Do you give money to beggars ?

[lionking]

5 hours ago, Barhop said:

Is this 20ish very skinny?  If so, I had given him small donation one afternoon, not long after first arrival in three years.  Next day, recognised me as a chump and really laid the begging on...  Had a bag of cut watermelon in front of me so offered him...  Got big shakes of head - wanted money only!!!  Well fuck him - and told him so loudly - skinny as a rake and did not want free food - only money...  He did not bother me again after my outburst, which was good, because I was around for another two months...

yeah that's the guy - this is exactly what i mean - he could easily get a job doing something proper but it's obvious that begging is lucrative

if everyone did what you did, maybe he'd get a proper job and actually do well for himself in his life

[Mr.xu]

On 31/10/2022 at 12:42, Kevin987123 said:

last visit was 3 years ago,  girl with a baby walking round the bar begging.  Gave her 200 baht,   10 mins later shes back asking for more,  no chance!!!

I regretted only once to give money to a beggar. It was very cute a slim girl late a night into a mongering place. She asked me some money for a taxi to go back home. I was going back to my hotel so i gave her like 5$. A few minutes later i was on my bed thinking how cute and beautyfull she was then ... why the hell did i didnt bring her with me at my room ....  

[Kevin987123]

So, just done 2 weeks in pattaya.and this thread came to.mind.

Seeing as I hadnt spent as much as I thought on my final few days, decided to have a charitable day.

1st stop was a food stall girl.  Every morning I passed her stood making food in the hope of making an honest living.   I gave her 1000 baht.

Wandered round for a while and eventually gave away 4000 baht to people who genuinely looked like they needed it.  Not beggers 

[harrycd]

Having spent time homeless myself albeit v briefly, I find it really hard to not drop 20 baht if I'm walking past.

Have a tg on line asking me for $$ rn. 

I did send her some money and I've blocked her

Bruh, I guess I'm a just a sucker.

 

[geoslayer1]

I tired it all, gave a couple some baht, food, water, etc.. until one of my LT's said not to, she said only give if you see a thai give, go to an orphanage if you really want to do the best good

[Fortuna453]

I don't usually like to give to anyone just begging on the street because it often leads to you being swarmed by other beggars for money but I do like to purchase goods from small family shops once in a while. For example, when I visited Mexico there were small stands set up on the floor with kids and their mother selling coconut water and I bought a few and paid them extra. I feel like supporting smaller businesses occasionally is miles better then just handing out money.

[Minstrol]

Never, but a few TG's I have barfined have stopped to give some change to a few. Soi 7 is full of beggars now, literally every 2 minutes one comes up to you. Very annoying.

[FarangBear]

I did give in the past, but have stopped doing so after reading about the guys behind and how it works (at least in many cases). How did that 80 year old amputee woman end up on a corner on Sukhumvit or Beach Road? Does she sleep there? In many cases someone put her there so she can sit and beg money the full day and will take their share (maybe most of it) for doing so. 
 

Edited January 3, 2023 by FarangBear

[GoingMyOwnWay]

I don't. Intuition tells me that most of them are connected to organized crime, and I don't want to sponsor that kind of "entrepreneurship". Your money is better spent by donating to a temple or an orphanage. Or to girls 🤣.

Edited January 7, 2023 by GoingMyOwnWay

[Annex191]

In general no. Sometimes i give then food though.

When they are sitting near a shop and I'm going for goceries anywas I will sometimes buy a sandwitch and give it to a beggar. Only if he/she looks like they would apreciate it.

Once saw someone wanting to give a sandwitch in Berlin and she was robbed of her purse instead though. Astonishing to see the guy run, as the clubfooted act before was realy convincing.

Edited January 7, 2023 by Annex191

[RomaBob]

Sat in a bar on Soi Pothole a week ago and a local male beggar in a wheelchair (aged 30+) came down the street, shouting and generally causing annoyance as he practiced his wheelies.

Outside the Triangle Bar he was shouting again, this time the security came out to have words with him at which point he jumped out of the chair and climbed the steps into the bar, my first thoughts were that the security staff had carried out a miracle and cured the seemingly paralysed man of any affliction. 

Once the 'invalid' was inside the bar an expat from across the street came over and took hold of the wheelchair pushing it about 50yds up the street and hiding it behind a row of Scooters.

After a minute or so the 'invalid' ran out of the bar followed by the security and started looking for his wheelchair. Eventually our man was back in his chair and collecting money from passing ladies, spotted him the following evening on Soi Buakhao again collecting monies from unsuspecting ladies (didn't see any guys giving him money.

[LeoTex]

The only begging money I give is to the male singer at Billabongs coming around with the tip jar, but I do it only when is followed by the 2 (IMHO) cute female singers. 

