The begging scam

[Gaybutton]

Nothing new in this article. This has been going on for many years and no matter how often they are arrested and deported, there is no end to them. The beggars are part of a scam. There is almost never anything genuine about them. When you encounter them, do you ever wonder how they got there and where they went when they disappear? Do you ever wonder how they would even know where the best locations are to do their begging?

The part that angers me most is how often they have no qualms about exploiting children. Beggars often have young children and even infants with them, and many times it turns out these children are not even their own. Lord only knows where they get these children from and what eventually becomes of them once they've outlived their usefulness.

Sometimes young children are used to sell things such as candy or chewing gum. They are trained to approach tourists, especially farang. And if they haven't made enough money for the day, they are usually punished - severely.

Do as you wish, but the beggars won't get even a satang from me.
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19 Cambodian Nationals, Including Young Children, Arrested for Illegal Begging in Pattaya

By Aim Tanakorn

December 17, 2024

Chonburi Immigration has arrested 19 Cambodian nationals, including 9 children, for illegally begging in Pattaya.

On December 16th, Chonburi immigration officers raided a Cambodian begging gang’s hideout in a row of houses in the Wat Tham Samakkhi area in South Pattaya.

During the operation, the police were able to arrest 10 adults, both men and women, from Cambodia, along with 9 children, ranging from infants to 10 years old, totaling 19 people. The group was found living together, while some were living inside the house with air conditioning.

The authorities discovered that 5 people were illegal immigrants, 3 were foreigners living in Thailand without permission or with expired permits, and 2 had valid passports and visas. The remaining 9 children were found to be the offspring of the Cambodian nationals.

The Chonburi Immigration Office coordinated with the Chonburi Child and Family Welfare Home and the Chonburi Homeless Protection Center to temporarily shelter 2 mothers and 9 children at a child welfare home. They will be cared for while legal proceedings are conducted and arrangements are made for their repatriation to their home country.

Reports indicated that this group of Cambodian nationals is part of a gang of foreign beggars in Pattaya. Many of them are repeat offenders. Some were caught as children and are now adults, but have continued to sneak back into Thailand with their children to beg in Pattaya.

https://thepattayanews.com/2024/12/17/1 ... n-pattaya/

[Dodger]

19 Cambodian Nationals, Including Young Children, Arrested for Illegal Begging in Pattaya.

Question: How does one beg legally in Thailand?
Answer: Shave your head and wear a saffron robe.

Just kidding, but The Pali word for a Buddhist monk is bhikkhu which means beggar.

I don't tip the Cambodian beggars either for the reasons stated, but always try to pass a friendly smile as I pass and be grateful that's not me.

At least a lot of the working boys who first came here when they were very young graduated to the respectful position of "prostitute" who we gladly make donations to.

[Jun]

Question: How does one beg legally in Thailand?
Answer: Shave your head and wear a saffron robe.

The number of collection boxes on their business premises is also remarkable.
That fondness for money has been copied by newer religion businesses as well. Often funding opulence in places like the Vatican.

As for begging, well it would stop if no one donated. The same goes for the young children sent out to sell stuff. If no one bought off them, their parents or handlers wouldn't be sending them out to work.

As for prostitutes, well they are respectable adults who usually provide a good service in return for a good tip. Much more honourable.

[SP55]

I come from a country swamped with professional gipsy begging gangs. Even state TV has in the past showed how these gangs operate and how they are building luxuary homes back in Romania for the money, having extravagant vacations overseas etc etc. But people keep donating to them. "A fool and his money..." The only solution is to do as in Thailand : outlaw begging in the streets.

[Jun]

That doesn't seem to work.

Perhaps they need to go to the next stage?

1 Make begging in the streets illegal
And
2 Make giving money to them illegal

Back in the UK, it seems common for people to fake homelessness and set up in a sleeping bag outside a station. Watch them carefully and eventually they check their i-phones. Which somehow get charged, despite them faking residency out in the street.

[Gaybutton]

Make giving money to them illegal

I wonder how that would work. A foreigner gets caught giving money to a beggar. Now he also has to give "look the other way" money to the BiB who caught him. Or maybe he gets arrested, fined, deported, and blacklisted on an 'I gave money to a beggar' rap.

