NationThailand-Nov 28
The Immigration Bureau has confirmed that the six Chinese nationals caught begging on Bangkok streets were not victims of torture, physical abuse or coercion by human traffickers. Pol Lt-General Ittipol Ittisarnronnachai, the Immigration Bureau chief, addressed these concerns at a press conference on Monday. Seven Chinese men and women have been arrested for begging on Bangkok streets since November 10. The arrests were prompted by comments on social media, suggesting that human traffickers may be exploiting Thailand’s visa waiver to bring in victims. The individuals caught exhibited facial deformities or had crippled hands or fingers. Ittipol, however, asserted that the detainees admitted to entering Thailand voluntarily after learning that begging in the capital could earn them up to 10,000 baht a day.
Ittipol said the first person from this group to be arrested was a 41-year-old woman going by the name Kheng. She was apprehended on November 11 in the BTS Skywalk in front of the Siam Square shopping mall. On November 18, a 34-year-old woman identified as Wu was arrested by Phya Thai police on a pedestrian flyover in front of the Platinum shopping mall on Phetchaburi Road. Wu revealed that she had observed beggars earning substantial amounts in major sightseeing spots in a previous visit to Thailand. So, she decided to try her hand at begging and sometimes she earned up to 10,000 baht per day. She said she converted her earnings to yuan and deposited them in her WeChat Pay account. Read more at: https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40033270
