Homeless Boys

[jvt22222]

I wonder … and have no idea or way to know for sure … how the over-riding issue of FACE impacts on homelessness being discussed here. FACE affects everything here so it must influence homelessness as well. Certainly would seem to affect the answer to the question "are you homeless?"

[Dodger]

I wonder … and have no idea or way to know for sure … how the over-riding issue of FACE impacts on homelessness being discussed here. FACE affects everything here so it must influence homelessness as well. Certainly would seem to affect the answer to the question "are you homeless?"

Good question:

I mentioned earlier in this thread that I found it interesting that none of the homeless boys I was interacting with ever asked me for money. In-other-words, they weren't begging. They also appeared to be accepting these temporary living conditions as the result of the economy, nothing more, and nothing less. And, at least from what I could detect, showed no sense of shame (loss of face) regarding this condition.

I've also come across homeless people in Pattaya who seem to be clearly suffering from consequences of their own making (usually drug or alcohol related) who seem to have no problem begging for money. Right or wrong, I never make any donations to these people.

[goji]

I've also come across homeless people in Pattaya who seem to be clearly suffering from consequences of their own making (usually drug or alcohol related) who seem to have no problem begging for money. Right or wrong, I never make any donations to these people.

Very good point. Giving money to a drug addict is not a good idea.
I have seen locals giving food to people begging on the street in Pattaya and the recipients don't seem as grateful as you would expect.

[Manforallseasons]

Very good point. Giving money to a drug addict is not a good idea.
I have seen locals giving food to people begging on the street in Pattaya and the recipients don't seem as grateful as you would expect.

This is a cultural (religious) thing as the givers are making merit for themselves by giving.

[cdnmatt]

This is a cultural (religious) thing as the givers are making merit for themselves by giving.

Yeah, saying thanks over in Thailand isn't needed like it is in the West. A quick thanks and acknowledgement is all that's needed, and generally anything more is seen as taking away from the act of giving, and as MFAS said, making merit.

At the same time, don't get all pissy when your boy du jour doesn't salivate with praise and thankfulness for you helping him out a bit.

[StevieWonders]

Yeah, saying thanks over in Thailand isn't needed like it is in the West. A quick thanks and acknowledgement is all that's needed, and generally anything more is seen as taking away from the act of giving, and as MFAS said, making merit.

At the same time, don't get all pissy when your boy du jour doesn't salivate with praise and thankfulness for you helping him out a bit.

It’s the Thai patronage system. We’re their patrons, not their lovers in the Western sense.

[cdnmatt]

It’s the Thai patronage system. We’re their patrons, not their lovers in the Western sense.

Plus if someone helps them, instead of being eternally thankful, they'll be more inclined to think they received help because they've been a good person during their life and earned enough karma to be deserving of said help versus having anything to do with whoever helped them.

That's just how life works over there, hence why big thank yous to everyone all the time just aren't needed. You're helping someone to make merit, so later on in life you'll be deserving of and receive help too, and round and round it goes with everyone helping each other.

[vnman]

I've also come across homeless people in Pattaya who seem to be clearly suffering from consequences of their own making (usually drug or alcohol related) who seem to have no problem begging for money. Right or wrong, I never make any donations to these people.

Obviously, you decide who you help or not. But I wouldn't be so fast to judge when talking about who is to blame for their misfortune. As an example, a boy I helped on many occasions, mostly with clothes and food and some time with money, was clearly on drugs. His story was as rough as they come. At a very young age...we are talking prepub here, he was taken to Bangkok to work in a private sex club. The rest I leave to your imagination.

I hated the way he was treated by some people in Sunnee.

The 2 boys you mentioned who died. Of course, I have no clue, but I can very well imagine that even people in their situation gravitate to drugs. Only to try to escape the harsh reality of their daily struggles.