Norwegian guy sleeping outside MBK?

[Display]

There has been a Norwegian guy sleeping outside MBK shopping mall in Bangkok for the past week, MBK and the security guards are feeding him, he told me he got robbed of his money and passport.

My Girlfriend works there and it all the Gossip between the staff that there is a smiling Farang sleeping outside in the sun and getting eaten alive by mosquitos at night.

I have given him small amounts of money and an odd ciggy, but he seems quite happy there and is very friendly with the guards,

All he was worried about was getting 50 Baht to buy a razor to shave?, I was thinking that's the last of your worries lol

He told me he has been here three years and get's disability allowance each month from Norway. Also he told me he has been to his embassy and that he was thinking of going to another country like Australia or somewhere. He's a nice guy but to me he seems confused, MBK like him and are helping him out with money and rumors are MBK will be paying for his plane ticket home?

Does anyone know this Guy and maybe you can help him out? He about 5 8" well built, heavy, shaved head, wearing shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt and always seems to be smiling? With about 1000 Mosquito bits all over eat arm lol

Edited March 13, 2014 by Display

[OxfordWill]

Maybe someone from Norway can inform the Embassy. If he is disabled mentally there ought to be some help forthcoming?

[Display]

Maybe someone from Norway can inform the Embassy. If he is disabled mentally there ought to be some help forthcoming?

The Tourist police are a matter of meters away from him I was thinking of informing them, I taught that also that he had a bit of a mental disability but staff at MBK don't think so but I don't think the Thai people really understand him, as the first time I seen him he just sat down beside me sweating and talking rubbish,

I taught he was on Yabba or something but the next day I give him a ciggy and some money and had a talk with him I taught he was a bit Mentally disabled? Do you think the Embassy should be call? ,

Oblivious I respect other peoples privatize, as I said he is quite happy there and seems to have no plan's on leaving anytime soon. As soon as they open the doors in the morning he spends all day walking around MBK and then sleep out in the hot sun and I never seen someone with so many mosquito bits before, the least he could do was light some of them mosquito coils if he had sense..

Edited March 13, 2014 by Display

[seajae]

if he is getting a pension why is he broke and sleeping in the street, a pension would more than support him in Thailand. I think there is a lot more to this somehow, what is he doing with the money anyway if not using it to support himself and if he doesnt have a passport why is he not being arrested by the police for not having a passport/visa.

[Thai at Heart]

Someone call the embassy.

The Norwegians have the most social of social systems. They will pick him up.

[namdocmai]

Yep Norway is a very decent country and he can get help if he wants that. But you never know what the story is.

[penwithcris]

Always a bad sign to see homeless people living on the streets. I used to arrive very early for work in central London and there were, literally, dozens of homeless individuals lying on benches, cocooned in cardboard boxes, and huddled against the warm air outlets of hotels and restaurants

So a solitary Scandinavian sleeping rough doesn't indicate a crisis in Bangkok, but it is good to see that a number of people are so concerned for his welfare

[DLP]

if he is getting a pension why is he broke and sleeping in the street, a pension would more than support him in Thailand. I think there is a lot more to this somehow, what is he doing with the money anyway if not using it to support himself and if he doesnt have a passport why is he not being arrested by the police for not having a passport/visa.

The OP said that he was robbed of money & his passport. Another passport now in the wrong hands.

[hotrod4098]

dont need help..just get the immigration to deport him...no passport..no visa...deport back to norway to take care of him...problem solved

[namdocmai]

dont need help..just get the immigration to deport him...no passport..no visa...deport back to norway to take care of him...problem solved

It might be very cold in Norway so maybe he prefers to sleep at the MBK.

I know that some gangs operate (some years ago) at the MBK, they approached me a few times, a year later the same person did it again to me at the Discovery tower.

They did that right in front of that tourist Police booth on the flyover right in front of the MBK-entrance. Maybe they were lucky this time and got a mentally handicapped (or drugged because that is what this gang does with victims) person.

Yes he should go to his embassy, they sure can help him. But maybe he is waiting to find those persons from that gang.......Doesn't he have the right to find them again? The gang are persons from Malaysia, Phillipines, India and speak fluent english, much better then a Thai. They try to get you into a house and then drug you and ...... One day i even took a picture of one of those persons and went to the reception at the Discovery to show it to them and told them they do that every day. I also look scandinavian. They couldn't care less so....

[mortenaa]

I'm from Norway. I should go have a chat. Whereabouts outside MBK?

[DLP]

dont need help..just get the immigration to deport him...no passport..no visa...deport back to norway to take care of him...problem solved

Who is going to pay his flight home certainly not immigration.

[Display]

I'm from Norway. I should go have a chat. Whereabouts outside MBK?

I usually see him outside the front of the Tokyu store across from the BTS Station he sleeps along the side there where the taxis are. But ask the Security guards around the Taxi Rank he spends a lot of time there talking with the guards and they will tell you where he is..

