Click on the photo to zoom inTaming the beggars' brigade
Hundreds of foreigners beg on Bangkok's streets
18/01/2010
Wassayos Ngamkham and Saritdet Marukatat
Bangkok Post
Over three days last week, immigration authorities swept up hundreds of beggars from the streets of Bangkok. Among them were 570 Cambodians, 200 of them children.
Staggered by the sheer scale of the problem, the immigration police realise that they are ill-equipped to deal with it and have now handed over the task to the police force's special unit which deals with human trafficking.
The Cambodians rounded up in the raid were all taken back to their own country through Aranyaprathet, but given the ingenuity of the smuggling gangs behind them, many are certain to make their way back to Thailand.
The roundup was aimed at ending public disturbances caused by beggars and to help the government with its aim to boost tourism, according to immigration chief Wuthi Liptapanlop. "Beggars disturb foreign tourists and damage the tourism image of Thailand," he said.
The bureau does not believe the problem can be solved until the gangs behind the smuggling of beggars into Thailand are put out of action. Thais and Cambodians are involved in the gangs.
Pol Lt Gen Wuthi's assessment echoes that of the Anti-Human Trafficking Division, which has taken over the mission from the bureau to try to break up the begging rings.
Deputy chief of the division Suvichphol Imchairattana says the smugglers are breaking the Human Trafficking Law which carries a maximum jail term of 10 years and a 200,000 baht fine. The punishment is more severe for the smuggling of people under 18.
But Pol Col Suvichphol admits it is difficult trying to get a quick result because this is an area of police work unfamiliar to the division. Its main duty is to crack down on human traffickers involved in the flesh trade.
"It has to take it step by step with information from beggars and then officials trace it back to the recruiters," he said.
"It needs solid evidence to prove the smugglers are giving shelter to beggars to convince the courts to take action."
Information on the exact number of foreign beggars roaming the streets of Bangkok is not easy to find. The consensus among agencies like the immigration office is that most beggars are from Thailand's eastern neighbour and the rest are Burmese, Lao and Vietnamese.
They live in Cambodian provinces opposite the Thai border. Their favourite entry points are checkpoints in Sa Kaeo, Chanthaburi, Trat, Surin and Si Sa Ket. Another route is to sail to northern Malaysia and then go into southern Thailand, mainly through Sungai Kolok district in Narathiwat.
Some beggars from Cambodia make their own way into Thailand and are then recruited by gangs.
The common pattern for the two groups is to make the beggars work in Thai provinces on the border first. After a couple of months of begging at the border, they move to suburban areas of Bangkok and eventually into the heart of the capital.
"Bangkok is their most popular destination. People in Bangkok do not care much about small change - five baht or 10 baht. They do not want to keep coins and are willing to give them away," Pol Lt Gen Wuthi said. The beggars can make at least 200 baht a day from begging in Bangkok.
The charges laid by Vietnamese authorities against a couple last week underline the fact that Thailand is a highly desired place for beggars.
Lam Minh Hoang, 59, and his wife Nguyen Thi Nga, 53, were charged with "organising other persons to flee abroad illegally", the German news service dpa quoted Vietnamese prosecutor Le Hong Bao as saying.
In 2003, the couple migrated illegally to Thailand, where they found that begging was highly profitable. In 2006, they returned to Vietnam, where they recruited 10 disabled people over the course of three years and sent them through Cambodia to Thailand to join a begging ring.
Prosecutors said the couple had rented two houses and assigned seven of the disabled to beg while three sold trinkets at pagodas and other public places. Each beggar and peddler paid the couple 300 baht a day and kept whatever profits they made.
Eight of the beggars fell out with the couple over the sharing of income and were sent back to Vietnam. Mr Hoang and Mrs Nga were arrested in June while returning to Vietnam from Cambodia.
The chiefs of the Immigration Bureau and Anti-Human Trafficking Division believe one solution to end begging lies with people who give. "Giving money only encourages more people to become beggars. This old way of thinking has to change," Pol Lt Gen Wuthi said.
The trafficking unit will work with the Social Development and Human Security Ministry on a campaign built around this theme. The message will build awareness that begging is illegal and supports and encourages human trafficking, Pol Col Suvichphol said.
Staggered by the sheer scale of the problem, the immigration police realise that they are ill-equipped to deal with it and have now handed over the task to the police force's special unit which deals with human trafficking.
