And whose health did not fail in their prime earning years.

And who did not have to spend their entire fortune to defend themselves or their loved ones against untrue (or true) legal charges.

And whose spouse did not max out the plastic and clean out the bank accounts just before doing a runner.

And...and...and...

I hope it never happens to you, but make no mistake- it could.

"No reason to feel superior though, life has its twists and turns, and anybody could end up in a situation like this". Very true.

We never know what cards fate will deal us in the next few days. One year you can be a millionaire and the next year you could be sorting through the bins.

Sympathy for all the people that live like this but maybe they'll pull themselves back up.

Rubbish....it's all down to the choices we make and going from millionaire to rag-picker is very, very unlikely.

Maybe highly unlikely but illnesses such as depression or severe alcoholism can cloud people's judgements which can lead them to losing it all.

Charity groups estimate that 200 to 300 foreigners living on the streets in Thailand

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/670948-charity-groups-estimate-that-200-to-300-foreigners-living-on-the-streets-in-thailand/?utm_source=newsletter-20130928-0857&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news

There is a beggar farang that hangs out at the fountain outside Villa market rear entrance.

He is there right now and asked me for 20 baht so he could buy some bread.

I don't mind giving people money if their hungry or in need but if they waste it on beer they get no sympathy from me.

I told him that and he assured me its for food.

Look out for him. Thick Northern English accent but looks quite normal and not homeless looking.

You're all assuming that all of these 'scavengers' are down on their luck. Some are, some are taking advantage of turning what many of the those who subscribe to consumer culture 'rubbish' be recycled. There is one farang who told me she and her husband use my particular area as their hunting ground Even the stuff the Thais won't touch (and that's not much) such as polystyrene is collected and broken up to add to their too-densely filled soil packs. How kewl is that?

I remember neighbours in the UK simply throwing out good rugs/furniture which could be updated with a clean/lick of paint. So much waste.

Even Art - Watch Waste Land. Fantastic documentary.

If you'd been in the Chalong area 12-15 years ago then you might have seen me

going through a few bins.I wasn't skint, I was trying to feed 55 geese using the

the bakery throw aways.

Cut off the green stuff,dunk the bread in water and the geese were happy.

Agree for the most parts with jpegs comments.

There is a beggar farang that hangs out at the fountain outside Villa market rear entrance.

He is there right now and asked me for 20 baht so he could buy some bread.

I don't mind giving people money if their hungry or in need but if they waste it on beer they get no sympathy from me.

I told him that and he assured me its for food.

Look out for him. Thick Northern English accent but looks quite normal and not homeless looking.

I just walked into villa not less than 10 minutes ago and a man approached me. I gave him the money (20 baht) after he admitted to me it was for an Archer.

Luckily wine and sherry is expensive in Thailand. Otherwise there would be bums all over the place

There is a beggar farang that hangs out at the fountain outside Villa market rear entrance.

He is there right now and asked me for 20 baht so he could buy some bread.

I don't mind giving people money if their hungry or in need but if they waste it on beer they get no sympathy from me.

I told him that and he assured me its for food.

Look out for him. Thick Northern English accent but looks quite normal and not homeless looking.

I just walked into villa not less than 10 minutes ago and a man approached me. I gave him the money (20 baht) after he admitted to me it was for an Archer.

Luckily wine and sherry is expensive in Thailand. Otherwise there would be bums all over the place

Didn't know you were Scottish With the recent price increase should have given him at least 25.

If you'd been in the Chalong area 12-15 years ago then you might have seen me

going through a few bins.I wasn't skint, I was trying to feed 55 geese using the

the bakery throw aways.

Cut off the green stuff,dunk the bread in water and the geese were happy.

Agree for the most parts with jpegs comments.

If you were seen doing that now, you would be arrested for "working" without a work permit (geese farming) but allowed to remain on Phuket, for the right amount of "tea money."

How times have changed on Phuket. :)

Surely beggars, buskers and bums wouldnt have a work permit or visas. Their first priority is alcohol

Surely beggars, buskers and bums wouldnt have a work permit or visas. Their first priority is alcohol

Interesting post.

Is "recycling" an occupation reserved for Thai's only? Can a foreigner have a "recycling business/company?" Would that allow him to scavenge through garbage bins, legally?

Surely beggars, buskers and bums wouldnt have a work permit or visas. Their first priority is alcohol

Interesting post.

Is "recycling" an occupation reserved for Thai's only? Can a foreigner have a "recycling business/company?" Would that allow him to scavenge through garbage bins, legally?

It wouldn't. The foreigner would only be allowed to work as the general manager of the recycling business, assuming it is not on the prohibited occupations list. For those whose dream it is to scavenge themselves legally, the only way would be to first acquire Thai nationality.

By the way a load of paper, plastic, glass and metal which fits piled up on the back of a pick up easily bring in about 1100 Baht. So I don't pity the Thai scavengers too much, filling up the salaeng (motorcycle with side car) several times a day, they make way over the minimum wage. At the other hand it is a bit of a loss of face for status conscious Asians to do this, once the wife of an acquaintance blushed heavily when she saw I noticed her scavenging.

 

Surely beggars, buskers and bums wouldnt have a work permit or visas. Their first priority is alcohol

 

Interesting post. 

 

Is "recycling" an occupation reserved for Thai's only?  Can a foreigner have a "recycling business/company?"  Would that allow him to scavenge through garbage bins, legally?

 

It wouldn't. The foreigner would only be allowed to work as the general manager of the recycling business, assuming it is not on the prohibited occupations list. For those whose dream it is to scavenge themselves legally, the only way would be to first acquire Thai nationality.

By the way a load of paper, plastic, glass and metal which fits piled up on the back of a pick up easily bring in about 1100 Baht. So I don't pity the Thai scavengers too much, filling up the salaeng (motorcycle with side car) several times a day, they make way over  the minimum wage. At the other hand it is a bit of a loss of face for status conscious Asians to do this, once the wife of an acquaintance blushed heavily when she saw I noticed her scavenging.

Not only Thais would lose face. I would be embarrassed by a farang scavanging company.

A select few members attempting to drive this topic away from the scavenger theme into their own agenda - all those posts removed. Please stay on the original topic, thank you.