Six Thai provinces to become ‘beggar-free’

[webfact]

Six provinces to become ‘beggar-free’

By The Nation

 

File photo

 

STREET BEGGARS found to be repeat offenders will face a fine of up to Bt10,000, while six provinces will be declared “beggar-free zones” under a flagship project, under a new regulation approved by the Beggar Control Committee this week.

 

The six pilot provinces are Sing Buri, Prachin Buri, Lamphun, Phatthalung, Buri Ram, and Sukhothai, while another 11 provinces have also announced their intention to become beggar-frees zones and eventually covered under the project umbrella.

 

The project details were discussed at the committee’s first annual meeting on Monday, which included Social Development and Human Security Minister General Anantaporn Kanjanarat. 

 

File photo

 

The meeting discussed the first beggar control road map (2019-2021), which contained concrete measures to reduce the number of beggars. 

 

Anantaporn also instructed ministry officials to send a letter to the Royal Thai Police asking that officers enforce the Beggar Control Act 2016's Article 19.

 

Under that article, those caught illegally begging on street can be punished with maximum of one month in jail and/or a maximum Bt10,000 fine.

 

The committee suggested that police punish violators through a stepped rate of fines: a Bt500 fine for first-timers; a Bt2,000 fine for a second offence; a Bt5,000 fine for third-timers offenders and a Bt10,000 fine for those facing their fourth arrest or more.

 

The meeting also heard about action taken against beggars across the nation. 

 

The central province of Nonthaburi has set up district-level committees tasked with reducing the number of beggars, while the South’s Trang province has provided vocational training to beggars to enable them to sustainably care for their families.

 

Some 3,500 street performers had registered with the authority so that public space could be arranged and to ensure fair income distribution, the committee heard. 

 

The 11 provinces interested in later joining the programme are Trang, Bung Kan, Nakhon Phanom, Pattani, Phang Nga, Nan, Phetchabun, Phrae, Ratchaburi, Mae Hong Son and Nong Bua Lamphu.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30361876

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-01-09

[bluesofa]

5 minutes ago, webfact said:

STREET BEGGARS found to be repeat offenders will face a fine of up to Bt10,000, while six provinces will be declared “beggar-free zones” under a flagship project, under a new regulation approved by the Beggar Control Committee this week.

A committee to control beggars!

If a beggar passes the right brown envelope, will they be given carte-blanche to carry on, seeing as some of them are part of a criminal network?

 

14 minutes ago, webfact said:

the South’s Trang province has provided vocational training to beggars to enable them to sustainably care for their families.

Christ almighty! Does that include teaching them to beg responsibly and politely?

[heybuz]

they are being moved to inactive posts.

[Somtamnication]

What about govt officials "begging"?

[mok199]

Organized , connected and profitable . Thailands corrupt food chain,saddly the'' bottom dwellers ''at the top of that chain,never pay.

[holy cow cm]

So where is welfare assyif they can’t beg for life? I mean the real beggars not the owned or professional 

[fruitman]

So the farang begpackers will get the fines and the locals a warning.

 

 

[Denim]

I don't need a beggar, free or otherwise.

[grumbleweed]

Essentially making destitution a crime

You have reached rock bottom, lost all hope and are reduced to grovelling on the floor to stay alive. - As punishment I'm going to increase the burden.

 

And they call this a flagship project? 

Maybe if the overriding objective is to hide any hint of empathy

 

Officials have duty of care. I'm not quite sure where making the Gestapo look like Samaritans fits into the grand plan

[bluesofa]

Just now, Denim said:

I don't need a beggar, free or otherwise.

It's this week's special offer: One free with every purchase -while stocks last.

[mikebell]

Beggars exist to make givers feel good about themselves; it's called merit-making.

[alant]

Beggar me!

Beggar free zones, will they pay the fines? will they move to provinces that do not have beggar free zones?

[bluesofa]

2 minutes ago, mikebell said:

Beggars exist to make givers feel good about themselves; it's called merit-making.

Or buying your way to a better next life - but that's only for the gullible.

[chassa70]

Another committee (trough)

[madmitch]

Instead of begging the homeless can of course take advantage of Thailand's generous social security system.

 

Oh!

[ZeVonderBearz]

This is great news!!! No longer will I be awoken at the crack of dawn by those people in orange bedsheets as what they do is soon to be illegal.

[cracker1]

The question I ask is "Why are you permitting Begging in the other 50 Provinces ?"

