Do you give money to beggars on the street?

[joeyg]

I do frequently.  There is a guy that sits in the gutter usually just before Tuk Com on Pattaya Tai Rd. that is burned over about 75 % of his body.  He kind of looks like an alien. I always give him 20 bhat there have been times I haven't seen him for a day or so and I wonder if he's OK.  I usually look for him on the way to Tuk Com. There are a couple of other guys.  One that rolls around on a little platform with half his body missing from about the waist down.

 

Theres another guy near Tuk Com that has his right arm cut off near the shoulder and part of his right leg.  Others I try to size up carefully to figure if they're pros or not.  I try to not go over 100 bhat in a day.  And not every day but most days.

 

It surely helps them and gives me a good feeling as well.

[Swiss1960]

My Thai wife says NEVER give. Majority of beggers are not Thai and are brought in daily with busses for begging, including the women with the small kids that mostly are not their own. Giving money means feeding mafia

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[Crossy]

No never.

 

The operator of our local teak furniture shop is seriously disabled (polio I think). That doesn't stop him running a successful business from his tea-tray on casters (on which he approaches mach-2.0).

 

No way in heaven or earth he would consider begging.

 

He gets a lot of business from us.

 

[joeyg]

I know, I know.  I guess i'm just a sucker for some of these guys.  it's too much for me to think about sometimes.

 

[dick dasterdly]

I used to regularly see a couple of disabled beggars in the local markets - and yes, I always gave them money.

 

Those with 'boom boxes' - never.

 

Those playing some instrument extremely badly (and not having any obvious disability) - again, never.

[mommysboy]

No, so get a job!

[Crossy]

4 minutes ago, joeyg said:

I know, I know.  I guess i'm just a sucker for some of these guys.  it's too much for me to think about sometimes.

 

Tell me about it, it can be difficult to resist.

 

I was immunized by two incidents in Italy (Rome). First was the "wizened old biddy" who would have given Usain Bolt a run for his money when someone lifted her collection cup, the other was the younger Romany lady with two kids in tow "very poor, cannot buy food", the illusion was shattered when her mobile rang

 

[joeyg]

There's also another guy I give to.  He appears to be partially blind from cataracts.  He walks around playing this Thai type of Guitar with a tiny amp playing Issan music.  The girls love him and many will go out in the street and do Thai dancing.  I was surprised to see one <deleted> one day Harassing him to get lost.  takes all kinds I guess.  I'm no expert but the music he plays sounds pretty good...

[NanLaew]

43 minutes ago, Swiss1960 said:

My Thai wife says NEVER give. Majority of beggers are not Thai and are brought in daily with busses for begging, including the women with the small kids that mostly are not their own. Giving money means feeding mafia

Sent from my HTC 10 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Global scourge. I was waiting for traffic to clear one morning rush hour on an I-10 overpass in Katy, Texas when the 'paraplegic Vietnam vet in a wheelchair' tapped on my window. I pondered aloud how tough it was for him. He agreed, but I explained not the war or his disabilities but how hard it must have been for him to get all the way up there with no sidewalks and freeway traffic hurtling along at over 70 mph and 5 lanes each way excluding the HOV.

[Kwasaki]

1 hour ago, mommysboy said:

No, so get a job!

This thread reminds me of what l've posted before,  we were in CM at a market place and this little Thai girl about 5-6 yr tap my side while we were looking at a stall,  she was soo cute, my Mrs said do not give her money,  me being me did,  a couple minutes later there was this gang of little ones heading towards us, my MRS looking at me said it all.  

 

I'd do the same again though. 

[pgrahmm]

If blind & singing or playing an instrument  about 85% of the time I'll give or hand to my daughter & she gives it.....

Understand about the mafia bit + the beggars in the PI that follow you in packs or surround your car banging on the body panels trying to outlast your patience at the stop lights helped me lose the compassion that I intially had upon seeing them....

Now they're everywhere panhandling in the US...Tried one time there to give one guy with a good story $5 then he angrily tried to snatch a $20 that was visable & got verbally abusive when he didn't get it - he doesn't realize he actually walked away lucky that day - I was really really ticked....

[joeyg]

You Think these burned up cut in half guys are bussed in?!

[pgrahmm]

Yeah - it makes sense.....

 

Wasn't that also a part of the movie Slumdog Millionaire.... 

 

Probably pretty well organized....I have seen one or two picked up in a van after their day/event by two people but have no real way of knowing who/what/why....

 

One day I watched a guy walk up to one & be handed $$$$....Promptly walked away - no words exchanged = that seems to be the reverse order of things.....

 

Again no real knowledge of who/what/why, but an odd occurance.....

[joeyg]

3 minutes ago, pgrahmm said:

Yeah - it makes sense.....

 

Wasn't that also a part of the movie Slumdog Millionaire.... 

 

Probably pretty well organized....I have seen one or two picked up in a van after their day/event by two people but have no real way of knowing who/what/why....

 

One day I watched a guy walk up to one & be handed $$$$....Promptly walked away - no words exchanged = that seems to be the reverse order of things.....

