Student “Panhandlers” and Product Promotions

Not reading Thai can sometimes be a handicap if you're as curious a person as I am. Many times while out on morning walks I see signs and wonder what they say. Not enough to invest the enormous amount of time it would take an old fart like me to actually learn to read it myself, but still…

Oftentimes while walking in higher-traffic areas you'll see small groups of younger men and women singing, playing music or otherwise just standing with signs, collecting donations with a box or large metal bowl of some sort. Most of the time the signs have snapshots taped to them and many times they appear to be collecting for one school or another. When I’ve gotten an answer back from them as to why they’re there it’s usually been “school”, and since they’re in the same uniforms I’ve guessed this was the case. I'm sure some are for charities and other causes.

Charities in general need to be investigated because many aren’t as nice as they purport themselves to be, and that’s not something you can readily do while walking along. Regardless, I’ve seen many groups gathered at BTS stations, open air markets, shopping malls and street corners and almost always drop 20Bt or so into their collection containers and always feel a little better afterward. If you personally know these to be scams (as I’m sure some are) let me live in my fantasy world just a bit longer if you would, please. By the way - if you want a sure thing, please check out the Pattaya Street Kids Support Project post here. There are many kids who don’t even have the basic funds to attend school period, let alone help raise funds for special projects.

Some groups I've seen are in matching T-shirts or outfits and are there to promote something, such as the group in the clip here today. Whatever the case, it’s much more palatable than the people who frequent intersections here in the US with a sign that may as well just say “Will stand here for money”.

One afternoon I happened across a large group dancing on the sidewalk below while at a BTS station. Despite it being a very warm day they appeared to be having fun while in almost constant motion for the 15 minutes or so I stood and watched, at least; and didn’t seem to be phased at all by the majority who went by without even turning their heads to take notice. I didn’t go down to find out what they were promoting but there wasn’t a collection bowl. My guess is they were being remunerated in some way for their performances – somewhat like the demonstrators lately who… oh, OK, let’s keep this apolitical. I caught this clip from above of a part of one of their routines that day:


I saw more dancing in that 15 minutes than one would normally while sitting in a club for an entire evening – although that’s a kind of bitchy thing to say!