Bangkok officials crack down on street beggars

[webfact]

Bangkok officials crack down on street beggars
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- Bangkok police yesterday arrested of 101 street beggars - many of whom were migrants who illegally entered Thailand and would therefore be deported.

Pol Lt-General Prawut Thavornsiri, assistant to the national police chief, said the move followed an announcement on April 3 that human trafficking measures were a national agenda. He said the latest crackdown was just the start.

Pol Maj-General Chayapol Chatchaidet, commander of Metropolitan Police Division 6, said officials from the Social Development and Human Security Ministry rounded up the street beggars, who were considered victims of human trafficking.

Sampan Suwantab, deputy chief of the Social Development and Welfare Department, said the latest crackdown would reduce the plight of women and children, the main victims of human trafficking. He also affirmed the department would develop the potential of those homeless persons who were not the victims of human trafficking.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Bangkok-officials-crack-down-on-street-beggars-30257537.html


-- The Nation 2015-04-07

[BSJ]

Most of those pictured look like they could work in a normal job....back in their own country!

[Toknarok]

Was the Czech bloke with the kids amongst them?

[Strangebrew]

Where the Sukhumvit slider? Or the Breast feeding Mom of different kids everyday? Or dirt boy who stinks real bad, Or victories scab picker? All I see are Thai's in picture.

[Strangebrew]

I bet it was real hard sneaking up on the blind guy he dosen't get agressive as some do. Of course would be nice if he changed his music once in a while.

[FireMedic]

The now vacant corners will be filled in no time with Thais.

[ezzra]

If you search TV back articles, you'll fine dozen similar headlines, all portending to ' eradicate '

the beggars problems in Thailand/BKK, and still here we're again....

[alfalfa19]

Too bad they don't arrest the pimps/owners of the beggars.

[JOC]

Too bad they don't arrest the pimps/owners of the beggars.

Are you crazy? This is Thailand.

Guys driving Benz are not arrested here.

Much easier to go for the guys in their wheelchairs!!

[JOC]

Most of those pictured look like they could work in a normal job....back in their own country!

But the money is so much better in begging..............here!!

[Searat7]

I wish they would come to Silom to remove the beggars ! In my 10 years here I have never seen police patrolling the Silom sidewalks unless they are there for some special effort or to collect money. Where are all of the police hiding I wonder ?

[Commerce]

I wish they would come to Silom to remove the beggars ! In my 10 years here I have never seen police patrolling the Silom sidewalks unless they are there for some special effort or to collect money. Where are all of the police hiding I wonder ?

Hiding? Believe me. They're just doing their jobs.

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

Strange, I don;t see one baby or child in the photo. The Gov talks about human trafficking being top priority, yet I see babies and kids on the street being forced to beg everyday around Sukhumvit. How hard is it to stop this? They finally (for now stopped the poor elephants) when will the BIB finally respect the children more than the little bit of cash they get paid, to stop the selling and forced begging of the poor children?

[jamesjohnsonthird]

BMA officials rent footpath space to operators of this human trafficking, begging gang.

There are over 500 of these sad, imported, disfigured people. Most of the donations meant for the poor go into the pockets of mafia and government officials that exploit these people.

Despicable.

The same BMA officers run the cigarette but littering scam, rent space to the tuktuk scammers, tourist mafia, fake students doing a fake TAT survey and vendors selling porn, fake Rolex and copyright videos etc..

The BMA gets a piece of all the street criminals take.

The BMA has firm control over these footpaths.

The beggars on Sukhumvit are ordered to take the day off once in a while when a VIP is staying at the Landmark, Sheraton or Marriott.

BMA = Mafia

[ratcatcher]

Where the Sukhumvit slider? Or the Breast feeding Mom of different kids everyday? Or dirt boy who stinks real bad, Or victories scab picker? All I see are Thai's in picture.

You seem very familiar with these poor folks. Don't you recognize the Cambodians and Lao among them?

[jamesjohnsonthird]

Where the Sukhumvit slider? Or the Breast feeding Mom of different kids everyday? Or dirt boy who stinks real bad, Or victories scab picker? All I see are Thai's in picture.

The slider or 'worm' has multiplied. Seen them having a convention in the gutter at Siam Square a while ago.

I did see the guy get up on his one leg and he hopped very fast down the Soi to join friends for a meal.

Very mobile actually. About a 45 yard dash in 5.3 seconds I'd estimate.

Slithering thru the slime and filth, pushing his begging bowl along with his forehead is just an act.

Unfortunate the BMA, police/mafia take most of his hard earned cash.

