i give to poor thai beggers , it makes me feel good...but !

[MarcIssan]

It's the same moral question anywhere you go in the world and not unique to Thailand. Some English won't give to beggars in England because they think it keeps them on the streets, they will buy drink with it, it's a scam etc and others will give. Nothing unique about Thailand as far as the moral dilemma goes. I give when I'm in a good mood which is most of the time, what's 20 baht to a farang unless you are keeneow?

Yes I agree. Give what you can when you can and trust that most of the time it really helps in a positive way.

[Estrada]

A Thai University did an undercover survey of the beggars on the footbridge near Central Lardprao. The found that the average beggar earned B30,000/month and that was 20 years ago. Also a newspaper exposed a whole family who lived in a hotel. They changed into rags after breakfast and went begging in Bangkok returning with there takings in the afternoon for a shower and a slap up dinner.

[Jackson86]

Last month at chatuchak, I saw a little girl half naked on the floor with very badly burnt skin and drawing something on paper.

[sanook2me]

I give money to people who hell Thailand's mistreated and maltreated animals. I also prefer to spend my money on some dog or cat food at the 7-11 and feed a starving soi cat or dog. As for the beggers who have controlled begging zones and who are in the employ of organized criminals, I give nothing.

Well said geriatrickid.........

In my area Pin Klao on the overbridges.....beggars abound.......I am sickened to my heart when I see the beggar mother (Cambodian) with a baby on her breast no more than six months old...both of them in dirty filthy clothing and unwashed....yet the other morning mother is flat out talking on a Samsung i-phone....mmmmm....you have to wonder who is employing them.

Like wise I have seen the crawling no-arms beggar pushing his polystyrene cup with his mouth at Pin Klao one day and then seen him again on Sukhumvit the very next day.....some 30km's away......so someone is transporting him around Bangkok and no doubt "collecting" his earnings each day.

It is a hard call at times...as both pull at your heart strings and your humanitarium concerns.

Rather than give money...I make an effort and go and buy some food/bottled water for them and deliver it back to them ...sure it costs more but I would rather they were able to "eat" my donation than have my money "disappear" into other hands at the end of the begging day.

On a seperate but related note.....I tried the food instead of money donation to an obvious druggie on the streets of Melbourne some years back....he went absolutely off his tree at me....screaming and abusing me for giving him food........at least that doesn't happen here in Thailand.

When lived in Pinklao there was a woman who would sit near Central Pinklao with a small baby boy, always the same spot and i had to walk past them to get into Central.. I would usually pick up a few coins from my jar of baht coins and drop it into her plastic cup.

I am not sure if she prompted it but the boy would say "papa" which used to make me smile.

But sometimes i would not drop money in but buy food from Central and give them that, knowing they would never go into the mall or buy that food, it would cost more but i hope they appreciated and yes, it made me feel good.

I once bought some food for a limbless beggar outside of Central world and he just threw it down on the floor and gobbed off at me....As another poster said, druggies or drunks on the street usually just want money for the next fix..Food is of no use or concern to them.

Again as other posters have said, i like to buy off the ingenious folks who make things from cans or bamboo or are selling little items. You are buying their idea or skill. This must be a win win for all.

[Loles]

1. It's good to hear you have given to a TH beggArs, you are a good man.

2. Thais give them also and I have to tell you they give much easier than western people.

3. If you doubt about the beggar (fake, mafia) you buy them food, water, cheap clothes, I do this if they take there kid(s) also.

I don't understand what is your "but" feeling.

[Phoenix1312]

If you like giving to beggars then you shouldn't question it. I have seen many Thais donate too. I always give them money and am happy to do it. If a few 100 Baht can help then I want to assist these poor people. Where else can they get help? Don't ask why just be the good person you are and keep giving.

Edited May 5, 2014 by cheated

[Som wat]

Last month at chatuchak, I saw a little girl half naked on the floor with very badly burnt skin and drawing something on paper.

Likely kidnapped and burned for that puropse. Then will be turned into glue at the end of her earning potential.

[skyaslimit]

why do they only come to us ? " farangs " thai people do not have money ? or thai people are stingy greedy people and will not help their fellow man when down on their luck.

oh, i just cant wait for the 1st negitive post on here.

waiting

Not us but you? they may recognize you!