 

Again no real knowledge of who/what/why, but an odd occurance.....

I've spent a lot of time in India over the years involved in medical humanitarian work.  It was always bad.  It's really become hell on earth now.  It is a nightmare.

[jeab1980]

Theres nothing like the milk of human kidness. Especialy on here nothing like it.

[wildewillie89]

Few months ago there was a little girl taken from one of the schools in the city to be forced into the begging trade. The people just walked up and told the school they were cousins and took her. Luckily the police had been monitoring the pair (husband and wife), so were able to save the child. Their city was about 4 hours away from me. Went around to different cities taking kids to send to the big cities. 

[mommysboy]

1 hour ago, jeab1980 said:

Theres nothing like the milk of human kidness. Especialy on here nothing like it.

 

Jokes aside- yes, I give coins now and then.  I bet most of us do.  Oddly enough I was more generous when I went back to UK recently.

 

It is a sad fact that there are organized gangs, and the genuine beggers likely have issues such as alcoholism.

[Naam]

Quote

Do you give money to beggars on the street?

yes i do frequently to a few lepers who hang around after dark on second road. it gives me as much pleasure as it gives to them.

[mommysboy]

5 minutes ago, Naam said:

yes i do frequently to a few lepers who hang around after dark on second road. it gives me as much pleasure as it gives to them.

 

I see Naam.  It sounds like they are not the only ones hanging around second road after dark

[Naam]

2 minutes ago, mommysboy said:

 

I see Naam.  It sounds like they are not the only ones hanging around second road after dark

correct, but i don't give money to those you refer to. my wife does not approve.

[petedk]

I never give money.

 

I seem to remember a report recently that some beggars earnt 40 K a month.

Many of them work in groups under the control of someone. I know because I travel around Bangkok every day.

 

One place I go, there is a woman with blood oozing out of her amputated leg. This has been like this for 17 yerars.

Another place there is a blind man begging

The third place there is a couple begging.

 

These three places are far from each other

 

Every 3 or 4 days the people swap places!

I wonder how.

 

Try giving them a bowl (bag) of noodles or a couple of bottles of water. Hardly ever appreciated.

[james1995]

They do it for a living.  They don't want to work.  They make up all kinds of excuses, act hungry, etc.   You might do it too if you were paid 200 baht a day.  Much easier to get a tourist to hand over 200 baht for 15 minutes of 'work' than work all day for it.

[BudRight]

Not only are most beggars "fake," but people give money mostly so they can feel good about good about themselves. "See what I swell guy I am, I'm so generous," etc.

[lanng khao]

We don't know how lucky we are, one fella propped on a skateboard the other day,had no legs and was deaf and dumb, but he wasn't making a song and dance about it

[Spaniel]

15 hours ago, joeyg said:

I know, I know.  I guess i'm just a sucker for some of these guys.  it's too much for me to think about sometimes.

 

If you are interested in helping others then you might be interested in contacting the Fr. Ray Foundation. www.fr-ray.org.      Their main office is here in Pattaya on Sukhumvit road, Km 145.     You can get all the details from their website.     To your question about giving to beggars on the street I usually don't.

[joeyg]

20 minutes ago, Spaniel said:

If you are interested in helping others then you might be interested in contacting the Fr. Ray Foundation. www.fr-ray.org.      Their main office is here in Pattaya on Sukhumvit road, Km 145.     You can get all the details from their website.     To your question about giving to beggars on the street I usually don't.

Thanks. I've done a fair amount of volunteer work here over the years.  Mostly with HIV/AIDS infected orphans at the Camaeleons Center in Rayong and the full facility hospital in Bangkok.  Love the kids but I'm a bit put off by these organizations right now. Way too much politics for me. Thanks for your response.

[joeyg]

5 hours ago, BudRight said:

Not only are most beggars "fake," but people give money mostly so they can feel good about good about themselves. "See what I swell guy I am, I'm so generous," etc.

""See what I swell guy I am, I'm so generous," etc."  Oh brother. I'm sure many feel that way. My first thought is for the person. It's a nice side effect to feel you've done something good though.

 

[joeyg]

5 hours ago, lanng khao said:

We don't know how lucky we are, one fella propped on a skateboard the other day,had no legs and was deaf and dumb, but he wasn't making a song and dance about it

Was that an attempt at some dark humor?

[joeyg]

12 hours ago, wildewillie89 said:

Few months ago there was a little girl taken from one of the schools in the city to be forced into the begging trade. The people just walked up and told the school they were cousins and took her. Luckily the police had been monitoring the pair (husband and wife), so were able to save the child. Their city was about 4 hours away from me. Went around to different cities taking kids to send to the big cities. 

I've heard about things like this. Disgusting!

[wildewillie89]

6 minutes ago, joeyg said:

I've heard about things like this. Disgusting!

Disfiguring people is also not unheard of as part of the begging trade. Generally, I will not give money. I have only ever seen one begger in my city (non-tourist area), so clearly people can manage to get through life. 

Always that risk of funding a trade that is, yes, disgusting.