Homeless foreigners in Thailand 'lack assistance'

[buksida]

A GROWING NUMBER of foreign tourists and retirees are becoming homeless in Thailand, and the country should change its mindset to help them - at least with initial assistance - especially with the Asean Economic Community fast approaching, the head of a non-government group working with homeless and displaced people has said.

There are believed to be up to 30 homeless foreigners in Chiang Mai, and there have been reported sightings in popular tourist areas like Phuket and Chon Buri, Natee Saravari, secretary-general of the Issarachon Foundation, said.

"They walk or sit in shopping malls during the daytime and scavenge through garbage for food at night," he said.

In some cases, these foreigners - mostly male Westerners - arrived as tourists or retirees and fell into poverty or neglect after settling down in Thailand, often having being duped or robbed by Thai former wives or partners, Natee explained.

Full Story: The Nation

[obiwan]

Help them by sending em back home. Otherwise thailand will end up as soft as britain

[oakdale160]

It is amazing to me that so many tourists and even expats think that if they get into financial problems abroad their Embassies will help them. Almost never.

[Lung Per]

It is amazing to me that so many tourists and even expats think that if they get into financial problems abroad their Embassies will help them. Almost never.

Embassies are not social welfare offices.

[richard]

I've seen it here and I've seen it in Africa

Firstly.....It's not only Thai women who relieve farangs of their money. There are plenty of farangs who will relieve you of your money dishonestly

Secondly..Embassies are here to promote trade and strengthen relationships with Thai officialdom. Expats and tourists don't really count as far as they are concerned

Thirdly...Send 'em home. For what? to increase the burden on the taxpayers, social services and free services

[kendo]

So what is supposed to happen, consular assistance to repatriate to home country or to be detained on immigration charges.
Kendo.

[Bristolian]

So what is supposed to happen, consular assistance to repatriate to home country or to be detained on immigration charges.
Kendo.

The first step should be to assess the circumstances. Rare though it may be, I have met a few homeless souls who certainly have enough cash/savings that they can cope financially with help. Circumstances have made them step out of reality. Therefore don't do anything until you know the issues.

[pharvey]

So what is supposed to happen, consular assistance to repatriate to home country or to be detained on immigration charges.
Kendo.

The first step should be to assess the circumstances. Rare though it may be, I have met a few homeless souls who certainly have enough cash/savings that they can cope financially with help. Circumstances have made them step out of reality. Therefore don't do anything until you know the issues.

Through work I have traveled extensively and seen the good, bad and the ugly.... to quote a movie!

I firmly believe there should be consular assistance and repatriation to those in need - however in my experience, (British) consular assistance to any extent is non-existent (a separate argument/discussion would be what benefits those working for the British government overseas are on....... quite incredible). I also fully agree with Bristolian that circumstances should be assessed first...... there are after all quite a few thieving tossers out there.

Personally, I have an "emergency fund" in cash which will at least get me back to the UK should all go pear-shaped (I have had this from 'day 1' wherever I have worked overseas). I have always paid for medical insurance, so should be covered there also in the worst case scenario...... If I could not afford either of these, I would get back to the UK forthwith (to avoid the 'Sod's Law' syndrome). I don't believe in the beg, borrow or steal attitude, and I've paid enough into the UK to be entitled to support, both medical and financial. Whilst I pay my tax in China, I've always kept up my NI payments in the UK regardless where I am based or paid from.

My attitude therefore is protect yourself. If you haven't and have fallen on hard times through no fault of your own, you should get help...... If you are taking the p*ss - well, who do you expect to help you and why? Perhaps the UK should repatriate you, give you 3 squares a day and give you a bed. In return, you're in the armed forces and protect the country that has "saved" you.

[BOZ]

So what is supposed to happen, consular assistance to repatriate to home country or to be detained on immigration charges.
Kendo.

The first step should be to assess the circumstances. Rare though it may be, I have met a few homeless souls who certainly have enough cash/savings that they can cope financially with help. Circumstances have made them step out of reality. Therefore don't do anything until you know the issues.

Through work I have traveled extensively and seen the good, bad and the ugly.... to quote a movie!

I firmly believe there should be consular assistance and repatriation to those in need - however in my experience, (British) consular assistance to any extent is non-existent (a separate argument/discussion would be what benefits those working for the British government overseas are on....... quite incredible). I also fully agree with Bristolian that circumstances should be assessed first...... there are after all quite a few thieving tossers out there.

Personally, I have an "emergency fund" in cash which will at least get me back to the UK should all go pear-shaped (I have had this from 'day 1' wherever I have worked overseas). I have always paid for medical insurance, so should be covered there also in the worst case scenario...... If I could not afford either of these, I would get back to the UK forthwith (to avoid the 'Sod's Law' syndrome). I don't believe in the beg, borrow or steal attitude, and I've paid enough into the UK to be entitled to support, both medical and financial. Whilst I pay my tax in China, I've always kept up my NI payments in the UK regardless where I am based or paid from.

