Pedestrians walk near a beggar along a sidewalk in the Thai capital Bangkok on May 23, 2020. (Photo: Romeo Gacad/AFP)
Police in Thailand have arrested six beggars suspected to be victims of an international human trafficking ring following a crackdown on illegal begging in the Southeast Asian nation.
All the arrested had visible facial disfigurement akin to acid burn and mutilation on limbs and were caught begging at locations with high pedestrian traffic, Thai News Agency (TNA) reported on Nov. 22.
They were arrested in Chorakhe Noi town in Bang Sao Thong district just outside Bangkok.
Colonel Phanlob Samransom, the local police chief, said beggars have increased in the outskirts of the city following a police crackdown on begging in the city.
“In the past, there were not many beggars in the area due to the small population. If [they were to] sit and beg, [they would not] get much money,” Samransom said.
“It is believed that after the news of the gang of beggars, their faces became [exposed]. It may [have caused them to] move from the inner-city area to the outskirts,” Samransom added.
‘Substantial earnings through begging’
The details of possible human trafficking victims begging on the streets were brought to the authorities by Kanthat Pongpaiboonwej, a social media influencer and volunteer who often goes to help those in need.
Pongpaiboonwej told TNA that each beggar earns up to 10,000 Thai Baht (US$284) a day.
“This estimation only includes those who have been found, and the actual figure may be higher,” Pongpaiboonwej added.
Pongpaiboonwej pointed out that the beggars' wounds and because they were dressed in a similar fashion indicated a human trafficking ring behind the scheme.
“There was a van coming to pick them up and they would leave wearing school uniforms,” Pongpaiboonwej said.
A total of 7,158 beggars were integrated into the system between October 2014 and October this year, according to the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security,
Among that total, 4,685 were Thai nationals and 2,473 were foreigners, government data revealed.
Reportedly, the highest number of beggars were in tourist areas such as Lumpini, Sukhumvit, and in provinces like Chonburi and Chiang Mai.
Cambodian nationals were the predominant group found engaging in begging activities, TNA reported.
Crackdown on begging
On Nov. 20, Minister of Social Development and Human Security, Varawut Silpa-archa ordered an investigation into the case of a Chinese woman seen begging near a popular shopping mall in the Pin Klao area.
Reportedly, the woman had a scarred face and amputated hands and was dressed as a student while begging. Authorities believe that the woman was a victim of human trafficking.
The issue was a “delicate matter between countries” and the authorities needed to verify the details of how she entered Thailand, Silpa-archa said.
Thailand banned begging in 2016 by enacting the Beggar Control Act, which made begging an offense punishable with imprisonment not exceeding one month which may include a fine of 10,000 Thai baht.
Traffickers and those seeking to benefit from begging face up to three years in jail and fines as high as 30,000 baht.
Government officials found complicit face up to five years in jail and or up to 50,000 baht in fines.
