Farang Beggar Still At It In Bangkok...

[Noel]

There was a thread Farang Begging For Money At Skytrain Stop (now closed) running in February showing this specimen:

Well, according to Stickman’s column today, he is still at it:

"Anyone who has spent a lot of time in Bangkok will know that beggars can actually do very well and make quite a lot of money. Many who used to work in the World Trade Centre area came from Cambodia. Now I say "work" because that is exactly what they were doing. Begging was their primary source of income. And I put it to you that the photo here shows a fellow who is also working. This gentleman has been seen begging with a similar sign in a number of areas including Victory Monument, Siam Square, Mahboonkrong, Central Chidlom and the Silom area. I've mentioned him in the column before. This particular photograph was taken around 8:00 PM this past Monday at the Sala Daeng BTS station. That he continues to do it suggests that it must be profitable - and he is darn cheeky asking for 1,000 baht!"

The amount he supposedly needs to get back home has dropped from ฿9,000 to ฿4,000, but my bet is that he will still be there this time next year…

[GuestHouse]

It must be wonderful to find someone to pick on.

I either give money to beggers, or I do not.

I seldom have the time or the inclination to consider, much less pass a judgement on why they are begging.

But like I say, it must be wonderful to find some one to to pick on, to feel better than.

Sad you have to go so low to find him.

Edited June 5, 2006 by GuestHouse

[The Dan Sai Kid]

It must be wonderful to find someone to pick on.

I either give money to beggers, or I do not.

I seldom have the time or the inclination to consider, much less pass a judgement on why they are begging.

But like I say, it must be wonderful to find some one to to pick on, to feel better than.

Sad you have to go so low to find him.

I would usually agree with you, but that dude is totally scamming people.

PS. That dude is of course no relation to The Dude.

[leftcross]

that picture makes me so angry.

he is taking advantage of good people's nature to try and steal from them. i bet poor thai people give this conman money that they can ill afford to lose for themselves.

if i see him i will say the same to his face.

[Donz]

If he is still there when I go there in sept I will take a pic with him. And post it on here.

[Gary A]

He is a scam artist plain and simple. The worst part is that I would be stupid enough to give him money if I did not know it was simply a scam. How he is able to stay here and do this is beyond me.

[loytoy]

no time of day at all for scam artists.

[Sing_Sling]

that picture makes me so angry.

he is taking advantage of good people's nature to try and steal from them. i bet poor thai people give this conman money that they can ill afford to lose for themselves.

if i see him i will say the same to his face.

He may be a leech, but how is he stealing anything? As Guesthouse said - either give him money or don't. The choice is yours.

Please let's not start this again where some posters will write about stomping on him, beating him and whatnot. The guy is clearly a scam artist, live with it, he's not the only one.

[ColPyat]

What's the problem?

I think the bloke should be applauded for the chuzpah he displays. It's not that he scams old people out of their life savings like our boiler room and time share scammers do. Everybody needs to survive, i have given him 200 baht or so a while back when he begged at the airport, and would hive it to him today again.

I miss the days in Asia when there were more like him around, people living on their wits, with great stories to tell. True survival artists. These are the people who make life colorful, and not the narrowminded citicens with their boring views on what is appropriate.

[penzman]

I'm amazed that he's still around, not because he's still begging but that he hasn't been noticed by authorities.

[Donz]

I'm amazed that he's still around, not because he's still begging but that he hasn't been noticed by authorities.

someone can change that with a phonecall.

But I want my photo done with him first, the dude is famous, he is also on other forums too.

[Sing_Sling]

I'm amazed that he's still around, not because he's still begging but that he hasn't been noticed by authorities.

someone can change that with a phonecall.

But I want my photo done with him first, the dude is famous, he is also on other forums too.

Donz is a groupie, Donz is a groupie!!!!

What I find amazing is that the guy seems not to worry about the cops . . .

[Firefan]

I see a book and movie deal coming up for him with all that fame! Cheers!

[ColPyat]

I'm amazed that he's still around, not because he's still begging but that he hasn't been noticed by authorities.

Police generally is more than reluctant to arrest farang down on their luck as long as they have not committed a more serious offense than begging and overstaying their visa. Prisons are full, the IDC is full, and no embassy is going to pay for their national's return tickets and fines unless they have spent months in the IDC.

Therefore, police ignores them as long as they can.

[Noel]

It must be wonderful to find someone to pick on.

I either give money to beggers, or I do not.

I seldom have the time or the inclination to consider, much less pass a judgement on why they are begging.