My attitude therefore is protect yourself. If you haven't and have fallen on hard times through no fault of your own, you should get help...... If you are taking the p*ss - well, who do you expect to help you and why? Perhaps the UK should repatriate you, give you 3 squares a day and give you a bed. In return, you're in the armed forces and protect the country that has "saved" you.

[BOZ]

Spot on!!!!

[usual suspect]

Last time I was up in Issan I met a mate from my village in the UK for a coupla Leo's.
At the same bar were about 8/9 of his friends from the surrounding villages there...now I got the impression that these old men were for want of a better word 'trapped'.
They were living solely on their UK pension, no back-up funds, I had a fair idea some of them were more than likely deep in the 'over-stay doo-doo', & were not enjoying their life, retirement or existence in the L.O.S. at all now..they simply sat nursing a big beer & looking like their life+soul went AWOL long ago...afterwards I kinda felt sorry for them.

[migrant]

Unfortunately I see too many retirees even here in the states like that. They retired on what appears to be a good plan, perhaps a nest egg of investments, some social security, maybe a small pension. Then the stock market dropped, the housing and commercial rental markets went to hell, etc and they found they could just scrap by, or not!

Compound this with currency fluctuations in Thailand, unplanned (or thought out) inflation, and it results in a miserable retirement.

I'm of two minds, one says the government isn't in the business of bailing out people, they got themselves into this mess, let them find a way out. The other is my compassionate side saying something should be done to help, after all the government repeatedly bails out big business here in the states.

I have no answers, but perhaps some type of a loan program where the recipients can work off the loan in some type of public service.

[Dr Mike]

That is true, usual suspect, but I have seen the same thing in Canada and US, groups of old guys with 1000 yard stares,sitting in Dunkin Donuts (US) or Tim Hortons(Canada) for hours every day with just nothing on their agendas. They are trapped too.

As for govt loan programs to get the homeless/penniless home, you can see how no govt is going to be that anxious to lend money to these guys.Cambodia seems to have even more of a problem. On the streets of PP you can see many broken-down western drug addicts. I have talked to US consular officials about this and they tell me Washington is quite content to let them stay in Cambodia.

[Takiap]

While I'm not denying this happens, I do also think that it's easy to jump to conclusions. I wonder how many people have seen me sitting all alone nursing a beer, and thought the same thing? Some people are quite happy with their own company, and some (including myself) simply need some "alone time" where we can think about all those things in life which don't really need to be thought about in the first place.

Money or a lack of it is not what "traps" you here. We have forum members that feel trapped here even though they clearly do have money, but we also have those who are may not have a load of cash, but are still happy being here nonetheless.


Maybe a lot of those guys up in the sticks are happy with their lives. It might not seem that way to others, but.......


Also, of those who are in a "trap", some would be in an even worse trap if they returned to their home countries. I knew a English guy who himself was in a similar situation. When I asked him why he didn't return to the UK where he would get free medical and etc, his reply was short but honest: Why would you want to sit at home in the UK when you can sit at home in Thailand?


As for governments not wanting to help........well, I actually think they should help, but depending on which country you come from. If you've had half your wages taken from you all your life, then yes, you should be entitled to some help. Let's face it (I know it's none of my business), why should a Romanian, Bulgarian or whatever be entitled to a load of benefits in the UK, while a British citizen who has paid contributions all their life is left out in the cold?

Why should a banker receive a multi-million pound bonus when he has effectively led the company into bankruptcy? Most companies would sack you instantly, and yet governments are willing to bail the banks out, knowing that some of that money is going towards paying bonuses to people who have achieved nothing at all. The buggers should be behind bars rather than depositing tax payer money into their own personal offshore accounts. Surely a few thousand or a few million pounds/dollars could be spent on helping people who have contributed to those funds in the first place?

[Dr Mike]

To answer your thought Takiab

Yes they COULD be spent, perhaps they SHOULD be spent, but do you believe they WILL be spent? Not a chance.

I had an experience a few years ago, I was In Shanghai when the first Avian Flu virus hit. I became the local expert and gave talks at Schools,Chambers of Commerce,Rotaries etc. The US Consulate asked me to give them my presentation. I was impressed, the consulate wanted to know what it needs to do to protect US Citizens in China.
WRONG! What they were interested in was how they could protect themselves, it was all about should the consulate quarantine themselves, lock the doors and not let any US citizens through the door. Embassies and Consulates do NOT think that it is part of their mandate to look after its citizens who are in the country. They don't even claim to do this.