The Cambodians rounded up in the raid were all taken back to their own country through Aranyaprathet, but given the ingenuity of the smuggling gangs behind them, many are certain to make their way back to Thailand.
The roundup was aimed at ending public disturbances caused by beggars and to help the government with its aim to boost tourism, according to immigration chief Wuthi Liptapanlop. "Beggars disturb foreign tourists and damage the tourism image of Thailand," he said.
The bureau does not believe the problem can be solved until the gangs behind the smuggling of beggars into Thailand are put out of action. Thais and Cambodians are involved in the gangs.
Pol Lt Gen Wuthi's assessment echoes that of the Anti-Human Trafficking Division, which has taken over the mission from the bureau to try to break up the begging rings.
Deputy chief of the division Suvichphol Imchairattana says the smugglers are breaking the Human Trafficking Law which carries a maximum jail term of 10 years and a 200,000 baht fine. The punishment is more severe for the smuggling of people under 18.
But Pol Col Suvichphol admits it is difficult trying to get a quick result because this is an area of police work unfamiliar to the division. Its main duty is to crack down on human traffickers involved in the flesh trade.
"It has to take it step by step with information from beggars and then officials trace it back to the recruiters," he said.
"It needs solid evidence to prove the smugglers are giving shelter to beggars to convince the courts to take action."
Information on the exact number of foreign beggars roaming the streets of Bangkok is not easy to find. The consensus among agencies like the immigration office is that most beggars are from Thailand's eastern neighbour and the rest are Burmese, Lao and Vietnamese.
They live in Cambodian provinces opposite the Thai border. Their favourite entry points are checkpoints in Sa Kaeo, Chanthaburi, Trat, Surin and Si Sa Ket. Another route is to sail to northern Malaysia and then go into southern Thailand, mainly through Sungai Kolok district in Narathiwat.
Some beggars from Cambodia make their own way into Thailand and are then recruited by gangs.
The common pattern for the two groups is to make the beggars work in Thai provinces on the border first. After a couple of months of begging at the border, they move to suburban areas of Bangkok and eventually into the heart of the capital.
"Bangkok is their most popular destination. People in Bangkok do not care much about small change - five baht or 10 baht. They do not want to keep coins and are willing to give them away," Pol Lt Gen Wuthi said. The beggars can make at least 200 baht a day from begging in Bangkok.
The charges laid by Vietnamese authorities against a couple last week underline the fact that Thailand is a highly desired place for beggars.
Lam Minh Hoang, 59, and his wife Nguyen Thi Nga, 53, were charged with "organising other persons to flee abroad illegally", the German news service dpa quoted Vietnamese prosecutor Le Hong Bao as saying.
In 2003, the couple migrated illegally to Thailand, where they found that begging was highly profitable. In 2006, they returned to Vietnam, where they recruited 10 disabled people over the course of three years and sent them through Cambodia to Thailand to join a begging ring.
Prosecutors said the couple had rented two houses and assigned seven of the disabled to beg while three sold trinkets at pagodas and other public places. Each beggar and peddler paid the couple 300 baht a day and kept whatever profits they made.
Eight of the beggars fell out with the couple over the sharing of income and were sent back to Vietnam. Mr Hoang and Mrs Nga were arrested in June while returning to Vietnam from Cambodia.
The chiefs of the Immigration Bureau and Anti-Human Trafficking Division believe one solution to end begging lies with people who give. "Giving money only encourages more people to become beggars. This old way of thinking has to change," Pol Lt Gen Wuthi said.
The trafficking unit will work with the Social Development and Human Security Ministry on a campaign built around this theme. The message will build awareness that begging is illegal and supports and encourages human trafficking, Pol Col Suvichphol said.
19 comments:
hun sen is the blame. he dosen't care cambodian .he allowed mls illegal vietnamese to take off their daily job.
Our government had served master Vietnam than Khmer, for that reasons people went to neighboring countries for begging to survive. Thus, there is not land for farmer, also no job for workers.
(Signed) Hun Xen, Chea Xim, Heng Xamrin
Phnom Penh (Cambodia)
hunsen is jerk.
if they going to beg in other countries, why not just beg in Cambodia?
Ah Chhke Hun Sen is the ONLY Chhke to blame for the poorer Cambodians are, but does this dog and other two dogs care? Obviously they don't. They even evict you out of your land and gave it to Ah Chhor Yuons. These Chhkes (dogs) don't care any body lives, don't care any bodies living like Pret. They don't seem to love their own people as claimed during their election Campaign.