Sent from my GT-S5360 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[choochoo]

A Thai University did an undercover survey of the beggars on the footbridge near Central Lardprao. The found that the average beggar earned B30,000/month and that was 20 years ago. Also a newspaper exposed a whole family who lived in a hotel. They changed into rags after breakfast and went begging in Bangkok returning with there takings in the afternoon for a shower and a slap up dinner.

If this were TREU there would be more HOT beggars. Ones with nice breasts....................lol.

[techboy]

They do not just come to foreigners. So your question is moot.

[techboy]

The beggers do not just come to foteigners. They are heavily supported by Thais as well. So your question is moot.

[dotpoom]

I go to Sattahip market 2 times every week. Loads of Thais give money to the people begging there. I have seen too many times a beggar being totally ignored by Farangs in restaurants while quzzling down beer and feasting themselves on good food.

[EyesWideOpen]

Just remember, the mafia who owns these beggars need money too, so a great idea

to give money to them...... :-)

Edited May 5, 2014 by EyesWideOpen

[Thaiberius]

To my shame I recoiled sharply in horror when a very badly burned beggar crept up on me in Soi 4, Bangkok. He looked like a character from a horror movie. I've seen him since and always give him something.

[jacko45k]

I am of the opinion most Thais are quite generous with beggars and the unfortunate. If they have some money, they seem to feel a need to pass some on and keep up their merit status.

The beggars themselves are under the impression all Westerners are quite wealthy and hence a better target, in their mind, if you have it, you should share it.

The Westerners themselves are either more cynical or selfish.

So many worthy causes in Thailand are often just an organised scam. I myself rarely give, believing I am just supporting and propagating their existence.

There will be a few more of them next week.

[atpeace]

The OP stated twice that Thais don't give to beggars and also stated he has lived here for years. He is obviously delusional and only sees what he wants to perceive. As he stated, he has sat in bars for years and never seen a Thai donate. To each his own and OP seems to be happy drinking as a means of creating his image of Thais. I'm sure Thais have a sound grasp on the OP's character.

[Jackson86]

Last month at chatuchak, I saw a little girl half naked on the floor with very badly burnt skin and drawing something on paper.

Likely kidnapped and burned for that puropse. Then will be turned into glue at the end of her earning potential.

Different countries different laws but just that I regret not donating some to her. Pity her. Think she is about 7yo ?

[LawrenceN]

get out of bed earlier, they to the ones in orange then

those are the worst ones ..........

Both of you are insulting Buddhism. I doubt either of you has had much direct contact with monks. I suspect your impressions are based on a few sensational stories about criminals or materialistic posers in the monkhood. There have been a few, but the monks that I know personally live lives of selfless devotion. I was a monk myself for seven days once, and learned a lot from them.

My wife and I support a monk who's running a communal farm and school for novices in Wiang Haeng, a remote district adjoining the Burmese border in the northern part of Chiang Mai. In his "spare time" he earned a Ph.D. and lectures at Mae Jo University. He has changed the lives of hundreds of young men who may or may not continue in the monkhood. That's just one example.

Oh, by they way, maybe one of you legal minds can clarify the rules. Is it still true that one can be deported for insulting Buddhism?

yep sounds like a typical religious attitude.

Not really true. I'm actually a pretty cynical atheist. My wife does most of the religion in our family, though I don't mind a little financial support.

I made two points in my post above. To summarize:

1) It's easy to draw wrong impressions from sensational news stories. If, like me, you have 37 years of experience in this country, you can see that monks do a lot here to serve their communities. If you actually speak (tonally), read, and write the language, you are able to connect with the people. I wrote from a perspective of empathy, not religious zealotry.

2) You who write denigrating the country's religious practices should know you're on thin ice. I don't actually know whether it is still illegal, but when I first came here in the 1970s, deportations happened occasionally, including some white-shirted Mormon kids who snapped photos of themselves sitting on a Buddha statue's shoulders. That's why I asked for input from any legal experts out there.

[Jackson86]

The OP stated twice that Thais don't give to beggars and also stated he has lived here for years. He is obviously delusional and only sees what he wants to perceive. As he stated, he has sat in bars for years and never seen a Thai donate. To each his own and OP seems to be happy drinking as a means of creating his image of Thais. I'm sure Thais have a sound grasp on the OP's character.

2 views.