[Fex Bluse]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Six provinces to become ‘beggar-free’

Such comedians, the Thais. 

[Fex Bluse]

Of course, rich Bangkok school kids begging in unison at the BTS stations will be exempted. They are "good people" after all. 

[sammieuk1]

I support a couple of beggars old school friends of my Mrs who live in absolute abject poverty on 800 baht a month government disability income they have been constantly harassed by police mainly because one has no fingers and toes and cant move fast enough to get out of the market its a shocker to see such inhumanity in what's supposed to be a religious country ????

[seahorse]

I'm assuming Buddhist monks will be exempt? 

[thequietman]

So, no cops in these provinces then?

[Rugon]

Oh dear, beggars offer us the chance to make merit/get out of thinking only about ourselves, they should be encouraged. Beggars have always been an important part of society here. 

[HalfLight]

5 hours ago, bluesofa said:

A committee to control beggars!

If a beggar passes the right brown envelope, will they be given carte-blanche to carry on, seeing as some of them are part of a criminal network?

 

Christ almighty! Does that include teaching them to beg responsibly and politely?

 

But criticising the behavious of Thais is regarded as 'Thai-bashing' by some of the illustrious members of TVF, so we must be careful of them - the Thai apologists. I've only put one on 'ignore' so far but I'm expecting some of his mates to show up and take a swing.

 

Normally, I would regard beggars as being symptomatic of a malaise in society, especially a society like Thailand which repeatedly and nonsensically claims close to 0% unemployment. But it's a bit worrying over the past few years, that there've been claims of 'beggar rings' sponsored or arranged by organised crime, about which the illustrious Chanocha government seems unconcerned - judging from the actions they have been prepared to take against them so far. This inevitably leads to suspicions of the authorities having being paid not to enforce existing laws (a long-standing custom/practice in Thailand), given that Thailand is without a doubt the most corrupt country I've (personally) ever lived in, and also given the popular belief that the corruption starts at the top and filters down, which is why it never seems to change no matter what Mr Chanocha (I believe somewhat disingenuously) says he's going to do about it. It never seems to change except for a few token prosecutions which will soon afterwards be forgiven because corruption seems to be a national characteristic, and after all, Thais will be Thais..

 

I don't know what the answer is, except for taking serious action against corruption, which so far, this illegal government seems powerless and/or unmotivated to do, and I've frankly been at the stage for a while where I just shrug my shoulders and let the population enjoy the government(s) they deserve and have (perhaps inevitably) duly got. After all, if they won't do anything about corruption and thieving in this place, why should anyone else give a damn if it brings the whole fabric of society crashing down on their heads. Not my problem; I'll eat today and I'll be able to look after my family and adopted kids, so I don't actually care very much what the majority of Thais do.

 

Sad but (in my opinion) true, and if anyone should be tempted to castigate such thoughts for being anti-Thai, or 'Thai-bashing' (as some muppets have already done), let me ask them to set out what *they've* done to resolve the behavioural problems that these children have developed. Sod all that I can see, certainly sod all that's useful short of moaning into their beer or sallying forth to the local massage parlour for a damn good masturbating - or to the local brothel to spend time with a hooker. That appears mostly to be about their level.

 

Beyond that, I'll keep on giving on the off-chance that it's poverty and not enterprise at work - particularly if kids are involved, as they often seem to be. Yes, a shilling in the bowl from me, and if they're thieving then it's up to the government to do something about it. Probably not in my lifetime though.

 

 

 

[Searat7]

Many more active beggars appear on streets of Bangkok in high season

[HalfLight]

1 hour ago, seahorse said:

I'm assuming Buddhist monks will be exempt? 

 

 

I agree, for what that's worth, that the monks are the best organised begging ring out there, selling salvation instead of flower garlands. Personally, I do not give to monks, and when asked why (by some monks), I told them that I've seen Buddha Issara at work. They weren't amused but that isn't my problem.

 

Since then, I've come to realise that all religions are only concerned with money as a route to power and influence, and are worth nothing at all of value for that very reason. I've taught at a Christian School, and paid for a relative to stay at a Christian hospital; In my opinion, large quantities of money, gained by fair means or foul, is always their chief concern, together with the power and influence that money always manages to buy in a primitive society like Thailand. In general, the churches show us all what the words 'venal' and 'greed' really mean.

