Forethat Posted September 2, 2010 Author Share Posted September 2, 2010 I think you both are speaking about different people! The young man at the corner of soi 7 was there quit a time around July 2009: http://www.flickr.co...57601981409481/ That's the guy!!!! There's the Camel store behind him... So where is he now? I hope he made it back home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistitikimikis Posted September 2, 2010 Share Posted September 2, 2010 I think you both are speaking about different people! The young man at the corner of soi 7 was there quit a time around July 2009: http://www.flickr.co...57601981409481/ That's the guy!!!! There's the Camel store behind him... So where is he now? I hope he made it back home. I never tried to talk with him after my experience with the American sitting in front of Nana Square who lost his normal sence a bit, although I was curious because he was always good visible present. Eating a bit, looking some hours and disappeared. I am also curious what this farang was doing besides making music: http://www.antoni-uni-photography.com/Thailand-Asia-Antoniuni/Bangkok-strolls/Bangkok-Sukhumvit-Nana/10520844_ikSVp#906812612_SHZzE-A-LB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chunky1 Posted September 2, 2010 Share Posted September 2, 2010 In regards to the Canadian , he does stand a chance to be repatriated by the Canadian embassy , but he must get an interview with a Canadian national , the Thai people there will more or less tell him to fuc-k off . They can buy him a one way first class ticket which he is obliged to repay the cost of at a later date , he could enquire about refugee status as if he stays in Thailand his life could be in jeopardy . The welfare state could be called in to assist him to re-establish himself , you as a friend could check all of this out on the government site and other locations . that is good. many of these guys would refuse to fly economy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimTang Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 ...the Thai people there will more or less tell him to fuc-k off... That's exactly true. The Canadian Consulate is notorious for not helping ANYONE. If you ever get a chance to walk into the Canadian Consulate you would never suspect that there might actually be White people living in Canada. I had a friend that had a few unfortunate episodes of bad luck (and this can happen to anybody) which when compounded effectively rendered him penniless. He went to the Canadian Consulate, explained his predicament, and begged for any kind of assistance to help him out of this temporary rut; They REFUSED to do ANYTHING. He then informed them that he was a diabetic, and asked can they at least provide him with funds to purchase his necessary medicine; NO CAN DO. Essentially they sent this person out on the street to die, knowing full well he wouldn't survive long without medicine. My guess is the guy that the OP saw, had already gone to the Canadian Consulate and received the exact same treatment. If no one else helped him he's most likely dead. The Canadian Consulate probably paid to have his body shipped back to Canada and thought, "there's one less case we have to worry about!"; NEXT! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 (edited) People fall into spirals of decline everywhere in the world. But if you are foreigner going through this, you also have visa problems. It isn't very surprising that out of large pool of people, that some are falling off the edge and/or basically dying. Edited January 17, 2011 by Jingthing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjclark1 Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 (edited) When reading sad stories about how people back in the west ended up on the streets. How fast it goes for some people, after they lose job, family, then house, etc. It can happen surprisingly fast in the UK. I went from married middle class schoolteacher and elected town councilor with a house and family to unemployed and unemployable homeless 'person of interest' regularly picked up by the police in 3 months. Nothing I did to start the slide, and nothing I could do to stop it, apart from leave the country. Edited January 17, 2011 by pjclark1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzieovaseas Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Funny that a lot of people conveying opinions on here assume that the guy has fallen into this predicament through bad luck or by circumstances out of his control. In many of the bigger cities (and not so big) around the world you will find these types that others address as "vagrants", but in reality these people have just had enough of this materialistic money worshipping society and just opt to check out. I actually took time to talk to one of these "streetwalkers" in East Coast Australia. This particular guy was university educated and had once had a very good job, until his marriage broke up and various other bad luck had befallen him. The result was that he could'nt care less in participating in "normal" life again, sold everything he'd owned, and lived as would a homeless person in rough tents around beaches and international parks, and pretty much wherever he could. He had an old push bike and reportedly had travelled a good part of Australia on it. He said the experience was very freeing, not having possessions to worry or having things to insure, covet and protect. Obviously he had no desire to return to what was considered normal society. His story is well known and collaborated around the local area. I guess he liked the freedom of having no-one to answer to and not having to be accountable to anyone. Also, he apparently had no shortage of funds in the bank and although not overly worried, one of his concerns was where his money would go after he died. I think a lot of these drifters may end up in Bangkok, due to the lower cost of survival. So, who's to know whether these people have not chosen to be this way and are completely happy and at peace with their existance??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orac Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 ...the Thai people there will more or less tell him to fuc-k off... That's exactly true. The Canadian Consulate is notorious for not helping ANYONE. If you ever get a chance to walk into the Canadian Consulate you would never suspect that there might actually be White people living in Canada. I had a friend that had a few unfortunate episodes of bad luck (and this can happen to anybody) which when compounded effectively rendered him penniless. He went to the Canadian Consulate, explained his predicament, and begged for any kind of assistance to help him out of this temporary rut; They REFUSED to do ANYTHING. He then informed them that he was a diabetic, and asked can they at least provide him with funds to purchase his necessary medicine; NO CAN DO. Essentially they sent this person out on the street to die, knowing full well he wouldn't survive long without medicine. My guess is the guy that the OP saw, had already gone to the Canadian Consulate and received the exact same treatment. If no one else helped him he's most likely dead. The Canadian Consulate probably paid to have his body shipped back to Canada and thought, "there's one less case we have to worry about!"; NEXT! I take it it wasn't close friend then??