Pattaya's Desperate Choice: Cambodian Beggars Reveal Why Streets Beat Starvation
Facing dire poverty and lack of work at home, vulnerable Cambodian mothers and children are choosing illicit begging in Thailand, earning hundreds daily but risking arrest.
- Cambodian beggars choose the streets of Pattaya because they face non-existent job opportunities and the threat of starvation in their home country.
- The choice is a desperate one, as many beggars have been previously arrested and deported, only to re-enter Thailand illegally because the alternative is extreme hardship.
- Begging provides a viable, though illicit, income of 400-500 baht daily and sometimes up to 2,000 baht, which is a stark contrast to the destitution they face in Cambodia.
Along the bustling streets and neon-lit entertainment districts of Pattaya, a visible and growing presence of Cambodian beggars, often accompanied by young children, reveals a heartbreaking truth about economic desperation.
A recent survey by Kom Chad Luek reporters found these individuals strategically positioned outside convenience stores and bars, employing youngsters to elicit sympathy from passers-by.
Worryingly, the groups often operate under the watchful eye of lookouts, ready to signal a swift dispersal should authorities approach.
Reporters spoke with a 24-year-old new mother, cradling and breastfeeding her two-month-old daughter while begging outside a local convenience store.
Despite being aware of the ongoing border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia, and with her own home situated near the volatile frontier, she expressed a stark reluctance to return.
"I don't want to go back," she explained simply, her voice tinged with resignation. "It would be too difficult there." Abandoned by her husband, she admitted she had only earned a meagre 200 baht that morning.
The grim reality of their choices was further underscored by another Cambodian mother and her young son, aged around seven or eight.
Upon seeing the news team, they fled into a nearby alley, seeking refuge in a hotel bathroom. After a patient wait, reporters managed to speak with her. She confessed to having been previously arrested and deported to Cambodia, only to have re-entered Thailand illicitly less than a month ago.
Her reason was painfully clear: "There is no work in Cambodia," she stated, revealing she also suffers from diabetes. When asked if she wished to return, her quiet response was heartbreaking: "I want to, but I have no money."
Locals, including a resident from Surin province whose home is just 70 kilometres from the border, confirmed the consistent presence of these Cambodian beggars.
During the recent clashes between Thai and Cambodian soldiers, they had spoken with some of the beggars, who collectively voiced their fears.
While acknowledging the risk of police arrest, their overriding concern was the prospect of hardship and starvation back home, where job opportunities are non-existent.
"They understand that begging is illegal in Thailand," the resident noted, "but they truly believe they would starve if they went back." Despite their illicit activity, the local observed that "these people are not usually harmful."
Reporters observed that many of the beggars are women, often with one or two small children, strategically positioning themselves on footpaths to draw the sympathy of tourists, who frequently hand over money.
Local residents and motorcycle taxi drivers revealed that these beggars are "familiar faces," often returning to the same spots just one to two months after being apprehended by police.
What might seem like a desperate last resort, however, can prove surprisingly lucrative.
Sources indicate that these Cambodian beggars can earn a minimum of 400-500 baht daily, with some lucky days bringing in 1,000-2,000 baht, typically working from early evening until late at night. For many, this illicit income offers a grim but viable alternative to the destitution they face in their home country.