 

 

 

[dcnx]

3 hours ago, grumbleweed said:

Essentially making destitution a crime

You have reached rock bottom, lost all hope and are reduced to grovelling on the floor to stay alive. - As punishment I'm going to increase the burden.

 

And they call this a flagship project? 

Maybe if the overriding objective is to hide any hint of empathy

 

Officials have duty of care. I'm not quite sure where making the Gestapo look like Samaritans fits into the grand plan

Many of them are trafficked from neighboring countries. There are plenty of reports on this already.

 

Nothing will come of the group that traffics them. They are obviously untouchables. Probably involved with the police or military to some degree. Such a thing goes on right under their noses, including women with drugged children, and nothing is ever done about it. No way they were not protected before. Probably still will be. Passing a law and enforcing a law here are different things.

 

Anyone remember the hideous slabs of decaying humans they would toss out around the malls in Bangkok back 20 years ago? 

[HalfLight]

10 minutes ago, dcnx said:

Many of them are trafficked from neighboring countries. There are plenty of reports on this already.

 

Nothing will come of the group that traffics them. They are obviously untouchables. Probably involved with the police or military to some degree. Such a thing goes on right under their noses, including women with drugged children, and nothing is ever done about it. No way they were not protected before. Probably still will be. Passing a law and enforcing a law here are different things.

 

Anyone remember the hideous slabs of decaying humans they would toss out around the malls in Bangkok back 20 years ago? 

 

Absolutely. Tip of the hat to you sir, you cleary recognise and understand the essence of Thai society.

 

 

 

[dcnx]

21 minutes ago, HalfLight said:

 

Normally, I would regard beggars as being symptomatic of a malaise in society, especially a society like Thailand which repeatedly and nonsensically claims close to 0% unemployment. But it's a bit worrying over the past few years, that there've been claims of 'beggar rings' sponsored or arranged by organised crime, about which the illustrious Chanocha government seems unconcerned - judging from the actions they have been prepared to take against them so far. This inevitably leads to suspicions of the authorities having being paid not to enforce existing laws (a long-standing custom/practice in Thailand), given that Thailand is without a doubt the most corrupt country I've (personally) ever lived in, and also given the popular belief that the corruption starts at the top and filters down, which is why it never seems to change no matter what Mr Chanocha (I believe somewhat disingenuously) says he's going to do about it. It never seems to change except for a few token prosecutions which will soon afterwards be forgiven because corruption seems to be a national characteristic, and after all, Thais will be Thais..

 

Beyond that, I'll keep on giving on the off-chance that it's poverty and not enterprise at work - particularly if kids are involved, as they often seem to be. Yes, a shilling in the bowl from me, and if they're thieving then it's up to the government to do something about it. Probably not in my lifetime though.

 

 

 

Of course it’s organized crime. This has already been studied and reported on multiple occasions. And there’s NO WAY it’s been taking place for decades while the police and government overlooks it unless very high up officials are either in on it or are getting seriously paid to look the other way. 

 

You’re talking about a society who only cleaned up open child prostitution because foreign pressure. The levels many of these savages will descend to so they can earn a few baht is appalling. 

 

It’s easy to get fooled by the shiny new malls and how comfortable life can be these days, but don’t forget that at the heart of many of them, they are people who wouldn’t bat an eye about taking your wife and your children and selling them into slavery if the world wasn’t watching and they thought they could get away with it.

 

They just got the flag lifted of the fishing industry who was literally using slave labor and murdering them. 

 

The under belly of parts of Asia is very, very dark. 

[HalfLight]

4 minutes ago, dcnx said:

Of course it’s organized crime. This has already been studied and reported on multiple occasions. And there’s NO WAY it’s been taking place for decades while the police and government overlooks it unless very high up officials are either in on it or are getting seriously paid to look the other way. 

 

You’re talking about a society who only cleaned up open child prostitution because foreign pressure. The levels many of these savages will descend to so they can earn a few baht is appalling. 

 

It’s easy to get fooled by the shiny new malls and how comfortable life can be these days, but don’t forget that at the heart of many of them, they are people who wouldn’t bat an eye about taking your wife and your children and selling them into slavery if the world wasn’t watching and they thought they could get away with it.

 

They just got the flag lifted of the fishing industry who was literally using slave labor and murdering them. 

 

The under belly of parts of Asia is very, very dark. 

So it seems. And I expect it won't get any less dark any time soon.

 

'Savages' is what I also think. Sadly.