[Wiley Coyote]

Used to in the past ,but even the Thai government says giving means more beggars 

[bqi123]

Not anymore. I've heard many are not even Thai. Children are forced labour. It's actually illegal in many instances.

Quick Google brought me to this, enjoy:

https://gotravelthailand.com/beggars-and-children

[bqi123]

Not anymore. I've heard many are not even Thai. Children are forced labour. It's actually illegal in many instances.

Quick Google brought me to this, enjoy

https://gotravelthailand.com/beggars-and-children

[fostraswift]

never have, never will

dont see why, only promotes it,

[cmonnn]

On 23/11/2022 at 00:35, geoslayer1 said:

I tired it all, gave a couple some baht, food, water, etc.. until one of my LT's said not to, she said only give if you see a thai give, go to an orphanage if you really want to do the best good

I think this is the golden rule if you really want to give something to a beggar. Do what the Thais do. If they give to someone, you can also give. If a beggar targets farangs he is probably working.

And if in doubt, offer food or water.

[Louis1975]

I try to follow the Thai habits to give money for disabled people and blind singers, as I know there is no strong social security. I don’t like to give any money to children or mothers with baby’s in the nighttime because I don’t want to give them a reason to work in the night. 

[Thomaz73]

4 hours ago, Louis1975 said:

I try to follow the Thai habits to give money for disabled people and blind singers, as I know there is no strong social security. I don’t like to give any money to children or mothers with baby’s in the nighttime because I don’t want to give them a reason to work in the night. 

You're a good man. But there's, sadly, more to this. You may inadvertently be supporting some very dark forces. How all this works is not entirely clear to me. The disabled guy on the street I will give a snack or a beer. 

[Phoenix Dave]

If I'm out on a night of debauchery, spending usually 5000 to25000 THB, I find it worthwhile to give 100 to someone disabled. Are they giving most to a shady underground of mobsters taking advantage of them? Possibly. But even the mob makes sure their people eat.

I do it because it's how I was raised. Much like with tipping, except in this case I'm not trying to get services 'on the cheap'. HA!

[Arnie85]

There’s an aggressive prick with no legs on a skateboard around the back end of the Avenue/Soi15 area. Bangs his cup on the ground aggressively when anyone is within 25 metres. Would have given him something if he didn’t do that. 

I’m sure we’ve all seen the scammers holding the little babies on the side of the road, this has sadly escalated to young kids (three or four probably) seemingly sitting by their lonesome holding a cup.  Have seen a little boy and girl doing it. God knows if there’s a  parent somewhere watching but the police need to get them off the street it’s really bad. 

[peart]

3 hours ago, Arnie85 said:

There’s an aggressive prick with no legs on a skateboard around the back end of the Avenue/Soi15 area. Bangs his cup on the ground aggressively when anyone is within 25 metres. Would have given him something if he didn’t do that. 

I’m sure we’ve all seen the scammers holding the little babies on the side of the road, this has sadly escalated to young kids (three or four probably) seemingly sitting by their lonesome holding a cup.  Have seen a little boy and girl doing it. God knows if there’s a  parent somewhere watching but the police need to get them off the street it’s really bad. 

 

[peart]

That man on the skateboard, I've heard from different sources that he pulls in a lot of money a month. He gives his family about 80,000 barh a month. Someone said 100,000. sounds quite improbable and unbelievable. But who knows,,,if he gets together let's say,,30,000 . it's not bad. If I give something more, I have more sympathy for those who can't work, big physical problem. I just look with disdain at a perfectly healthy woman with a child maybe 2-3 years old on the street at 11 p.m. between 2 cars, kids should be with their mother at home sleeping, safe and comfortable at that time. The mother uses the child, who may not even be her own, to beg for money.

[lovermand66]

22 hours ago, peart said:

That man on the skateboard, I've heard from different sources that he pulls in a lot of money a month. He gives his family about 80,000 barh a month. Someone said 100,000. sounds quite improbable and unbelievable. But who knows,,,if he gets together let's say,,30,000 . it's not bad. If I give something more, I have more sympathy for those who can't work, big physical problem. I just look with disdain at a perfectly healthy woman with a child maybe 2-3 years old on the street at 11 p.m. between 2 cars, kids should be with their mother at home sleeping, safe and comfortable at that time. The mother uses the child, who may not even be her own, to beg for money.

That Skateboard guy...

Seriously...don’t believe everything you hear...

 

[Sloracer]

There's a guy that lives in the Soi MIT street, adjacent to Treetown. He doesn't beg or ask for money but I give him a 100 baht every now and again.

The poor guy lives there in the street, he carts all his worldly posesions around in wheel chair. He's skin and bones but has a problem with one leg which is badly swollen and scarred.

If you see him or you can take a short detour from Baukhau to Soi MIT, throw him a few baht please.