Do you give money to beggars?

[Sailfast 503]

Hmmm...should I work at walmart of just kind of hang around out front and talk to folks?

 

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs....54/1046/OPINION

[Merangue 1]

I f you see a beggar in a thirld-world country and you feel charitable

1. ignore the beggar

2. go to the street food vendor and buy some cheap food

3. give it to the beggar.

 

If they accept it then you have helped them out. If they refuse it then you have just bought yourself a tasty snack.

If they are mafia run then they are probably still poor, oppressed and hungry.

 

 

Not just third world countries. I have bought people a portion of chips or a burger a few times in my own country for the same reason.

 

Admittedly, one did tell me he was Vegetarian and asked me to get him a Vegeburger.

[OzzieDaz 0]

I'm sure alot of the beggers are brought in from Burma and Cambodia and generally a bit of a con.

 

I don't give to them for that reason, its not that I'm a tight arse, just that I like to be sure that the money I do give gets to where its supposed to go, minus admin fees and the like.

 

A donation to a Pattaya orphanage would be a better "investment" I reckon.

[Malzy 6]

A few years back, a mate an me saw a small boy sitting in the gutter outside Starbacks beach road begging, using the bottom half of a plastic water bottle. I dropped some small change into the bottle and followed my mate into Starbucks for a coffee.

We sat inside were we could watch him through the the window, and was amazed at how much money was dropped into his bottle. Each time he would take out the donation and fold it up into his jumper and offer an empty bottle to passers by. Asian, well dressed tourists, (Japanese... maybe) would drop notes into his bottle, falang doners, not all, seemed a little more conservative with their giving, mostly coins.

About 30 minutes later an older boy came and took all his money (mafia I suppose), and left him to keep working. That upset me a bit an thought no more giving as it seemed to go to someone else. We watched a little longer an he was still getting donations. Then a Thai girl, mabye a bar girl not sure, gave him one of those small bottles of milk as she walked by, which he grabbed, not a sign of recognition just grabbed and drank it, by his attitude I dont think she was his mafia.

Any way now I only give them something to drink or eat if there is a fruit vender or BBQ near by.

Yep.. iam a sucker, but I do feel I am not giving to the mafia coonts.

 

Cheers Malzy

[friendlyric6411 0]

YES i give but only to the real people that have had some bad luck in life . like being blind, or disfigured. don't give to women who have small babys in there arms .

[joekicker 53]

YES i give but only to the real people that have had some bad luck in life . like being blind, or disfigured. don't give to women who have small babys in there arms .

 

In doing this you fully realise that all three of these people are equally prized by the mafia who enslaved and control them, though.

 

Right?

Edited March 13, 2008 by joekicker

[slappfisk 0]

hi all i guess i go into the category of stupid/dumb falang tourist, but anyway i wasnt really aware of the mafia situation with beggars.I was there this jan feb and did put some baht here and there , well seeing as i live in Norway with a comfy job and an apartment and beeing there on vacation for this and that i didnt have the heart to not give some dosh to different beggars. now when i go next time i guess ill try to find a good charity to make a donation to.

im not that good at quoting but the person earlier saying theyre country ,theyre beggars , theyre problem youre entitled to youre opinion.

[xen 0]

It is difficult to know what is right.

My brain believes the stories of explortation and i know there are thieving bastards and pure con artists out there and not only in LOS but all over the world. There are also a lot of organised charities out there that are cons passing on about 20% after administration costs are deducted. BUT sometimes my heart melts when i see a little kid or somebody with disabilities or just struggling in life. I always then drop some loose change into their cup if i have it. Shit, it is nothing really , maybe 20 cents in my currency . My wife tells me it is good karma for the next time around. I just think that sometimes it could be me holding my hand out to fed my family if circumstances in life were different.

 

Yeah, i just don't know what is right in this case.

[joekicker 53]

Yeah, i just don't know what is right in this case.

 

I disagree. It seems to me that with your teelak's help you've decided and know exactly what is right. Don't beat yourself up about it, either. If it feels right, then it is.

 

The mafia controllers are real, and the disabled are real. You've thought about it, and reached your decision, so it's certainly right for you.

 

Seriously. If you feel you're doing the right thing here, then you are.

[egget 0]

No

[careski 0]

In general once a day, every morning when I go out. Sometimes more.

[James Tiberius Kirk 0]

That must describe at least half of the bar girls in Pattaya..

 

yes but they are not begging they have a product to sell !!

[fd2084 0]

yes but they are not begging they have a product to sell !!

The beggars also are selling a product. For just a pittance they let wealthy foreigners feel good about themselves so they can go back to their selfish overconsumption and shallow lifestyles without worrying about the consequences.

[som 0]

Now and again I will give my lady 100B and send her to the food carts to load up with whatever she thinks the beggars will like and drop it off to them. They're getting a feed and the bosses don't see a penny.

[Tengotodo 52]

In doing this you fully realise that all three of these people are equally prized by the mafia who enslaved and control them, though.

 

Right?

 

SO? amputees and the deranged are truly dependent upon charity. Why would I give a 100 baht tip for a round of tequila and not drop a baht or two on some genuinely down-and-out folk? Enslave and control a beggar with 2 limbs? If that is true, then at least the mafia has a heart.