Homeless People To Be Cleared From Bangkok's Streets

[boppia]

It bothers me but I can see both sides of the story. Some of the people out there want to live the way they do. Others would like help from above. But I would guess to the government they just see them all as human waste as they haven't done anything to reduce the number there using other methods over their time in office.

When I came here over 10 years ago someone told me that when the Royal family visits the local people sweep all the waste from the streets into the gutters where it can't be seen. After they pass its all back to normal littering etc.

If Thailand's wealthiest people actually had to stay in Thailand they might clean it up. But to the haves of Thailand they only spend half their time here. But that goes for most of the world's haves.

[chingching]

Agreed... and just to put a face to this shame:

Mr.Watana Muangsook

Minister of Social Development and Human Security

Just an "I'm curious" poll, of the posters who think this is a shameful act on the govt's part. What have you done to help poor people? Do you give them money? Do you buy them food? Do you drop a coin in the cup? How many of you have no homeless people in your own country? What have you done there to help them? Seems to me, if they are relocated for a day or so, they will get a few good meals, and it would be like a mini vacation.

[Jai Yen Yen]

Just an "I'm curious" poll, of the posters who think this is a shameful act on the govt's part. What have you done to help poor people? Do you give them money? Do you buy them food? Do you drop a coin in the cup? How many of you have no homeless people in your own country? What have you done there to help them? Seems to me, if they are relocated for a day or so, they will get a few good meals, and it would be like a mini vacation.

Is this another "Do you give to beggars?" topic? Last week at one of my regular street markets there were 4 brand new crippled/disfigured/non-walking beggars. Never seen any of them before and this particular market is one that I go to at least once per week.

So who brings them there? Why did they all turn up at the same time? Did I give them any money? Bloody right I didn't.

[The Skipper]

A clever but disgusting business plan. The begging Mafia.

The punks that place these "beggars" around town are making some serious money.

Jam some unfortunate, filthy, puss covered, limbless person between a fence and a Skytrain stairway, force them to sit on concrete all day in the heat, breathing in horrible fumes.

How much do they bring in I wonder? 1,000/hour per beggar? More?

They are doing a huge disservice to people that are desperate for charity.

Good hearted people that want to help the poor are being ripped off.

Any money you throw in there is most likely going to some punk criminal, sitting on some corner, drinking all day, reading car magazines, playing with his cell phone.

A friend says he sees a Mercedes dropping these people off.

How much do the actual "workers" keep? 5%?

Edited June 8, 2006 by The Skipper

[bamforte]

A friend says he sees a Mercedes dropping these people off.

How much do the actual "workers" keep? 5%?

a mercedes? surely not, as im sure they wldn't want their workers to dirty their nice big cars. they probably throw them out from the side of their pickup trucks without stopping...

i've heard abt these begging syndicates for the longest time but i really think that some of these beggars r genuine (not that i know how to tell them apart). but if i c a legless beggar, i do give a little becos regardless of whether there is a boss behind him, he needs $ to survive. some may say i'm playing right into the hands of these mafias but does this poor handicapped man, who will definitely not have any chance of getting any kind of job in thailand, have a better alternative? i honestly dun think so.

[camerata]

Seems like the powers-that-be did the same thing during the APEC convention a few years back, but for that event, didn't they also put a plastic tarp of some sort over the front of the slums so that the visiting puuyai wouldn't witness said squalor from the road while in their tinted-window Mercedes-Benz's?

This year they've erected a high white fence to block the view of the "Soi Zero" bars under the expressway at Ploenchit and switched off the neon "Soi Cowboy" sign normally visible from Asoke.

[taxexile]

They are doing a huge disservice to people that are desperate for charity.

agreed

there are many temples around this country where the homeless can get food and shelter.

most beggars around bangkok , at least in the sukhumvit and ploenchit areas are gang controlled.

the government round up , although seeming callous and cruel at first sight will probably weed out the gang beggars from those really in need of help due to illness or psychological problems.

and perhaps some of those who are in great need and have no family members to call on may actually be channelled towards hospitals or charities that can offer assistance.

thai politicians are known for their stupid mouths , but lower down the chain , i believe that there are some dedicated and compassionate people who do their best when implementing some of these schemes involving the disadvantaged here.

considering the relative poverty in thailand compared to say , the uk ,with all of its welfare schemes and safety nets , there seems to be little difference in the numbers of street people in bangkok and london.