1. better than thai people by doing more good than them, but end up a favorable target for robbery.

2. Not better than thai by doing less, but end up leaving a bad impression.

[atpeace]

Not really true. I'm actually a pretty cynical atheist. My wife does most of the religion in our family, though I don't mind a little financial support.

If, like me, you have 37 years of experience in this country, you can see that monks do a lot here to serve their communities.

Sorry about cutting out most of your post. I haven't lived here 37 years but nearly 10. I am also an atheist and do my best to let others follow their beliefs. As for Monks serving their communities; I see "very" little evidence of this. They are religious symbols that are no different than Christian symbols that need to be supported and idolized.

[marko kok prong]

The beggar near the 7/11 in the town where we live has to be the worst,often he is eating 7/11 food,and has a radio cassette player,and a mobile phone,as far as i can see he is physically fit,i never give anything to him as i think all he does is smear a bit of dirt on himself in the morning and goes off to sit outside 7.

[Gillyflower]

It's a hard question. I see women from Eastern Europe sitting with a baby. I'm told the baby is rented out........I see a man sitting with a cap in front of him and a notice saying that he is in difficulty etc.......a woman gives him a loaf of bread.........he throws it in the river. Somebody else gives him money and the next time you see him with a bottle of wine. Oh I forgot to add that he has 3-4 dogs with him. I'm talking about my little corner of SW France. But I have been sitting on the terrace of a resto in Marrakech. I can't eat my meal. A beggar comes up, asks if he can have it and rushes off to a corner on the pavement and gobbles it down, but voraciously. I felt so ashamed. The same thing down in the Baha (CA) people living in cardboard boxes.

It's hard to know when it's the real thing. I don't see too much of it in the parts of CM that I frequent, but there are always a few on Moon Muang near the 7/11 after the walking street.

[wprime]

I cut out the middle man and give to the mafia directly.

(just kidding)

[GaryB1263]

I have seen Thai people giving many times.

If I am around everybody has food. (EOS)

Please don't forget Father Ray's. They have 850 kids the last I heard.

[Loles]

Just remember, the mafia who owns these beggars need money too, so a great idea

to give money to them...... :-)

This is a very nice theory to validate your kee niao style.

Don't give them anything just step over them with your nice feeling : I didn't support the mafia, and SAVED UP 20 BAHT

Cheap Charlie

[greytown]

For individuals that are severely handicapped, I suppose begging is the only form of employment possible for them. Even if they are exploited by gangs who keep the bulk of the money, their "handlers" must surely look after them and provide them at least basic living necessities. What other options do these unfortunate people have available to them?

[Pacificperson]

If you have to beg, you have to beg. More power to those who have figured out how to do it more profitably.

[true blue]

the quite big thai market i go to, ive noticed,that many thai ladies donate money to the blind guy walking around,with his helper.if i have small change i always give to whoever have there cup out,and i like to give to the blind guys who peform as a musical group at most markets,good tunes they knock out as well.and i would challenge any one to ignore the many people begging in walking street on sunday at chiang mai,most of them are performing with some musical instrument.

[Thaiberius]

I'm trying to figure out what is wrong with giving an alcoholic money towards his drink. Live and let live.

[Old Stud]

I got off to take a pee at a bus stop near the Cambodian border a couple years ago. There was a beggar at the hong nam door with a ripped cardboard sign that he scribbled 5 baht on. I laughed and didn't hesitate paying him. That's making the best of what you have. I liked it. But he

wasn't obviously physically or mentally handicapped. Those disadvantaged people need help. Who helps them really? Maybe their family. Maybe the mafia. Maybe the ten baht we put in their cup. Someone has to help. If not, then what? They starve to death, of sit in a room and stare at the walls all day. Good for them they get out, and even if its begging on the street, they're doing something with their lives. If they make 1000 baht in a day and their "handler" gives them 100 baht of it, and a place to stay and food to eat, then that's better than the alternative. We need to take a moment to walk in their shoes before we judge whats right or wrong.

I give to this particular beggar almost every day. Yesterday I found him a block from where he usually sits. He "looks" like he could work, but I've never held that against him. He was looking at something in a store window with his back to me. I yelled at him (in Thai) so I could give him his 10 baht - then realized that he was deaf. I didn't know before that. I wish someone would pay me for what I do - they wish the same. It's all relative.