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulysses G. Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 A lot of these types have plenty of money to live on, but are just a little wacky. We had one German in Chiang Mai who looked like an older Robinson Crusoe who would hang out alone on the benches at Thapae Gate for years, who turned out to be quite wealthy. There is another Italian guy who has worn the same white t-shirt and gym pants for years and hardly ever talks to anyone. He is always carrying a plastic bag, but most people do not realize that it contains a book which he exchanges every couple of days for a new one, so he has money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimTang Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 I take it it wasn't close friend then??? No he wasn't, but I still helped him out, and I have far less disposable income than the Canadian Consulate has. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DP25 Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 So, who's to know whether these people have not chosen to be this way and are completely happy and at peace with their existance??? I'm sure foreigners living rough on the streets of Suhkumvit are very content with their situation and feel a profound sense of peace and freedom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 So, who's to know whether these people have not chosen to be this way and are completely happy and at peace with their existance??? I'm sure foreigners living rough on the streets of Suhkumvit are very content with their situation and feel a profound sense of peace and freedom Of course, and if you ask them are they happy living that way, and they say yes, some might say that is strong evidence of mental illness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulysses G. Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 (edited) they manage to romanticize a real social problem, trivialize it, and divorce themselves from any responsibility or social concern about it. That is not difficult in a country that is crawling with poor people in every nook and cranny. How many knee-jerk, expat "liberals" are doing anything to help them out (other than paying their bar-fine)? Edited January 17, 2011 by Ulysses G. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 (edited) they manage to romanticize a real social problem, trivialize it, and divorce themselves from any responsibility or social concern about it. That is not difficult in a country that is crawling with poor people in every nook and cranny. How many knee-jerk, expat "liberals" are doing anything to help them out (other than paying their bar-fine)? That really isn't the point. The point is the liberals are not making up romantic right wing politically inspired fantasies about how wonderful obviously suffering people's existences are. It's really not that far from those kinds of delusional rationalizations to make assertions that slaves were really mostly happy with their lives, and abolitionists were over-reacting. Next ... Edited January 17, 2011 by Jingthing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulysses G. Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 (edited) The point is that just sitting at the computer whining about it does not change anything. Edited January 17, 2011 by Ulysses G. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 The point is that just sitting at the computer whining about it does not change anything. We agree on something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdman Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 So, who's to know whether these people have not chosen to be this way and are completely happy and at peace with their existance??? I'm sure foreigners living rough on the streets of Suhkumvit are very content with their situation and feel a profound sense of peace and freedom Thai people take care also of poor farangs, because they feel sorry for them. Even more at the countryside. Anyway, if I would be one of them, I rather would be in a poor hot country than in a rich cold country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyrobert Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 I know excactly who the OP is talking about. Who knows where he went though. He was a Wackjob. Hope the OP didnt get to close to him cause there was a stench coming off him that would kill a skunk. He did about a year at the Subway sandwich dump on 7/1 b4 moving to the soi 7 location. Dang. This place is full of weird stuff.Takes a couple of years before you notice just HOW weird... It usually takes 700 posts. You're a late bloomer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metisdead Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Some posts meant to derail this topic into a political discussion as well as replies have been removed from view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 (edited) Figured we needed a humor break right about now. (This guy should be in advertising ...) Edited January 17, 2011 by Jingthing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeyserSoze01 Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 I think you both are speaking about different people! The young man at the corner of soi 7 was there quit a time around July 2009: http://www.flickr.co...57601981409481/ That's the guy!!!! There's the Camel store behind him... So where is he now? I hope he made it back home. Why? From the photo, he appears to be well-nourished, wearing clean clothes and from what you can tell from a photo, lucid. You also state that he speaks near-fluent Thai. Perhaps he just has a routine and sticks to it. Some enjoy people watching and had his 'spot'. if you have nothing else to do, then even the mundane can become part of your everyday routine. I say leave him be. Most people who truly want and need help will find a way to get it. If he was truly destitute, don't you think he'd be pan-handling on the street? Short anecdotal story. I was in Fort Worth Texas a number of years ago on business. After the meetings broke, we were taken down to the Stock Yards, which is an area of FT Worth with clubs. On the way back to the hotel later, we were walking the streets and came across a bum laying in a doorway. When asked why the police didn't bother these folks, the answer was classic. It's because the police don't know if they are millionaires or not. Seems a policeman rousted what he thought was a vagrant some time earlier and it turned out the 'vagrant' was worth several million USD... