Beggars face arrest as new begging law comes into force July 28

[rooster59]

Beggars face arrest as new begging law comes into force July 28

BANGKOK:-- Starting on July 28, beggars will face arrests and deported to their countries if they are foreigners and, if they are Thais, they will be sent for rehabilitation and occupational training.

Government spokesman Maj-Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd said that the new measure to deal with beggars was in line with the government’s policy to set an order on begging which is a part of the efforts to get rid of human trafficking.

A new begging law which was endorsed by the National Legislative Assembly some months ago will become effective as of July 28. This means beggars, both Thais and foreigners, will face arrests if they continue to beg.

Maj-Gen Sansern put the number of beggars at 4,618 as surveyed since October 2014. Of these, 2,927 are Thais and the rest foreigners.

He said that the foreign beggars will be sent back to their home countries while the Thai beggars will be sent for physical and mental rehabilitation and given job training under the principle of sufficiency economy.

According to the new begging law, a beggar faces one month jailterm and/or a fine of 10,000 baht. Those who exploited from beggars are liable to three-month jailterm and/or a fine of 30,000 baht.

Anyone who comes across a beggar a homeless person should call emergency line 1300 around the clock.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/beggars-face-arrest-new-begging-law-comes-force-july-28/

-- Thai PBS 2016-07-24

[colinneil]

Beggars face arrest.

Does that mean that every policeman who begs for money just to do their job will get arrested???

[worgeordie]

The fines and prison terms are more for beggars,

than HiSo's get for vehicular homicide.

regards worgeordie

[greenchair]

Where is a beggar going to get 10000 baht?

There are no benefits in this country. Being a beggar is similar to someone being on an unemployed benefit at home. Some people are not cut out to do a 9-5 job, they want to be free to wander. They are not hurting anybody and not stealing. Leave them alone.

[taotoo]

Does begging my wife for sex count?

[TomJoad]

I gave a handful of change to a particularly hard up older-looking beggar one day along a canal and as I was walking away he called me back. I thought he was about to thank me, but instead he handed me back all the satong (sp?) I'd given him. He didn't want anything less than a baht, apparently. Kind of like 7-11 that way.

[The stuttering parrot]

Well we've had the building falling down hotline now we've got the Dob in a beggar hotline.Im sure the Hiso will enjoy getting these low life' forms of humanity off their streets.

I wonder who actually done a beggar headcount and how is it so accurate?

Spend a billion dollars plus on submarines and yet can't set up shelters and feed the less unfortunate only threaten to jail them or fine them huge amounts of money well beyond anything they could possibly pay.

Right here junta supporters you can see why the junta and the yellows will never capture the hearts of the the people.

[Carib]

I am sure there are genuine beggars, but I am very sure there are a lot of organized beggar situations and also a lot of

this type of beggars;

[ezzra]

In my experience of seeing baggers around town and in places like Pattaya and other tourist's places, most of them,

if not all, are foreigners, and part of gangs of a beggars brigade, operated from Cambodia and a rent a baby and rent a cripple adds on, I have tried to engage several of them in Thai but to no avail,

in the past, there were several drives to rid the country of those people, without much success, let's see

how they will fair this time around.....

[djjamie]

Haha. History repeating.

The Thai Nation Party tried this in 1996 under Banharn Slipa-Archa. It didn't work then and it won't work now.

[Chapelroad]

This beggars belief ?

[PatOngo]

Now who was it said "The meek shall inherit the Earth"?

[halloween]

Where is a beggar going to get 10000 baht?

There are no benefits in this country. Being a beggar is similar to someone being on an unemployed benefit at home. Some people are not cut out to do a 9-5 job, they want to be free to wander. They are not hurting anybody and not stealing. Leave them alone.

Beats working for a living, doesn't it.

[orchidlady]

Does this include Monks?

[wprime]

The fines and prison terms are more for beggars,

than HiSo's get for vehicular homicide.

regards worgeordie

This is incorrect, rich people almost always get the maximum fine and generally pay many multiples of compensation compared to what average people pay.

In return they get lower sentences. This is the same as the west in which compensating your victim typically encourages a reduced sentence (though perhaps not to the same degree as in Thailand).

[thai3]

Good move, the country now needs a law against soi dogs, get rid of them and the beggars and the country will be looking a far better place.

[ratcatcher]

Where is a beggar going to get 10000 baht?

There are no benefits in this country. Being a beggar is similar to someone being on an unemployed benefit at home. Some people are not cut out to do a 9-5 job, they want to be free to wander. They are not hurting anybody and not stealing. Leave them alone.

I partly agree with you but there is the problem where an organized group transports beggars, often Cambodians, to selected sites around Bangkok.

The Sukumvit area around soi 4 down to Asoke used to be rife with beggars. These scum collect the money and feed the beggars.

Help the beggars, yes. Deprive the scum that live off their earnings. They are delivered and picked up in vans and probably sleep in a warehouse or such.

Shades of Charles Dickens here.

[baboon]

A 10,000 Baht fine? Good luck with getting blood out of a stone.