Edited March 13, 2014 by Display

[Thongkorn]

I Have been down this road in a similar situation, With an English man, in a similar position. The truth is they do not want to go home, I spoke to The head monk of the temple the English guy was staying, He has been there for the last three years, he has a similar story, robbed by an ex girlfriend every thing stolen. But the Head monk offered to take him to The British Embassy in Bangkok to get him a temporary passport to go home with and pay for his flyt. The guy disappeared from the temple for a few weeks then returned, That to me suggests some thing radically wrong why he does not want to go home, or maybe cannot go home for some reason , I posted a thread about this, the man is still there today in a temple in Sah Mut Sahkon.

[tubby johnson]

if he is getting a pension why is he broke and sleeping in the street, a pension would more than support him in Thailand. I think there is a lot more to this somehow, what is he doing with the money anyway if not using it to support himself and if he doesnt have a passport why is he not being arrested by the police for not having a passport/visa.

Arrest him? Why don't you rat him out to the police?

Some of the awful people on TV are appalling. Failed human beings. Homeless people deserve our compassion, not getting locked up in a prison cage.

[Northwindhermit]

Thank you for starting this thread. Your concern and compassion are exemplary models, and you make us think about a common problem here (and everywhere). Who knows when any of us might hit the downside of our luck and barely get by at street level? I remember my own experience in 1968 of being severely ill and broke (I’d been ripped off of all cash in New York City), hitchhiking across NY State’s southern tier in a hot summer fever delirium and being helped by random strangers – even if it was only a simple glass of water or a ride.

Today in my own neighborhood on the outer rim of greater Bangkok, we have several such individuals (Thais) who make their bivouac near the police station in the sidewalk shade. If one of them is sleeping as I walk by, I often quietly place a bottle of green tea and a sack of nuts near them. Simple nutrition is important when the nights are long and cold. Thanks to the poster for reminding me about mosquitoes, because I should buy some repellent for them.

Oh, and, no disrespect or mockery intended, “homeless” is no longer the “politically correct” label for such individualistic folk. The correct nomenclature is Urban Outdoorsman. (The backcountry in any region of the world has such folk, as do the cities, and who can generalize about their private motives?) “Home” is where you find it and/or make it, and we often don’t know any particular individual’s back-story. And, yes, it’s certainly true that sometimes many of these folk might later appreciate any help we can give them in changing their circumstances.

Who are these people? Some historical traditions view them as “holy men,” strivers who seek another path. Siddhartta Gotama once was more malnourished than many we see today and smelled just as bad. His later advice for true seekers was to be poor and “homeless.” Granted, the vast, vast majority of the People of the Street we see today are not holy men in the traditional sense. Are they “mentally ill”? Majorly depressed? Drunken bums? Dharma bums? Or are they just down on their luck, overwhelmed by life, and needing a helping hand?

I don’t know, but this thread spurs me to think of them more and with more compassion. Dukkha is a primary fact of life, a starting point.

[namdocmai]

There also has been a Dutch guy who always sit at the flyovers around Central World. He had a sign and begged for 500 baht to fly home.

Later it came out he has a social security income and when he flew home he immediatly came back to sit there begging to other foreigners.

Everything is possible....

[Thongkorn]

No one who is a foreign national need to be sleeping on the streets of Thailand, Only if they have mental health issues. 99% are there from choice, i do not pity them , I pity the poor Thai people who have nothing through their Countrys , Beliefs and politics.

Edited March 13, 2014 by Thongkorn

[balo]

I'm Norwegian too and in BKK for a few days, will try to locate him . He probably receive some kind of pension from Norway at the end of every month, maybe he's trying to survive until he gets it. But if he is mentally ill , it's a more serious problem and the embassy should be able to assist.

Sent from my SM-P601 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[mortenaa]

I'm from Norway. I should go have a chat. Whereabouts outside MBK?

I usually see him outside the front of the Tokyu store across from the BTS Station he sleeps along the side there where the taxis are. But ask the Security guards around the Taxi Rank he spends a lot of time there talking with the guards and they will tell you where he is..

Thanks. I'll have a look.

[namdocmai]

No one who is a foreign national need to be sleeping on the streets of Thailand, Only if they have mental health issues. 99% are there from choice, i do not pity them , I pity the poor Thai people who have nothing through their Countrys , Beliefs and politics.

So in your view there are only poor Thai on the world? Go have a look in India mate, you will see thousands of people sleeping on the streets and begging.

Also drugs can do weird things to a brain, don't be so shortsighted man. Anything is possible in this case.

[Thongkorn]

No one who is a foreign national need to be sleeping on the streets of Thailand, Only if they have mental health issues. 99% are there from choice, i do not pity them , I pity the poor Thai people who have nothing through their Countrys , Beliefs and politics.

