BANGKOK – Pol. Lt. Gen. Ittipol Ittisarnronnachai, the Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, together with relevant officials, held a press conference on November 27 at the Immigration Bureau in Mueang Thong Thani and summarised the investigation into foreign beggars in Thailand.
The investigation revealed two groups: a group of Chinese beggars in many area of Bangkok and a group of Jordanian beggars in the Nana area.
Chinese Beggars Group:
- Mrs. Keng (41 years old): Arrested on 11 November near the Siam Square Shopping Centre. She was deported on 17 November.
- Ms. Wu (34 years old): Arrested on 18 November near Phetchaburi Bridge. She had come to Thailand to beg and exchanged the money she collected via WeChat for Chinese yuan.
- Mrs. Yuan (39 years old): Arrested on 19 November near Major Pin Klao shopping center. She and her boyfriend, Mr Wu, had been beggars in China and Malaysia before coming to Thailand.
- Ms. Hu (28 years old): Arrested on 20 November near Sala Daeng BTS. She came to Thailand to beg, influenced by friends who informed her of the high income in this profession.
- Mr. Fan (28 years old): Arrested on 20 November near Asok BTS. He came to Thailand as a tourist, lost his passport and begged to survive.
- Mr. Wang (33 years old): Arrested on 20 November on Silom Road. He came to Thailand as a tourist but ran out of money so he begged on Silom Road.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Ittipol said that the Chinese beggars group had not only operated in Thailand but had also begged in other countries such as Singapore and Malaysia. Each member kept the collected money in their personal WeChat Pay accounts and did not share or distribute it to others.
Most of the physical injuries observed on the bodies of this group were from burns sustained in childhood. There were no reports of violence or damage caused by others.
In the case of a Thai woman who was engaged with a gang of Chinese beggars, it was discovered that she simply conducted her job as an interpreter. She has not been involved in begging.
As for the Jordanian beggar group, the police reported that this group consisted of people of Jordanian nationality living in the Nana area, Sukhumvit, Bangkok. They gathered in front of the shopping complex at Nana Square and begged aggressively, sometimes with the little children, to gain the sympathy of tourists.
After a thorough check, it was discovered that they had all entered Thailand on tourist visas. The authorities decided to revoke their permits to stay in the kingdom and deport them. In addition, 33 foreign beggars were arrested and blacklisted in various tourist destinations, including Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Phuket, before being sent back to their home countries.
The police pointed out that stricter control measures could be implemented in future when people enter the country. Officers will pay close attention to the behavior of foreign nationals, especially during the festive season.
The case of disabled persons requires careful scrutiny and co-operation with business owners to confirm the accommodation of foreign persons with disabilities.
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