To all Khmer people, if you want to be loved, cared for, and live a better life, I urgue you NOT TO VOTE AGAIN FOR THESE CHHKES (DOGS). These dogs don't serve you, they don't work for you. They serve and work for Ah Chhor Yuons. You can see for yourself, how many Yuons are in your neighbor... far too many. But how many Khmer are in Vietnam... NONE.
This is how Ah Chhke Hun Sen loves you and your country!
Khmer WA
I blame 7 makara for khmer poor, land grabbing, untranparenty, stealing national properties for own pocket by officials also few richers including Hun Sen, Chea Sim, Heng Samrin...You name it all..These are the root cause of 7 makara.
Khmer from WA
Sorry i was distracted and publish an incorrect comment. I rather said .....I blame 7 makara for khmer poor, land grabbing, untranparentcy, stealing national properties for own pocket by officials also few richers including Hun Sen, Chea Sim, Heng Samrin...You name it all..These are the great achievments of 7makara.
Khmer from WA
If you guy take a look at the picture very closely! it's not Khmer people, the lady in the picture is Thais people and Thais Gov'ts trying fool all of us...because of the internal problems!
There's not such thing for Khmer people to go alway to Bangkok city and begging! alway from Cambodia..?? this is Thais Gov'ts bullshit craps! they trying make us looks real bad, by mocking at Cambodian governments...!!
This is Thailand bullshit politics..
If khmer don't love Khmer, no one in the world will love them. Khmer gov't needs to learn from Aust, try to create a system to protect all for one and one for all. Both opposition leaders need to learn to work together as a team (both left and right are significantly important, the main issue is to be more focused on how to generating income for the nation, e.g. transporting rice, fish and other materials as well as try to import all machinaries for doing the job!. labouring by the use of machinaries not by human energy in which it will be too slow. Aust, is only 200 years old and is far more developed than those countries which existed 1000 of years old! Khmer needs to learn from the Aust way of life as quick as possible,or else we will have nothing left. Aust
As khmer we should take this issue seriously. It has been going on serveral decades. It true that khmers crossed border to work and beg in Thailand due to fail policy in PP. We should not deny it. At Poi Pet truck loads of Khmers were deported back to Cambodia daily. Recently we have heard on RFA almost daily that Khmer try to cross the border to Thailand and got shot by Thai soldier. When I travelled to BK two years ago, I met several khmer children were begging in BK. I aksed them why they are there - the answered were poor - no land. Most of them from Siem Reap and BB. I was so painful to see our khmer begging in another country like that. I'm sure those people will not risk their lives to go to beg in another country if we can provide them employment, security to stay locally. Do you think the government has the gut to help its own citizen?
វិនាសកម្មស្រុកខែ្មរគឺបណ្តាលមកពីរឿងពីរយ៉ាង៖ មហិច្ឆិតាយួន និង ខែ្មរល្ងង់តែចង់ធើ្វធំដូចជាហុ៑នសែន
If Khmer keeps fractional like it is, Khmer will disappear from the globe.
Why don't you learn from the past history and avoid those stupid, greedy and revengeful characters?
Not only do you not preserve Khmer precious property but you loot and destroy it.
LONG LIVE HUN XEN, CHEA XIM, XAMRIN. OUR GREAT LEADERS!.
LONG LIVE OUR BEGGAR IN CAMBODIA THAILAND!
LONG LIVE THE NEW BOUNDARY POST WITH VIETNAM.
LONG LIVE POOR CAMBODIA!
^^^^drunkard fuck!
Cambodia vs. Hunnam
riels vs. dollars
moto vs. auto
driver vs. rider
serve vs. deserve
shack vs. villa
beer vs. cognac
rice wine vs. Remy Martin
rice w/fish vs. rice w/steak
shrimps vs. lobsters
Thai thieves are to blame.
Thai thieves wanted Khmer to beg in Thai thief land so Thai thieves can go stealing Khmer property.
If you want to help these poor Khmer beggars, send your donation to:
Ms. Mylinh Nakry Danh
P.O. Box 12455
Stockton, CA 94125
Thank you and God bless your hearts.
Thai bastards allowed poor Khmer to across to Thailand, took the pictures of them and showed them to the world to make Thai bastards look better and after Thai bastards sent poor Khmer back to Cambodia. When Thai bastards don't want any Khmer to across the border, Thai bastards shoot and killed those Khmers. Thai tactic barbarian are to blame for the pictures of those poor Khmers.
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