News Forum - Bangkok police dismantle begging ring, uncover 300k baht cash

[Thaiger]

Thai police dismantled a begging ring in the heart of Bangkok, discovering 300,000 baht in cash and an astonishing bank account balance. The generosity of the Thai people was evident in the amassed funds. Deputy Superintendent Suriya Puangsomboon led a team of Immigration Police Division 1 investigators, working alongside the Bangkok Homeless Protection Centre and … …

The story Bangkok police dismantle begging ring, uncover 300k baht cash as seen on Thaiger News.

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[AussieBob]

Put the bast**s in jail for a few years - they are stealing from real Thai poor people.

[Fanta]

11 minutes ago, AussieBob said:

Put the bast**s in jail for a few years - they are stealing from real Thai poor people.

Jail seems harsh. And stealing how? 8 of the arrested were Thai nationals. Thais give money to earn merit. You could say they are paying for brownie points. No harm, no foul.

[AussieBob]

7 minutes ago, Fanta said:

Jail seems harsh. And stealing how? 8 of the arrested were Thai nationals. Thais give money to earn merit. You could say they are paying for brownie points. No harm, no foul.

There is many organised groups of beggars that have been operating in Thailand (mainly Bangkok) since Covid ended.  Thailand passed a specific Law to ban them operating and begging. This is just another example of them taking lots of money on false pretences. Been going on for a while and the authorities are always too lenient (as usual) - lock them up and send a message - you do this here and you will go to jail. It is because Thais are generous (merit etc) that they do it - but they are taking money on a false premise.

[rattlesnake]

1 hour ago, AussieBob said:

There is many organised groups of beggars that have been operating in Thailand (mainly Bangkok) since Covid ended.  Thailand passed a specific Law to ban them operating and begging. This is just another example of them taking lots of money on false pretences. Been going on for a while and the authorities are always too lenient (as usual) - lock them up and send a message - you do this here and you will go to jail. It is because Thais are generous (merit etc) that they do it - but they are taking money on a false premise.

Yeah, and it's been going on for a long time. I remember about ten years ago, in Pattaya Thepprasit market, there was one guy with no legs who was placed on the ground in the middle of the market, then guys in a pickup truck would pick him up after his shift.

And it's not just a Thai thing, the worst I saw was twenty years ago in Barcelona, a guy with no arms or legs lying flat, face against the ground on the Ramblas, with hordes of people walking past/over him.

[AussieBob]

1 hour ago, rattlesnake said:

Yeah, and it's been going on for a long time. I remember about ten years ago, in Pattaya Thepprasit market, there was one guy with no legs who was placed on the ground in the middle of the market, then guys in a pickup truck would pick him up after his shift.

And it's not just a Thai thing, the worst I saw was twenty years ago in Barcelona, a guy with no arms or legs lying flat, face against the ground on the Ramblas, with hordes of people walking past/over him.

Yep - they do it because there is big money in it. The beggars take a cut, but the 'pimps' get most of it. I saw it in India and it was horrendous - some Parents there were charged with cutting one of their kids arms off, to make them 'better' at begging. 

[ChrisS]

Same with these 'flower sellers' etc that you see in most busy tourist bar areas, I have seen in Hua Hin a mini van pull up disgorging about 10 people (6 of whom were young kids) then coming to pick them up when their 'shift' is over.  

[rattlesnake]

6 hours ago, AussieBob said:

Yep - they do it because there is big money in it. The beggars take a cut, but the 'pimps' get most of it. I saw it in India and it was horrendous - some Parents there were charged with cutting one of their kids arms off, to make them 'better' at begging. 

Now that you mention it, I remember hearing such stories… Just dreadful.

[rattlesnake]

3 hours ago, ChrisS said:

Same with these 'flower sellers' etc that you see in most busy tourist bar areas, I have seen in Hua Hin a mini van pull up disgorging about 10 people (6 of whom were young kids) then coming to pick them up when their 'shift' is over.  

Yeah, I've seen them. They are mostly a nuisance to customers, and I often wonder why the bar/restaurant owners let them do it. I guess either they are getting a cut, and/or they know there are powerful networks behind it and it's better not to mess with them, and/or it's a Thai solidarity thing where they don't fundamentally see a problem with asking farangs for money.

[AussieBob]

10 hours ago, rattlesnake said:

Yeah, I've seen them. They are mostly a nuisance to customers, and I often wonder why the bar/restaurant owners let them do it. I guess either they are getting a cut, and/or they know there are powerful networks behind it and it's better not to mess with them, and/or it's a Thai solidarity thing where they don't fundamentally see a problem with asking farangs for money.

Yep - had that happen to us in Chiang Mai and Chonburi - but not anywhere in Isan - so I think you are right - where there are farangs the Thais think differently.  One of the many great things about living here - the big one is no Chinese tourists - none - nil - nada - nought - cero - love - naught - null - yeong - gong - rei - ling    

We do get a few Koreans during the high season (mostly for golf), but nowhere near the same numbers as elsewhere in Thailand. One of the big downsides I had with living in Chiang Mai and Chonburi was that I was seen as a 'target'. However out here I am 'different', but I am not seen as a tourist to be scammed/taken all the time.  They know the only reason I am here is because I am married to a Thai - unless I am young smelly and have a big backpack.

[ChrisS]

16 hours ago, rattlesnake said:

and/or it's a Thai solidarity thing where they don't fundamentally see a problem with asking farangs for money.

A lot of them are not actually Thai but from Myanmar, guessing they are illegals and being run by unscrupulous Thai gangs. It is basically modern day slavery. It is impossible that even the largely  incompetent  Thai police don't know what is going on so presume there are pay outs involved.