Meanwhile beggars who have zero need to be beggars is nothing new. I remember many years ago when I was still living in Florida, a TV news crew did an exposé on beggars. One was carrying an "I work for food" sign. The reporter stopped her car and gave him a bag of food from a local McDonald's, for which the beggar thanked her. What the beggar did not know - a follow-up car was filming. As soon as the reporter drove away, he threw away the bag of food - didn't even open it.

That same crew gave money to a female beggar working an intersection. They parked and waited. About an hour later that beggar got into a car and drove away. They followed her to a very nice home in a very nice neighborhood. When she got out of the car they confronted her and asked why she was doing this. The woman was surprised, gave no answer, ran into the house, and quickly shut and locked the door.

So, reading about beggar scams in Thailand comes as no surprise to me and that's why I won't give them a single baht.

[Dodger]

One of the many things that impresses me about Thai people is that the ones who seem to have the least are the most generous when it comes to helping someone who is even less fortunate.

Thais don't like being scammed by a dishonest beggar any more than the rest of us - but would tend to spend less time being concerned about it if they were - because they've already received "good karma" (which is needed in their next lives), where the dishonest beggar will, at some point, have to pay for his misdeeds based on the very same principle.

I just stick with a friendly smile when confronted by a beggar...that's all the good karma I need...555

[Gaybutton]

Along with worrying about Pattaya's image I hope they're also worried about the very young children these beggars always seem to have with them - children too young to be able to speak for themselves or have any understanding about how they are being exploited.

Does anyone actually believe the nonsense story the woman in this article tells about having many children and can't make ends meet in Cambodia? Bullshit! If there was any truth to that story, then despite having been previously deported she would have had to somehow sneak into Thailand, somehow make her way to Pattaya without getting caught, and making it to her begging spot also without getting caught - and carrying her baby the whole time - while leaving the rest of her "many children" behind back in Cambodia.

It's perfectly obvious to me that this gang transported her, other beggars, and supplied the children. I don't even want to think about how and where they got these children. I can only hope the authorities are properly caring for them. I wish these news stories would include what ends up happening to these children.
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Foreign Beggars on Pattaya Streets Raise Concerns About City's Image

By Aim Tanakorn

22 December, 2024

Foreign women with young children were seen begging on streets in Pattaya, despite previously being arrested and deported for the same offense. This has raised concerns about the city's image and the need for stricter enforcement.

At 8:06 PM on December 21st, The Pattaya News reporters received a tip from locals about several foreign women with young children begging on sidewalks in Pattaya. The concerned locals said that some of these individuals had previously been arrested by police, which raised a question of how they managed to return to the streets of Pattaya.

Upon inspecting tourist-frequented areas, such as convenience stores, beer bars, and marketplaces, several women were spotted with children aged 1 to 5 years old. The women held plastic cups and bowed to passersby to ask for donations.

One Cambodian mother revealed to The Pattaya News reporters that she had many children and struggled to make ends meet in her home country. She stated that she risked entering Thailand to earn money through begging although she had previously been deported.

The mother revealed that she would wait a while before sneaking back into Thailand via a van. Another woman refused to provide details, claiming it was her first time begging and that she was unaware of any actions authorities might take against her if caught. However, she admitted to relying on tourists' generosity as begging provided easy money.

The begging is seen by locals as tarnishing Pattaya's image as a world-class tourist destination. Authorities are urged to take stricter measures to address the issue and restore the city’s reputation.

https://thepattayanews.com/2024/12/22/f ... tys-image/

[Jun]

However, she admitted to relying on tourists' generosity as begging provided easy money.

Tourists' stupidity, not generosity.

Handing out money to people who beg with young children is fine if your objective is to promote such begging and keep the kids ouf of school. Which would be harmful for them in the long term.

Tourists need to learn some economics. Beggars beg because it's easy money.

Incidentally, some of the young Cambodian lads I chat to are disgusted that young kids can wander into bars selling stuff in Jomtien. I was assured they are kept out of the bars in Cambodia. I can't immediately remember exceptions, but the gay bars there usually have entrance doors, so it's not like for like.

[Rocket]

Last night a bar worker forced a beggar out of the bar. Some get in but they must have instructed the workers to not let them in and if they do, escort them out.