No beggars in Thailand
What I am writing here is valid only for Northern Thailand. In all my stay here I have visited only Northern provinces, Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai.
Last weekend I went with my colleagues to visit Myanmar (Burma) for one day. The Burma border is 60 km from Chiang Rai. Thai people have free entry for one day. Foreigners have to pay $20. When we entered Burma, we were surrounded by beggars. They were very aggressive and not leaving us to go without pay.
I tried to remember if I have seen a beggar in Thailand. I have not seen them. There are no beggars, homeless, alcoholics or drug addicts on the streets. I started to ask people why it happened.
Responses were different.
- Begging is not legal in Thailand. Police may arrest. (But I think that begging is illegal in many countries, but beggars bribe police).
- Here extended families are big, and someone from the family may take care of less fortunate ones.
- Go to Bangkok, there are plenty of beggars. The majority of them are illegal Cambodians. Police arrest them and send home, but they sneak back.
- In Thailand health care is free. In every province, there are free rehabilitation centers, mental hospitals, and shelters.
-Not because we are good and they are bad. They are not bad, they are poor. Our three neighbors (Burma, Laos, and Cambodia) are poor. They come here to build our roads and homes. Cheap labor. Some come to beg. Burma is a military dictatorship, very corrupt. They do not take care of people at all. Even cell phones are interdicted. But, on the other hand, not many people in Burma can afford a cell phone.
What I am writing here is valid only for Northern Thailand. In all my stay here I have visited only Northern provinces, Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai.
Last weekend I went with my colleagues to visit Myanmar (Burma) for one day. The Burma border is 60 km from Chiang Rai. Thai people have free entry for one day. Foreigners have to pay $20. When we entered Burma, we were surrounded by beggars. They were very aggressive and not leaving us to go without pay.
I tried to remember if I have seen a beggar in Thailand. I have not seen them. There are no beggars, homeless, alcoholics or drug addicts on the streets. I started to ask people why it happened.
Responses were different.
- Begging is not legal in Thailand. Police may arrest. (But I think that begging is illegal in many countries, but beggars bribe police).
- Here extended families are big, and someone from the family may take care of less fortunate ones.
- Go to Bangkok, there are plenty of beggars. The majority of them are illegal Cambodians. Police arrest them and send home, but they sneak back.
- In Thailand health care is free. In every province, there are free rehabilitation centers, mental hospitals, and shelters.
-Not because we are good and they are bad. They are not bad, they are poor. Our three neighbors (Burma, Laos, and Cambodia) are poor. They come here to build our roads and homes. Cheap labor. Some come to beg. Burma is a military dictatorship, very corrupt. They do not take care of people at all. Even cell phones are interdicted. But, on the other hand, not many people in Burma can afford a cell phone.
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