Beggars
I was in Vietnam a forthnight ago for a conference, and two things I noted while dwelling there; no public display of same couple affection (story for another time), and no beggars (absolutely none).
Although a less developed economy than Thailand, Vietnam has managed to removed all of their beggars from the street in 2003 by giving people $13 if they reported a beggar to the 24-hr hotline. That quickly turned the city beggarless in a few days. Now, somebody could make a fortune if the scheme is carried out in Thailand with the number of beggars found on the streets in Bangkok.
They come in many forms; some equipped with small children, some of other nationalities (remember the famous Dutch beggar?), others are handicapped, and some simply gliding on the street. In this last case, you will have to wonder how they “glide” back home everyday, don’t they have stairs? do they sleep on the road where they glide? surely they must have “a helper” no?
The sight of beggars in Thailand is often making me sick more than making me feel pity of them. There have been stories of organisations that kidnapped kids, made them handicapped, put them on the streets, and take them back to a sheltered home every evening. They couldn’t escape the cycle or the organisation and ended up growing into an adult beggars. And sometimes making more earning than many office workers.
Vietnam provided the health check for these people. Healthy people are sent back to their home provinces, while those who have physical or mental illnesses are treated at the city’s expense. Tourists feel alienated by the sight, and I think there must be a better way for all these beggars to live their lives.
Is this too much to ask from the next Thai government?
