Foreigners caught on camera posing as deaf people for Phuket 'donations'

[webfact]

Foreigners caught on camera posing as deaf people for Phuket 'donations'
Claire Connell


One of the men soliciting donations on Patong Beach.

PHUKET: -- Two foreigners have been caught on camera by Phuket expats after they were seen apparently posing as deaf people and soliciting “donations” in Patong and Kata.

A Phuket expat, who wanted to be named only as Ryan, posted a video on YouTube last night (December 30), which shows a foreign woman collecting donations from customers at the Swensen’s shop at Kata Beach.

Another Phuket resident took a photograph of a foreign man doing the same thing at a bar/restaurant on Patong Beach around five days ago, and posted it on Facebook.

Speaking with The Phuket News today, Ryan explained how he was inside the ice cream shop last night (December 30) when he saw the foreign girl enter. She was holding a sign, commonly used in Thailand by deaf beggars, saying she was deaf and asking them to buy Angry Birds keychains for B100 – or to make a donation.

“I couldn’t believe a farang was doing this,” Ryan told The Phuket News.

“I was rather shocked. Anyone who has been in Thailand for long will have seen blind people who sing, or deaf people who holding signs [and selling souvenirs]. But this is the first time I’ve seen a young, healthy-looking farang looking for donations.”

He questioned the Swensen’s staff outside the shop and they told him there was a foreign man as well who would come in doing the same.

One staff member told Ryan that she once heard the girl speaking on the phone in a Slavic language.

Another man who did not want to be named said he took a photograph of a foreign man collecting donations at a bar/restaurant on Patong’s Beach Road last week.

The man said he was sitting with friends when the foreigner entered, dropping small cards along with small toys/keychains on the table, before waiting for money. A small Russian flag was printed on the cards. He did not receive any donations.

“The whole situation was kind of rude,” the man told The Phuket News.

“When I took the photo he ran away. As a law-abiding citizen, I don’t think this is a good thing.

“I don’t think he was deaf. I’ve been here 13 years – I think I can tell when a rip-off is happening.

“I’ve never seen a foreigner do that, that’s why I took the photo, because I was a little bit shocked. It surprised me.”

Thai law states that if the foreigners are collecting funds on behalf of a charity, the charity must be a licensed Thai foundation and the foreigner must have a work permit. If they are not with a registered Thai charity then they are begging, which is illegal.

Two police officers at Karon Police Station told The Phuket News they had not received any reports or complaints about cases such as these. Pol Maj Urumporn Koondejsumrit, an inspector with the Tourist Police in Phuket Town, also said he had not received any reports about “deaf” foreigners soliciting donations.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/foreigners-caught-on-camera-posing-as-deaf-people-for-phuket-%E2%80%98donations%E2%80%99-43756.php


-- Phuket News 2013-12-31

[londonthai]

most probably drug addicts, who run out of money. Seen a group of them in pattaya on walking street, pretending to collect alms for the new budhist temple. They were clearly addicts. Apparently police and nobody else stopped them doing so

[Eddy B]

From the picture he does look alittle special, not of a diabled person but of a complete moron who hopefully will be caught and delt with.

[NomadJoe]

Pretty unbelievable.

[andygunther]

I have stopped being surprised... Hope they do not succeed to fool many

[falkan]

next time i will take her angrybirds and plastic card.. let's see if she want to wait for the police..

[surangw]

does your camera make full screen video if you hold it sideways?

[surangw]

I bet she would speak up if you pocketed the trinkets and did not pay.

just how desperate would some one be ( or how much could they hope to take it) by flying to thailand to do this scam?

[balo]

I bet she would speak up if you pocketed the trinkets and did not pay.

just how desperate would some one be ( or how much could they hope to take it) by flying to thailand to do this scam?

Well most of them are poor Russians from the Caucasus area (border Europe/Asia) , it's cheap to fly with charter to Thailand so many of them live here for months and try to make an income .

[FireMedic]

Usually my phone takes really good movies....but when I upload to YouTube they get all tall and narrow. I don't know how to change it.