But like I say, it must be wonderful to find some one to to pick on, to feel better than.

Sad you have to go so low to find him.

Hmmm, interesting how you have changed your tune, Guesthouse. You were the second poster on the original thread, saying:

I usually give beggers F8 at 1/250 Sec perhaps I might have given this guy 1/125 Sec as he seems to be in the shade.

One has to wonder why you feel the need to photograph beggars that you do not “pass a judgement on”.

Empathy, perhaps…?

This guy is nothing more than a scammer, as the account below clearly displays:

I saw him the other night. After reading this post I tried speaking to him to try and get the true story. Of course he told me he needed money for his ticket home etc. etc. etc. He seemed pleasant enough and did not seem in any way mentally disturbed. So I went along with his story and tried to discuss some alternatives with him, going to his embassy, family, getting some part-time work as a teacher etc. He did not like this and then he started judging me 'ignorant and cruel' were the words he used. Then he told me to 'f*** off'. I can assure you I wasn't taking the piss out of him I was just trying to have a normal conversation, he had no reason to abuse me. Seems I was a little to close to the truth for his liking. As such I now have no problem condemning him for the pathetic and fairly amatuer con-man that he is. I was especially annoyed because when I approached him he was busy stuffing what looked like around 1000 to 2000 baht in 100's and 20's into his pocket. The shame of it, where's his dignity, some people stoop so low.

A pic posted in the original thread is perhaps quite apt, but I would not personally bother…

[bkkjosh]

It must be wonderful to find someone to pick on.

I either give money to beggers, or I do not.

I seldom have the time or the inclination to consider, much less pass a judgement on why they are begging.

But like I say, it must be wonderful to find some one to to pick on, to feel better than.

Sad you have to go so low to find him.

Very appropriate post.

I had just gotten out of a taxi to do my food shopping at Villa Sukhumvit (the one next to Soi 33) and I saw an old guy actually eating food out of the bin. I pushed some money into his hand and kept walking. He certainly wasn't begging... but obviously needed food.

I think its sad sometimes that people don't see the gap between what a great life they have and what a poor life others have. There are some things that you see in certain parts of South East Asia that make you appreciate what you have so much more.

[GuestHouse]

I think its sad sometimes that people don't see the gap between what a great life they have and what a poor life others have

Moreover, they are perhaps unaware of exactly how close their own lives are to that of beggers.

"No Not Me Never"

For some mental illness, or just illness, and for many financial ruin that may or may not be of their own making.

It's an easy slip and a long fall.

And for those who insist it could not happen to them, take a look at some of the archeive film from Europe and the US in the 30s - The soup kitchen is not so far off for any of us.

[Thaipwriter]

With any luck some local youths will spot his activity and give him a good shoeing.

[Sing_Sling]

With any luck some local youths will spot his activity and give him a good shoeing.

Here we go again . . .

I do believe my favourite line in the last stoush relating this guy, and I cannot quote it verbatim, was something along the lines of:

"He's giving us (westerners, I guess he meant) a bad reputation."

Edited June 5, 2006 by Sing_Sling

[leftcross]

He may be a leech, but how is he stealing anything? As Guesthouse said - either give him money or don't. The choice is yours.

Please let's not start this again where some posters will write about stomping on him, beating him and whatnot. The guy is clearly a scam artist, live with it, he's not the only one.

he is stealing because he is taking money from people under false pretences.

if says he needs money for a flight home but he doesn't. he lies to people with good hearts to try and take their hard-earned money from them.

i really do hope someone beats the living daylights out of him, thai or farang. i'd love to see a picture of him begging for money for medical expenses i may even toss him a few satang

[GuestHouse]

Thai Visa often comes up with stunning posts in which Thai Visa members respond giving advice, help and support to people in trouble, or people simply looking for help and advice.

This post is not one of them.

[leftcross]

lighten up, i said i'd throw your hero a few satang under special circumstances.

[Sing_Sling]

Thai Visa often comes up with stunning posts in which Thai Visa members respond giving advice, help and support to people in trouble, or people simply looking for help and advice.

This post is not one of them.

Why bother? Over and Out on this topic as it degenerates into keyboard cojones.

[taxexile]

I think the bloke should be applauded for the chuzpah he displays. It's not that he scams old people out of their life savings like our boiler room and time share scammers do. Everybody needs to survive, i have given him 200 baht or so a while back when he begged at the airport, and would hive it to him today again.

