New restrictions on beggars

[Nereus]

Another option withdrawn?

Bangkok Post:

BEGGING

Qualified people only may apply
ANUCHA CHAROENPO

Being a beggar will not be so easy anymore if draft legislation approved by the cabinet yesterday becomes law. The bill proposed by the Human Security and Social Development Ministry sets conditions for people who want to be beggars.
They must provide proof they are underprivileged, disabled, homeless or elderly without children to care for them. And this will be a reserved occupation, exclusively for Thais who must carry ID cards.

Would-be professional beggars will have to report to local administration organisations for approval and work permits.
Local agencies will be responsible for controlling beggars in their jurisdictions, while the Social Development and Welfare Department will have special centres to help them and programmes to care for them.

Those who force other people to beg, or exploit them, will be liable to criminal punishment, deputy government spokeswoman Suparat Nakboonnam said.
Passing the legislation into law would help the authorities get rid of the large number of foreign beggars in the country, she said. The bill will soon be handed to the government whips and then go to parliament for approval.
If passed, it will replace the 1941 Begging Control Act, which is outdated and begging for a makeover, Ms Suparat said.

Some of this crap is enough to make the most tolerant people give up.
A good place to start would be rounding up some of the standover merchants that take advantage of poor people.

[Mod edit to headline]

[lomuamart]

Thought it was April 1st for a minute.

[sandman67]

sounds like another dose of TIT Logic.....

I know that this is intended to get to the beggar Mafia that run the BKK streets and make beggars lives a misery but to me this says it all

help the authorities get rid of the large number of foreign beggars in the country

how Buddhist of them

[buksida]

Good to see our efficient government addressing the important issues Thailand faces at the present time.

[richard]

So now if I'm approached I can ask for ID and work permit if not produced I can shop them to the MIB?????????????????

[sargeant]

Quote
Those who force other people to beg, or exploit them, will be liable to criminal punishment, deputy government spokeswoman Suparat Nakboonnam said.
I think that means they will be taxed

It beggers belief

[richard]

In the UK if you had a dog in tow you got benefits

The answer to Soi dogs??????

[STEVE G]

Would-be professional beggars will have to report to local administration organisations for approval and work permits.

I think I can see some logic to this; it will be such a run-around to actually get a begging permit that it will be simpler for most people to go out and get a job instead.

[richard]

Need something like that in the UK for the 'sponger' society

To me and to a few others the biggest mistake the UK made was the expansion of the Benefits that encouraged people not to work, have babies and get a free house and all the benefits. Here if you don't work you die

[sargeant]

Trust me steve they will be queing round the block begging is a very lucrative living they park there mercedes and BMWs around the corner

[richard]

There was a bust in the market some months ago but they sprung to their mobiles and got whisked off

[PeteC]

It will be like everything else, no one will enforce it after the first surge which will last about 30 days. Pete

[margaretcarnes]

I can actually see the sense in it (though also doubt it will last very long.)
How many of us have suffered the hassle - especially in the Victory Monument area, and the overpasses on Sukhumvit. Women hiring and sharing babies to increase the sympathy factor. Adult with the dog - and further along the child with the pup. So if it IS a genuine attempt to control the Begging Mafia and the illegal immigrants - fine.
Sad thing is that some of the folks driven to begging in LOS are clearly very disabled. Those I will still give a few baht to, because sad to say I doubt that any revenue gathered from 'licensing' beggars will go to provide for the genuinely needy ones.

[richard]

MC I can see your point

I usually give a little to those who I KNOW are crippled. Some are not crippled. Even seen a guy trawl a sukiyaki place and then seen him later almost prancing down the street

The guys who get me are the ones who have a large sign outside saying no
hawkers and they are only 2 bit bars where drunks have loads of loose change. Restuarants I can understand but still see no reason why the hawkers cannot display their wares outside in the road

Many visitors to respectable bars and restuarants who sit close to the action going by WANT to see goods available

In any case the scruffy tramp or drunk can always be quietly ushered away

[sandman67]

Richard

I dont understand why you brought no hawkers bars into this.....hawkers and beggars are very very different cases. One is charity, one is commerce.

I drink in a no hawkers bar for one good reason - roving traders constantly bugging me when Im trying to hold a conversation over a beer and some footy on TV is bloody annoying. Im not in interested in lighters, dvds, watches, and sodding wooden frogs. If Im lining up a pool shot I dont want a "Mon" trader rattling a frog in my ear or a flower seller poking me in the side....both of which have happened in another bar I drink in.

However, the "I respect your right to sell so you respect my right not to have you hassling me" rule doesnt seem to apply.....so thats why the bar I drink in has a no hawkers sign. In high season in some bars round town its one constant line of hawkers.....makes holding a conversation virtually impossible.

That said I give money to beggars regularly, and without thought or assessment of their person. That is the Buddhist way - without thought. The only thought process is "they need money - I have money - give them money".

The no hawkers bar does not stop beggars - the two are different and the owner knows that. If he stopped beggars I wouldnt drink there, and I dont think his customers would either.