Crackdown on beggars soon

[chilli13]

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/13May2005_news11.php

 

It seems thai officials are following the sceptics on this very board who always had advocated boykot on beggers due to the idea that they were simply part of a larger gang of scAMMERS. I guess this only backs up those claims & I'm thus proud to say I never supported those gangs

At the same time we have to say that occasionally thai politicians do come up with reasonable crack down plans no?

 

 

"SOCIAL ORDERNEW LAW PLANNED

Crackdown on beggars soon

 

The Social Development and Human Security Ministry says gangs of beggars are just asking for it.

 

The ministry plans a major crackdown focusing on 13 problem areas in Bangkok and will also propose a new law against begging.

 

Permanent secretary Wallop Ploythubtim said representatives of the ministry, the police, city hall and the Interior and Labour ministries agreed at a meeting yesterday a clampdown on begging gangs would start at the end of May in Bangkok and then extend into the provinces at a later date.

 

It will focus on gang leaders, those who recruit the disabled, elderly and children, and those who use animals to beg.

 

Mr Wallop said Thai beggars would be reunited with relatives, given jobs in their hometowns and monitored by follow-up officials, while aliens would be deported and barred from returning to Thailand.

 

People will be asked not to give money to beggars or buy goods from children at intersections in a bid to eradicate such gangs since all the money went to the gang leaders and not to the beggars.

 

``These people know Thais are kind, so they use the elderly, the handicapped and children to beg for money and sell goods. So I want to ask people to not buy things or give beggars money since you will only be supporting the gangs. If you refuse them money, these begging gangs will go out of business,'' Mr Wallop said.

 

Surveys by a special ministerial team over the past month found 13 sites in Bangkok each had at least 180 beggars, but police also said weekend and flea markets were additional trouble areas.

 

The target areas are Victory Monument, outside Central World Plaza, Talat Noi in Yaowarat, Udomsuk market, near Nana and Prom Phong skytrain stations, Wongwian Yai, near Central Plaza Lat Phrao, Saladaeng skytrain station and Patpong, a pedestrian bridge in front of Pantip Plaza, an area in front of Chatuchak weekend market, Bang Khae market and a pedestrian bridge in front of The Mall Bang Khae, Saphan Mai Don Muang market, and an area near Makro Bang Bon."

[whosyourdaddy]

"simply part of a larger gang of scAMMERS"

 

 

Isnt the government themselves just a "simply part of a larger gang of scAMMERS"?? I hope they are able to find jobs and help for the mentally and physically disturbed. Dont think any country in the world can solve this problem, good luck here.

[Flashermac]

Six or seven years ago, I noticed that there were far fewer beggars than in the past. Then they gradually began reappearing. And isn't it amazing how those poor blind folks manage to buy all that equipment for their street bands?

 

There are some "legitimate" beggars, but when you see some being dropped off by pickup trucks and picked up again at the end of the day ... it does sort of raise your suspicions.

[gene1944]

ON Wednesday evening, I saw the police go after two of the regular beggars in the Nana BTS area.

 

One is the guy who crawls along the street on his belly pushing his coin cup in front of him. The other was a lady with a 3 yr old kid. Police went into the BTS station and found all three hiding near the stairway (inside the BTS station) and escorted them down to a waiting police truck to be taken somewhere.

 

I thought it pretty savvy for these folks to have an escape plan thought out in advance(I assume).

[OCgringo]

maybe the next step will be to give them an official sanctioned job,

 

maybe like the Ladyboy thiefs up and down SUK, its not like the cops do not know who they are

[thai3]

 

Are the blind ones part of the gang scammers as well? I always thought they were different, I sometimes give to them if I like the music, busking is not really begging, at least not as bad as mutilated limbs, using kids and half dead puppies-peter

[Neo]

Hope they get rid of the survey phishing scammers while they are at it. You've got to think that casts a negative impression of Thai people when innocent tourists politely help out with the "class project" later discover they are being drawn into a scam. The fact that foreigners seem to be behind these scams is even more surprising they are allowed to operate year after year.

[Guest]

Hope they get rid of the survey phishing scammers while they are at it

 

I had presumed that these folk were after my info (I did stop and chat and do the survey once just out of curisosity - I obviously lied ) but was in two minds about how genuine they were, although I would not be surprised if the folks on Suk did not know exactly what they were doing.

 

Lots of dumb folk out there - especially on Suk.

[Neo]

The ones approaching you on the street know exactly the scam they are a part of, though they play dumb if their bluff is called. They get a commission that is scaled based on how deeply you get netted in. While the survey has many questions, all they really want to know is your name and where you are staying. The rest of the questions are fluff. Not just Suk, but they can also to be found at world trade and other locations at various times.

[chilli13]

apparently some of the scammers get 1000bt per person they bring in to the timeshare presentations & thus by making a 'deal' with those recruiters you may scam the scammers by simply going to a lot of presentations & getting say 50% i.e. 500bt for the effort.

enough for a ST