Beggars in boats cause chaos for tourists in Cambodia
Apr 21, 2008
DPA
Phnom Penh - Thousands of tourists visiting Cambodia's famous floating village have unwittingly spawned a new problem - floating beggars, local media reported Monday.
Chong Kneas village has become a popular side trip from the tourist town of Siem Reap, 300 kilometres north of the capital, and authorities are desperate to stem the flow of intrepid beggars that have accompanied the boom, Koh Santepheap daily newspaper said.
The newspaper reported the panhandlers come by outboard, row boat and even propel themselves in plastic buckets and bathtubs to crowd cruise boats and solicit tourist cash, and it is beginning to damage the tourist industry.
'Among around 50 beggar boats, 24 have outboard motors, 28 are row boats and seven are plastic buckets, but these numbers can vary depending on the number of tourists,' the paper said.
Chong Kneas is home to around 1,000 floating homes, restaurants, schools, boutique farms and even a Catholic church and is part of many organized tours for travelers tired of touring temples.
The inhabitants were formerly mainly fishermen, but the lure of cash has converted more and more to the lucrative begging industry.
Authorities say they do not have the facilities to arrest and detain the scores of beggars.
Tourism Minister Thong Khon said the problem had become so severe that the issue would be discussed at a regional meeting on Siem Reap tourism issues in a fortnight.
'Chong Kneas is a very valuable tourist attraction, so we have to be ready to provide quality, service, sanitation and security and order,' he said by telephone.
Chong Kneas village has become a popular side trip from the tourist town of Siem Reap, 300 kilometres north of the capital, and authorities are desperate to stem the flow of intrepid beggars that have accompanied the boom, Koh Santepheap daily newspaper said.
The newspaper reported the panhandlers come by outboard, row boat and even propel themselves in plastic buckets and bathtubs to crowd cruise boats and solicit tourist cash, and it is beginning to damage the tourist industry.
'Among around 50 beggar boats, 24 have outboard motors, 28 are row boats and seven are plastic buckets, but these numbers can vary depending on the number of tourists,' the paper said.
Chong Kneas is home to around 1,000 floating homes, restaurants, schools, boutique farms and even a Catholic church and is part of many organized tours for travelers tired of touring temples.
The inhabitants were formerly mainly fishermen, but the lure of cash has converted more and more to the lucrative begging industry.
Authorities say they do not have the facilities to arrest and detain the scores of beggars.
Tourism Minister Thong Khon said the problem had become so severe that the issue would be discussed at a regional meeting on Siem Reap tourism issues in a fortnight.
'Chong Kneas is a very valuable tourist attraction, so we have to be ready to provide quality, service, sanitation and security and order,' he said by telephone.
8 comments:
Most of these beggars are Vietnamese! Bullshit the RGC that has taken no actions against them as its prime minister has only single eye!
when our sadness king was in power his people ,almost no one was bagger .we all were Happy and encouraged the country ,great imaged .
Hun Sen treated people to be ,begger as his begger to international to help as his richest in southeast asian.
water and land had begger and another step in the air ,and we all don't be suprise ,i truly believed that it will be ticket begger to visitor .
Beggars exist because people give! If people stopped giving to beggars everywhere, then these people would find other sources of income. As long as people keep giving, beggars will keep begging.
Oh God! This is heartbreaking! It is time to pass a law to ban all beggar from public places because the stupid Cambodian government must create a special place where dirt poor Cambodian people can go to get some help for their basic needs!
Please let not turn Cambodia into a beggar nation! If dirt poor Cambodia people chose to born to this Earth as beggar and it will be better for them to die before they are born! Real Cambodian people don't born to be beggar!
beggars shouldn't be tolerated like in other countries like thailand vietnam etc which prohibit beggars. maybe that's because cambodia society tolerate it that's why beggars are everywhere. and beggars are mostly small children and the handicapped. this show lack of welfare for them? however, tourists should keep in mind, though, that is not all cambodian are beggars which is a stereotype, especially if tourists are no educated enough about cambodia or don't know enough about cambodia and tend to assume that all cambodia are like that. there is a word for that, it's called ignorant or uneducated. thank you.
my advice is do not encourage beggars, tell the small children to stay in school, etc. maybe complain to the gov't or something. but by all means, do discourage them by humiliating them is one method. the other just don't give them anything or they will keep on begging. learn how thailand and other discourage beggars and adopt it. sometimes, too much is too much; it's getting to be annoying.
Lead your people by example!! The PM himself is a beggar. Can't expect the people not practice what he preached. Obviously, he (PM) doesn't see this as a problems........ just another day at the beach!
Here's some good beggars cartoon.
http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/directory/b/beggar.asp
stay in school, kids!
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