[Yahooka]

Give them a good kicking !! We get a lot of these unscrupulous scammers in Scandinavia too,always pretending to be deaf,wants money or sells "art" and when you turn your back to them they steal whatever they can get their hands on.

Low life trash !!!

[Blindside]

So many things to loathe about this story. The scamming bit would be easily managed if people just told them to fark off.

What really pis#es me off if how much effort / stress most of us have to go through to sort our visas and WP and these little *hits do this.

Sorry, but they better not cross my path, I will make the biggest scene asking for their work permits etc.

(mini-rant over)

Edited December 31, 2013 by Blindside

[JimShortz]

Usually my phone takes really good movies....but when I upload to YouTube they get all tall and narrow. I don't know how to change it.

Turn your phone on its side when recording...

[Somtamnication]

This has been happening since lat 90's. The Dutch couple I saw was in 2003ish.... Why is this news?

[RubbaJohnny]

Unheard of ,silent blight

[leoalex]

in 2008 or 2009, right in the center of bkk, Silom road, some British guy stayed and asked for alms everybody. Him have seen me, and we have a small talk, it was a guy from manchester (by his words), how him tell some thai girl steal everything from him and him need some money. So, nothing new here. Just they go more deep, and now even showing themselves as deaf.

Edited January 1, 2014 by leoalex

[jacko45k]

Clamp down on them.... these people without work permits are taking employment away from hard-working locals!

[unanimosity]

What is the problem here, isn't selective listening legal?

[JoeThePoster]

Isn't there a work permit requirement for caped crusaders and vigilantes?

Edited January 1, 2014 by JoeThePoster

[Dibbler]

"Two police officers at Karon Police Station told The Phuket News they had not received any reports or complaints about cases such as these. Pol Maj Urumporn Koondejsumrit, an inspector with the Tourist Police in Phuket Town, also said he had not received any reports about “deaf” foreigners soliciting donations."

Ignorance or complicity? Would hope the former, but if the latter, I wonder how much the cut is to BIB?

[belg]

he looks handicapped enough

[slapout]

Its the new year, so "Happy New Year to all". The panhandlers, beggars, blind singers, etc are a part of the street scene in most countries I have had the oppurnity to visit. It would seem that some are condemning these people due to their skin pigmentation.

I do not know if they are really 'down and out', but they seem to have approached their quest for income in a way that does no physical/monetary harm to other.s (purse snatching, mugging, armed robbery, petty theft, etc.). I use to get a chuckle out of the office help in Bombay who would hit the streets at lunch hour and ask passing tourist for a contribution for their wants/needs. If a pale face would attempt the same, there would have probably been a uproar over that.

Some people go thru life working/earning their way, others walk a thin line between legal/illegal, some just take the illegal route, others expect the rest of society to finance them from cradle to grave, its up to the first group, who end up paying for the others to sort out the wheat from the chaf, which sometimes can lead to condenmation for all who do not fit the mold as some parts of society define it.

[bushwacker]

Why is a deaf guy pointing to his mouth? Needs more time in the practice halls of the drama department!

[stoli]

most probably drug addicts, who run out of money. Seen a group of them in pattaya on walking street, pretending to collect alms for the new budhist temple. They were clearly addicts. Apparently police and nobody else stopped them doing so

Vivid imagination. Probably gay also. (sarcasm).

[nycjoe]

kind of looks a little ratty, has those beady eyes.

[finnomick]

....and then there's the foreigners in their 20's who approach you on Khaosan Road asking for money to let you release caged birds.....

[Card]

"One staff member told Ryan that she once heard the girl speaking on the phone in a Slavic language."

Oh righty. A Thai person says or even knows about a 'Slavic language'?

[frimu]

Same thing happened 1.5 weeks ago in Sizzler Ekamai Bangkok.

I pointed the farang woman out to the staff and they rushed her out.

She didn't get anything.

[Blindside]

Being from South Africa I can recommend a very famous sign language interpreter; which might enhance their repertoire!

[chris2dv8]

The more I look at the guy in the photo, the more I am sure I know him,from somewhere.

It will come to me I hope soon

Edited January 1, 2014 by chris2dv8