The training idea is a theoretically a good one, but if it does happen it will no doubt be in umbrella painting and basket weaving which I imagine Thailand has a huge surplus of in the first place.

Prison? What's the point? It costs the state money, adds to the overcrowding problem and should be reserved for those who are an actual menace to society, not folk who for one reason or another were unable to make something of their lives.

Deportation? Slinging them back over the border with a kick up the backside to help them on their way is one thing, but is the Thai state willing or prepared to start shelling out on airfares to Amsterdam and Hamburg? No? Well you will have to pay to keep them in jail and feed them forever as our embassies and home governments couldn't give a single solitary sh!t what happens to us abroad unless they can make some money off the back of it.

No, I think that begging is here to stay. It is an unfortunate side-effect of a prosperous society/country not interested in the wellbeing of its citizens.

Edited July 24, 2016 by baboon

[waldroj]

"...Anyone who comes across a beggar a homeless person should call emergency line 1300 around the clock...

Maybe the benevolent society needs a reminder - http://thainews.prd.go.th/website_en/news/news_detail/WNSOC5708040010009!

[Valentine]

Where is a beggar going to get 10000 baht?

There are no benefits in this country. Being a beggar is similar to someone being on an unemployed benefit at home. Some people are not cut out to do a 9-5 job, they want to be free to wander. They are not hurting anybody and not stealing. Leave them alone.

I partly agree with you but there is the problem where an organized group transports beggars, often Cambodians, to selected sites around Bangkok.

The Sukumvit area around soi 4 down to Asoke used to be rife with beggars. These scum collect the money and feed the beggars.

Help the beggars, yes. Deprive the scum that live off their earnings. They are delivered and picked up in vans and probably sleep in a warehouse or such.

Shades of Charles Dickens here.

No mention made of penalties for their handlers who are nothing but bottom feeding scum exploiting those who are far less fortunate/

[ratcatcher]

Now who was it said "The meek shall inherit the Earth"?

Since you ask, it was a man called Jesus as reported in Matthew 5:5.

More often misunderstood.

[realfunster]

@Valentine- I interpreted the 'exploit from beggars THB 30,000/3 months in prison' in the OP as referring to 'handlers' - could be wrong, the English isn't great.

Edited July 24, 2016 by realfunster

[dcnx]

And their handlers?

Ah, yes. Nothing happens to the handlers.

[sharecropper]

Where is a beggar going to get 10000 baht?

There are no benefits in this country. Being a beggar is similar to someone being on an unemployed benefit at home. Some people are not cut out to do a 9-5 job, they want to be free to wander. They are not hurting anybody and not stealing. Leave them alone.

I partly agree with you but there is the problem where an organized group transports beggars, often Cambodians, to selected sites around Bangkok.

The Sukumvit area around soi 4 down to Asoke used to be rife with beggars. These scum collect the money and feed the beggars.

Help the beggars, yes. Deprive the scum that live off their earnings. They are delivered and picked up in vans and probably sleep in a warehouse or such.

Shades of Charles Dickens here.

No mention made of penalties for their handlers who are nothing but bottom feeding scum exploiting those who are far less fortunate/

Often AKA "Police-related".

[jak2002003]

Seems cruel for the genuine elderly and disabled ones. What job is a crippled old woman going to get trained to do?

If they are too old or too disabled to work what will happen to them then?

[halloween]

Now who was it said "The meek shall inherit the Earth"?

I'll have to look up my book of myths. But IIRC the full statement was "The meek shall inherit the earth, if that's alright by the guys with the swords."

[thai3]

Bugger beggars

[baboon]

Seems cruel for the genuine elderly and disabled ones. What job is a crippled old woman going to get trained to do?

If they are too old or too disabled to work what will happen to them then?

'That's their problem' is what will happen to them, which is why the chances of eradicating begging are slim and none.

[SABloke]

And their handlers?

Ah, yes. Nothing happens to the handlers.

"Those who exploited from beggars are liable to three-month jailterm and/or a fine of 30,000 baht."

[Wilsonandson]

Seems cruel for the genuine elderly and disabled ones. What job is a crippled old woman going to get trained to do?

If they are too old or too disabled to work what will happen to them then?

Well as PM Prayuth said in his recent television show "Bringing Happiness to the People"

Gen Prayut then encouraged private businesses to give more opportunities to disabled people such as the bakery shop business owned by Christopher Benjakul that has proved people with disabilities can do the job well if they are given chances.

So it's up to the private business sector to help street beggars and the homeless by providing jobs for them.

Will this happen though?

As for foreign beggars and homeless, yes there are some farang but mostly this concerns people from neighbouring countries trying their luck in Thailand or they came here and ran out of luck.

Personally I have no problem with beggars or homeless people. London has just as many as Bangkok and it's not hurting the image of the city. It's the way life is in the modern world. People fall on hard times quite frequently these days. There is no need to arrest them and detain them though. Mega rich or down and out poor, we are all the same, human beings. Alienating the poorest of citizens is not bring them happiness but added sorrow and desperation. A nation that sows the seeds of hate, hatred of beggars and the homeless also breeds hate. Be careful what you preach the worms might turn.