Edited April 7, 2015 by jamesjohnsonthird

[jobwolf]

Where the Sukhumvit slider? Or the Breast feeding Mom of different kids everyday? Or dirt boy who stinks real bad, Or victories scab picker? All I see are Thai's in picture.

Yes let's get the beggars they are easier than Vendors to intimidate.

Last week I came back from Bangkok and little has changed on Sukhumvit after 6pm.

The Vendors are back and life is as miserable as ever if one needs to use Sukhumvit.

Best to stay away from Bangkok since the rip off is getting even bigger and KL is now

cheaper to shop and no hustle there.

[Eric Loh]

If you search TV back articles, you'll fine dozen similar headlines, all portending to ' eradicate '

the beggars problems in Thailand/BKK, and still here we're again....

The list growing longer but little to show its will and determination to solve the problem. List now include ending traffic jams in major roads, clearing all footpaths from vendors, returning the beach to the people, strict enforcement of mobile phones while driving, licensing all motor taxis, ensuring all taxis use meters etc etc. Lots of big PR announcements but the follow through has been less than impressive.

[No Apologist]

Most of those pictured look like they could work in a normal job....back in their own country!

Unlike you.

[DM07]

Interesting!

Cracking down on the weakest!

What heroes!

[jamesjohnsonthird]

The Bangkok Post reported a few years ago there were about 550 of these organised beggars turning over their take to mafia/BMA.

I will estimate they each turn over 1,000Bt per day.

That's 15,000,000 million a month in "donations to the poor" ending up in the pockets of unscrupulous government officials.

Then we have the BMA renting footpath to porn sellers, copyright violators paying thousands a month in rent.

On top of that the BMA has the lucrative cigarette butt litter entrapment scam.

How much do they take?

There are 12 officers full time, stalking and entrapping foreigners on Sukhumvit hotel district.

Perhaps they are 'busting' 3 each per hour at 2,000 each.

That's 576,000bt per day or 17,000,000 a month. Just on Sukhumvit. They do this on Silom, Siam Sq and other places too.

Yep. Close to 1 million dollars a month on their human trafficking and litter scam.

Edited April 7, 2015 by jamesjohnsonthird

[nidieunimaitre]

So this is the end of ALMS collecting?

[nidieunimaitre]

If you search TV back articles, you'll fine dozen similar headlines, all portending to ' eradicate '

the beggars problems in Thailand/BKK, and still here we're again....

The list growing longer but little to show its will and determination to solve the problem. List now include ending traffic jams in major roads, clearing all footpaths from vendors, returning the beach to the people, strict enforcement of mobile phones while driving, licensing all motor taxis, ensuring all taxis use meters etc etc. Lots of big PR announcements but the follow through has been less than impressive.

I deduce that happiness has not yet been brought back to you?

Once you accept that you are living in a PR / marketing world, happiness will engulf you!

[Stradavarius37]

Most of those pictured look like they could work in a normal job....back in their own country!

But the money is so much better in begging..............here!!

And you are making thing better here how? By bitching and spewing your vitriol and bile? Awesome dude!

[jackanapes]

Thailand is like many other countries in regard to beggars there are far too many and a good percentage of them are fit enough to work and I am sure work can be found for them even if its just cleaning the sois .

[jamesjohnsonthird]

Thailand is like many other countries in regard to beggars there are far too many and a good percentage of them are fit enough to work and I am sure work can be found for them even if its just cleaning the sois .

Just about every begger you see is employed. The boss (wearing a big gold chain) drops them off and picked them up after the shift.

For an experiment. Place a few poor people in these spots some morning and see who comes along and chases them off.

A real begger won't last 20 minutes out there before the BMA officer will chase them off.

[nidieunimaitre]

Thailand is like many other countries in regard to beggars there are far too many and a good percentage of them are fit enough to work and I am sure work can be found for them even if its just cleaning the sois .

Yes true, but only in a nanny state (as you would probably call it), the government will pay those cleaning the sois.

[pogal]

Does anyone know if its true or just an urban myth that many of these street beggars are controlled or owned by gangs?

[Daniel Ingalls]

We've got a bunch of them here in Chiang Mai open markets that move from location to location on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday Thursday, Saturday... They flop down right in the middle of the walkways of shoppers, slowing down everyone. Simply a public nuisance. And them so called blind people singing out of key with their portable karokkie box. Simply to much noise.

[jamesjohnsonthird]

Does anyone know if its true or just an urban myth that many of these street beggars are controlled or owned by gangs?

Of course it's a gang.

Like I said earlier, place a few beggers out there some moring and watch who comes along and chases them away.