So in your view there are only poor Thai on the world? Go have a look in India mate, you will see thousands of people sleeping on the streets and begging.

Also drugs can do weird things to a brain, don't be so shortsighted man. Anything is possible in this case.

I am talking about the posters Topic about a Norwegian man in Bangkok not the world

[Equalizer]

To be honest i believe in a sense every Farang in Thailand is homeless, unless they own a condo. The company rule change a few years ago put pay the that. Now they tell you to take out a 30 year lease on the land the house resides on. Hahahah have you ever seen a foreign pensioner try to evict a Thai and all the family from a home they own with no interest from the police or the establishment. I have!!

[wym]

The 30-year lease is definitely the way to go if you feel you HAVE to own your own home.

Biggest mistake you describe is letting a Thai family move in in the first place, why would you do that?

If it's your SO's family, you shouldn't be living anywhere closer than a 6-8 hour journey to them anyway.

Finally, I'd make sure it was a house relatively easy to move to another location, worst case show up with the crane and knockdown crew paid a bit extra for the eviction process, a bit set aside to grease the local BiB and Bob's your uncle.

[robertthebruce]

I'm from Norway. I should go have a chat. Whereabouts outside MBK?

Kind of you to take the time out of your life to do that for a fellow countryman...

Well Done.. hope it works out whatever the outcome is...

All the best

Cheers

Robert

[robertthebruce]

No one who is a foreign national need to be sleeping on the streets of Thailand, Only if they have mental health issues. 99% are there from choice, i do not pity them , I pity the poor Thai people who have nothing through their Countrys , Beliefs and politics.

At the end of the day, we are all People, ... from wherever we come from, and sometimes we do need some help..

I always say, ''We never know whats around the corner''.. , next week it could be you or me ??

Thats how i look at it..

Lending a hand to someone is not a crime, its from the ''Heart''...

As for the ''Thai'' people, i would not know where to start about that, its all about Corruption and always has been.. sad i know...

[seajae]

if he is getting a pension why is he broke and sleeping in the street, a pension would more than support him in Thailand. I think there is a lot more to this somehow, what is he doing with the money anyway if not using it to support himself and if he doesnt have a passport why is he not being arrested by the police for not having a passport/visa.

The OP said that he was robbed of money & his passport. Another passport now in the wrong hands.

and also he had been here for years and that he is paid monthly, how long has he been sleeping there, has he applied for a new passport/visa, has he even been to the embassy and where are all his belongings that he has had here for all the years he said he haqs lived here, something just doesnt sound right. I hope it can be sorted out well for him but there is definitely more to this.

[seajae]

if he is getting a pension why is he broke and sleeping in the street, a pension would more than support him in Thailand. I think there is a lot more to this somehow, what is he doing with the money anyway if not using it to support himself and if he doesnt have a passport why is he not being arrested by the police for not having a passport/visa.

Arrest him? Why don't you rat him out to the police?

Some of the awful people on TV are appalling. Failed human beings. Homeless people deserve our compassion, not getting locked up in a prison cage.

can you understand english at all, I said if he has no passport WHY hasnt he been arrested as it is illegal to be here with a passport and visa. There is a chance he still has it but finds it easier to get people to feel sorry for him when he says it was stolen. Try thinking rationally, there are farangs that do this for a living, if he has been to his emabassy there is a good chance that they would help him, again why havent they. Has he reported this to them at all, the story just doesnt make sense and sounds wrong, you need to put your brain into gear first so that you understand what is being said instead of simply jumping to conclussions and putting your foot in your mouth.

[chickenslegs]

From the information given to us by the OP:

The man is not begging, but people are giving him food and small gifts.

He is not complaining about his situation. In fact he seems happy and the local people call him the smiling farang.

He has something of a social life - chatting with the guards and passing the time of day with TV members.

He is "well built" so, presumably, in reasonably good health and properly nourished.

He is not making a nuisance of himself - everyone seems to like him.

He has a small income.

He is not worried about anything (except that he would like a shave).

It does not seem that he wants to go back to Norway.

By all means, it would be nice if his fellow countrymen could "check him out" and make sure he is ok, but calling for him to be arrested/deported is a bit OTT (IMHO).

[namdocmai]

I also get sick of begging farang, i even met one who ordered my wife to give him 10 baht for the bts. I also saw him before that order another lady to give him 10 which she did but when i asked him what he wanted from my wife he also ordered me to give him 10 what i refused. If he had asked me he would have gotten 100 probably. I told him where the atm's were but then he started calling me names very loud and never stopped with that. I warned him twice and luckily for him he shut up because even my wife told me to kick his ass. (she would never ever say anything like that).

Then in the skytrain we met him again and he was looking angry at me all the time untill we get out.

But farang who don't beg or just sit somewhere to collect money without bothering anybody i don't have any problems with them although it is ashaming for all farangs here. Especially one from Norway which is a very rich country.