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Report by Thai-Asean News Network
Published on 2 February 2010
In the midst of the economic crisis, it can be a big surprise to many that obtaining a high-paying job no longer requires high educational background such as a doctorate degree. Instead all that one really needs is to become a beggar. TAN reporter, Juarawee Kittisilpa, has the story.
In today’s fast-paced society, people struggle day by day to make ends meet with the limited salary they earn. Getting a job now requires more than just a high education as organizations look for strong characteristics. But what if one can make a good living without having to sit in a cubical all day long?
It's no surprise then that foreign beggars are also coming into Thailand because it is considered the easiest way to earn a living... Beggars can earn up to 300 to 1,000Bt a day, depending on the occasion. The dropping of a single 10 baht coin into a can, can accumulate up to a 21-million-baht per month salary for beggars who do not even have to pay tax.
But, the increasing number of beggars has changed the face of traditional begging as we know it.
Earning good pay though does not mean having an easy life. Recently, the Social Development and Human Security Ministry, along with the special force police, captured some 1,000 beggars wandering around Bangkok.
Some may get deported while others get different penalties. Minors are taken into shelters. All expenses are on the taxpayers' shoulders.
And the expenses do not stop as every year there is a steady flow of beggars coming back. All really depends on the mercy of Thais.
Source: http://www.tannetwor...?DataID=1024399
