I was on one of my usual walks around bangkok a few days ago when suddenly a man was walking next to me he started with the sob story of no money had to flee his country had a wife and kids ect not eaten for a few days and could I help him, I told him to do one he insisted he only needed a bit of food to feed his family,I relented and bought him some rice bread and a few other bits cost me about 400baht he was almost grying when I left him thnking me calling me an angel ect...did i really help him or was I just taken for a ride ?

You helped somebody. So does it really matter ?

Who knows, the con artists are normally looking for cash so maybe he was genuine.

Who knows, but the important things is you done what you felt was right , and just image if every help in the world wow what a wonderful places it would be

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I'd really like to think I did help him cant see how buying food could have helped him if he really wasnt in need

If you felt that you helped someone, and it put a smile on his face and yours, why worry. Good on you.

I say you did good. Karma always comes back around.

What country did he say he fled from?

Edited August 4, 201411 yr by BKKSnowBird

I say you did good. Karma always comes back around.

What country did he say he fled from?

my memory isnt as good as it was but i think he said Bangladesh dont quote me on that though he said he and his family had been beaten and his daughter had her leg broken ect what rang my alarm bells was he was quite insistant i see the pictures I assured him I did not need to see the pictures of his wife and children beaten to a pulp just because they wouldnt change to muslim this is what he told me he said "they told me to convert to muslim or we will kill your family " dont know if I can put that but he said he had no choice but to run with his family . he was an asian man who spoke good english.

I say you did good. Karma always comes back around.

What country did he say he fled from?

my memory isnt as good as it was but i think he said Bangladesh dont quote me on that though he said he and his family had been beaten and his daughter had her leg broken ect what rang my alarm bells was he was quite insistant i see the pictures I assured him I did not need to see the pictures of his wife and children beaten to a pulp just because they wouldnt change to muslim this is what he told me he said "they told me to convert to muslim or we will kill your family " dont know if I can put that but he said he had no choice but to run with his family . he was an asian man who spoke good english.

Now you have told the full story I would say you got shafted royally. Don't tell me it happened somewhere around Nana Plaza area or maybe Suk Soi 5?

Sounds like an elaborate con to me, but the only kink in the story is that you bought him food / necessities instead of giving him cash and he was grateful... Odd indeed...

Sounds like an elaborate con to me, but the only kink in the story is that you bought him food / necessities instead of giving him cash and he was grateful... Odd indeed...

Conman need food too !!

Sounds like an elaborate con to me, but the only kink in the story is that you bought him food / necessities instead of giving him cash and he was grateful... Odd indeed...

Yes, that sound strange to me too.

OP, Where did you get the food from, was he guiding you towards a conveniently located nearby food seller or did you just pop into the nearest 7/11 ?

Good for you, I helped a motorbike accident victim (of an accident which I wasn't involved in) and I got called a bad person for refusing to pay for the medical bills.

Why would he take photos of his beaten children?

Don't worry about it you thought you were doing good.

Who knows, the con artists are normally looking for cash so maybe he was genuine.

I saw once in Europe: Story began similar. Woman gave him her bread with sausage and the guy run crazy.

He almost beat her for ruining his business and he want money.....(narcotic guy but the nice young lady didn't recognize it).

So I think this guy was genuine.

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Sounds like an elaborate con to me, but the only kink in the story is that you bought him food / necessities instead of giving him cash and he was grateful... Odd indeed...

Con artists need to eat as well..........................

He might get his money off the next mark.

Edited August 5, 201411 yr by chrisinth

The old saying goes

" A wise man believes no one. A good man believes even the liars."

The old saying goes

" A wise man believes no one. A good man believes even the liars."

I say never trust a man from the Indian Sub Continent bearing pictures of his brurtalised family. Tell him to get a job selling those nuts that no one buys.

What's rice bread?

like rice pudding

op did good. no harm no foul. i think the con was on but it went horribly wrong................lol.

Edited August 5, 201411 yr by choochoo

like rice pudding

No it's not.

of course it is a scam. he was almost crying with the hopes you would have pulled out the wallet and given him some money and always good practice for the con artist plying his trade.

Had some guy and his two small children in Pattaya come up to me trying to sell a hammock. I told him I wasn't interested. He then said he and his family were hungry. I said ok, lets go across the street and get you some food. He then told me that that food was too expensive and he could find other food cheaper somewhere else and just wanted the money. I told him no and left. 5 minutes later he shows back up and is willing to accept my original offer. I told him to get lost.

People who are genuinely in need will take whatever you offer them. If I were the OP I wouldn't worry if the guy is a drug addict, con man...etc. He bought some food for someone that was grateful. That really all that matters.

The old saying goes

" A wise man believes no one. A good man believes even the liars."

I say never trust a man from the Indian Sub Continent bearing pictures of his brurtalised family. Tell him to get a job selling those nuts that no one buys.

NO more nut sellers. Let them be tailors. We have enough nut sellers.

So that's where all the good food I saw lying in the green next to the sidewalk, came from.

But kidding aside, you gave him food so you helped him, good.

Edited August 5, 201411 yr by arminbkk

You helped him.

It saddens me when I'm walking on an overhead bridge, and there are so many people who walk by and don't give anything. They just treat the poor/homeless like they're animals and they just ignore them. I thought this behavior was only prevalent in America. Guess I was wrong.

I've found that the people who truly give are the most happiest. The other 99% who don't give are normally not happy.

Edited August 5, 201411 yr by benj005

You helped him.

It saddens me when I'm walking on an overhead bridge, and there are so many people who walk by and don't give anything. They just treat the poor/homeless like they're animals and they just ignore them. I thought this behavior was only prevalent in America. Guess I was wrong.

I've found that the people who truly give are the most happiest. The other 99% who don't give are normally not happy.

So 99% of the people who don't give to homeless / poor people on an overhead bridge are normally not happy. And according to you you are saddened by watching others not give. So essentially everyone on an overhead bridge is unhappy.

I don't care I just want to know where to buy rice bread in Bangkok.

It doesn't matter if you really helped him, or you were taken for a ride. These are differences without distinction. I assure you, in whatever manner if the man did not need your help he would not have asked you for help. Think about this, please:

scam? He asked you for help. His life was reduced to such duplicity and mischief that he targeted you. For 400 baht could you hardly go wrong?

Poverty/misfortune? His life was reduced to such tragedy and desperation that he targeted you? For 400 baht could you hardly go wrong?

The actions of your heart do not depend on the reality created or choreographed by others, deceptively or legitimately. Your heart chooses To act because what's right is always so; and yes, it's always clear. You know your action was correct therefore you did it. Only later you've second guessed yourself. Don't! Trust your instincts.

Edited August 5, 201411 yr by arjunadawn

You helped him.

It saddens me when I'm walking on an overhead bridge, and there are so many people who walk by and don't give anything. They just treat the poor/homeless like they're animals and they just ignore them. I thought this behavior was only prevalent in America. Guess I was wrong.

I've found that the people who truly give are the most happiest. The other 99% who don't give are normally not happy.

Indeed, your correct. People are not happy that they give, they give because they are happy!