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAJIC Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 (edited) Its frightening to realise that anyone of us,through circumstances, or self induced could end up on the streets like this, Sad to descend so far,that one can't get back up.......... Lost in Los! Edited January 17, 2011 by MAJIC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmax Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 met one guy in pattaya ( ken from uk ) about 9 yrs ago, he was down and out and to be fair the thai bar girls gave him a room and some food everyday, i came back home and got an email from him to say he would die out there if i couldnt get in contact with his lawyer and his sister which i did, he previously owned a bar in walking street with his thai wife but she took him to the cleaners . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spaniel Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 met one guy in pattaya ( ken from uk ) about 9 yrs ago, he was down and out and to be fair the thai bar girls gave him a room and some food everyday, i came back home and got an email from him to say he would die out there if i couldnt get in contact with his lawyer and his sister which i did, he previously owned a bar in walking street with his thai wife but she took him to the cleaners . What happened after you contacted his lawyer and sister? What became of Ken? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aridion Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 Interesting thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ableguy Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 met one guy in pattaya ( ken from uk ) about 9 yrs ago, he was down and out and to be fair the thai bar girls gave him a room and some food everyday, i came back home and got an email from him to say he would die out there if i couldnt get in contact with his lawyer and his sister which i did, he previously owned a bar in walking street with his thai wife but she took him to the cleaners . What happened after you contacted his lawyer and sister? What became of Ken? married a rich princess, won the lottery, inherited a fortune including an airline, had three lovely kids and then his Thai princess stabbed him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangkokcitylimits Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 Nobody has to live here if he really does not want that. The alternative is wearing an orange frock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzieovaseas Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 So, who's to know whether these people have not chosen to be this way and are completely happy and at peace with their existance??? I'm sure foreigners living rough on the streets of Suhkumvit are very content with their situation and feel a profound sense of peace and freedom Of course, and if you ask them are they happy living that way, and they say yes, some might say that is strong evidence of mental illness. Well, by no means am i 'living rough" here, and yet rello's and friends still ponder whether i might have a slight mental illness...just for my preferance of living away from Australia....in what (they think) is a poor third world country...living in grass huts ect ect I often don't bother going into detail about the quality of life a lot of us expats enjoy here, and how someone like me can afford what are considered "luxuries" in Australia, without having to work like a dog for years on end and then curl up and die. Horses for courses really, which was my earlier point that everyones gauge for happiness is vastly different. I feel no need to debate my belief that any sane person would prefer my lifestyle instead a of a rat race existance in the west. I doubt whether you would be able to engage a homeless guy in debate either. He quite possibly has had his share of riches was bored of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunholidaysun1 Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 There are more foreigners now living very very cheaply than ever before and possibly quite a few homeless as well . I have friends here who are on the verge of being in that situation but for the help they are getting from some other friends , it is delaying the inevitable . I came here with the same idea as many , to live a better life than what I had before. All I was doing was grafting my arse off ,putting in so many hours a week to maintain the life style I couldnt afford. Im not saying I was wealthy but I had a good job that paid well and along with that came the mortgage , the family , the holidays , the STRESS, so in the end I gave it all up to come here. I would imagine those that come here sell what they have , bring all their new found wealth (whatever the amount ) live like kings and enjoy life like never before. I think we've all experienced that ? The only problem is that without maintaining that bank balance the money soon drops , some who spend too much have two choices, get a job here teaching or something else if possible or return to their home countries, start afresh , get a job , save more money and return. Those without the ability , qualifications to work or enough funds to live here on what they have or no homes to go to back home are increasing. If you look back 10 years ago or even 5 years ago when the Thai Baht was 76bht to the GBP for example , wow , what we could buy in those days , it was cheap and then you spend even more as you know its cheap . Money spent on wine women and song along with nice places to stay were the highlights of being here .Sadly those times have changed, the prices for everything has sky rocketed and the Thai Baht is strong against most currencies , so for what we have now is far less than before and what money we have , has to be carefully watched in fear of over spending . The Boom has been here a while now , the BUST is sure to come but it maybe too late for many who have done their lot too soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedistillers Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 Whether it is on a budget or to live like a "King", I can't even start to imagine how boring it must be to be here without a job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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