I miss the days in Asia when there were more like him around, people living on their wits, with great stories to tell. True survival artists. These are the people who make life colorful, and not the narrowminded citicens with their boring views on what is appropriate.

this is nonsense , there is nothing to applaud about this guy , and he is not living on his wits like a true survival artist.

he is just lazily begging for money.

a true colourful survival artist would be busking or doing something to attract and amuse a crowd in order to earn some coin. (three fingered frank of kathmandu in the late eighties comes to mind as an entertaining and amiable street character who made a good enough living to enable him to travel around between nepal and southern india for many years)

i dont know this guys story and although i sometimes buy food and clothing for street people i doubt if i would give anything to this character. it sounds as if he has been doing this for a long time , and i find it hard to believe that he has nobody back home to offer him some help in order for him to get back to his home country.

what would the , say , uk embassy , do if a uk national turned up asking for a loan to get back home , claiming he had lost all his money one way or another?

[ROFL]

what would the , say , uk embassy , do if a uk national turned up asking for a loan to get back home , claiming he had lost all his money one way or another?

The US embassy will pay for a hotel while you wait for a plane to fly you back. I think they also gave the guy who wrote about his experience some money for incidentals while he waited for his flight.

I think you have to agree to pay it back, not sure.

[English Noodles]

i find it hard to believe that he has nobody back home to offer him some help in order for him to get back to his home country.

Why do you find this so hard to believe? Is it because you have led such a pampered and sheltered life?

what would the , say , uk embassy , do if a uk national turned up asking for a loan to get back home , claiming he had lost all his money one way or another?

They would not give you the money and come out with the same <deleted> you did about someone back in the UK helping.

[ColPyat]

he is just lazily begging for money.

Then bloody let him beg, for christ's sake.

Is it your problem if he begs?

I have had a chat with him when he begged at the airport, and he was a nice enough guy, absolutely harmless.

Much more pleasant than our drunk football hooligan types.

And to the guys who advovate giving him a beating. Nice, and so compassionate...only though be careful that you are not caught doing that, as you might find yourselves spending a far longer period of time behind bars than for a comparable offense in the west, and definately much longer than the guy might have to spend in the IDC for overstaying his visa.

[itsme]

I am resident in UK since 1992 (EEC nationality) and I’ve been travelling around the world since I was 18, there are many beggars all over the world, I sometime tip them if I feel like, I’ve been tipping beggars in BKK quite few times in regards to their conditions and this folk doesn’t seem someone starving, obviously he must be making a living with begging.

What I learnt during my travelling and many encounters with beggars is that I don’t judge them for what they do, either I tip them or not.

I am not one of the lucky ones that have a stable working position or a good family or friends I can count on, I am just by myself and who knows what will happen in the future? I might be the next beggar for what I know considering that few years back I was able to travel and make a good living with my job and now I can just barely meet the month end…..

Who am I to judge someone else?

[taxexile]

'taxexile'

i find it hard to believe that he has nobody back home to offer him some help in order for him to get back to his home country.

Why do you find this so hard to believe? Is it because you have led such a pampered and sheltered life?

what would the , say , uk embassy , do if a uk national turned up asking for a loan to get back home , claiming he had lost all his money one way or another?

They would not give you the money and come out with the same <deleted> you did about someone back in the UK helping.

you are making some sweeping assumptions about my life there e.noodles. how little you know.

and the uk embassy would probably try to contact friends and relatives back in the uk and inform them that their friend/son/brother is in need of help , before they would actually fork out any money for repatriation.

as far as my statement about help coming from the uk , it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that he could have family or friends who could offer him assistance.

from what i have read , he has been begging for months . it sounds as if he has no wish to go home , all he wants is for others to support him in order for him to remain here.

and to colpyat , sure ..... let him beg , i dont have a problem with him , i can choose to either support the lazy unimaginative leech sitting on the subway steps holding up a sign asking asking for 50b, 100b or 1000b donations from complete starngers or not to support him.

if he looked hungry weak or thirsty i would probably want to help fill his stomach , but my charity would end there unless i knew much more about his circumstances.

but something tells me he is a scammer.

Edited June 5, 2006 by taxexile

[NovaBlue05]

Assuming for a moment he's on the level about "trying to get home"...9000 Bt....4000 Bt...Less than $300 at any rate yet he will sit for a year(?) on the filthy stairs of a skytrain station with a sign asking for donations. Surely, if he is only short a small amount as this, he has friends or family.......even the embassy could probably arrange something......The whole thing seems odd. But hey...it's his life and he's free to do as he wants as long as the police dont roust him away.