Thailand in pictures (1): Homeless
A homeless person in Silom Road (Kevin Hellon / Shutterstock.com)
A picture paints a thousand words. That certainly applies to Thailand, a special country with an interesting culture and many smiling people. Those who visit Thailand are almost always captivated by the atmosphere that characterizes the country. Sometimes not to express in words but in images.
Today we start with a new section, in which photography (images) is central. In each episode we choose a theme that gives an insight into Thai society.
No slick pictures of swaying palms and white beaches in this series, but simply of people. Sometimes hard, sometimes moving, but also surprising.
Homeless in Thailand
In the shadows of vibrant, colorful Thailand, with its vibrant markets, glittering temples and lush landscapes, lies a less told story, that of the homeless in cities like Bangkok. Their stories are part of everyday life, but often overlooked in the hustle and bustle of the city.
On the streets of Bangkok, where tourists and locals rush past the food stalls and tuk-tuks, some have no home other than the corner of a busy street. These people are the silent witnesses of the city that never sleeps, at the mercy of the elements and the unpredictability of life on the streets.
Many of them have sought refuge in the capital, driven by dreams of a better life or escaping personal tragedies. Behind every weary look and every outstretched hand is a story: stories of lost jobs, broken families, or struggles with mental health and addiction. In the tangle of the city they live day and night, unnoticed by many, but an integral part of the urban landscape.
In Bangkok, where tradition goes hand in hand with modernity, the homeless sometimes find refuge in the many temples. Buddhist monks sometimes offer them food and shelter, a sign of the deep-rooted spirituality and compassion that characterizes Thai society. But these moments of comfort are only temporary in their otherwise precarious existence.
As the city rages on, with its neon lights and endless energy, the plight of Bangkok's homeless remains a silent, ongoing challenge. It's a side of Thailand that often remains invisible to the cameras and travel guides, but one that is an important part of understanding the complex tapestry of this fascinating city.
Bangkok (Pavel V. Khon / Shutterstock.com)
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(Pavel V. Khon / Shutterstock.com)
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(Pavel V. Khon / Shutterstock.com)
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(Pavel V. Khon / Shutterstock.com)
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(Pavel V. Khon / Shutterstock.com)
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(Pavel V. Khon / Shutterstock.com)
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(CWT.Photographer / Shutterstock.com)
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(Pavel V. Khon / Shutterstock.com)
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(Pavel V. Khon / Shutterstock.com)
The short series is not revealing for those who keep their eyes open in the so-called land of smiles. A good addition to all those beautiful pictures and smooth stories that have so much acclaim - from Thais and migrants.
The land of inequality is thus an inexhaustible resource.
The editors call the images harsh and moving. And also surprising?!
Although an image says more than 1000 words, it would add even more if you knew the stories behind it. What happened, how they manage. However, we will never hear it. This fate seems to affect mostly men.
Yes Brad,
That's because women worldwide are much stronger than men, both physically and mentally.
Moreover, especially a Thai person, she is ashamed to hold her hand, with some exceptions.
I see an old lady sitting at 7Eleven every day. And I think she is forced by family: because an old lady is pathetic, isn't she?
It is well known that there are rich and poor everywhere in the world, which surprises me that for example in Bkk or along the Chao Praya river luxury condos are sold for “only 35 million baht start”, while Thais are expected by their faith to help the less well off.
The pandemic will not make this situation any better.
My heart breaks to look at these photos, and whenever I was in Thailand I always gave something to eat or drink when I saw homeless people, and I am not a Budhist.
Hopefully we can return to Thailand quickly to a large extent, to suppress worse situations a bit.
As soon as the rules regarding Coe, insurance, quarantine or being obliged to stay at 1 location for a certain duration, I will not hesitate for a moment to travel back to my beloved Thaialnd asap.
Jozef
Dear Joseph,
Certainly, generosity is one of the most important virtues in Buddhism. The penultimate birth of the Buddha is about Prince Vessantara, called in the Isaan Pa Wet, who gives away everything: a white elephant, which brings rain, to a neighboring kingdom, gold and jewels to a beggar, and in the end even his two children and his wife Madri. Almost all Thais know this story and it is called the 'Mahachaat', the Great Birth. That story is here:
https://www.thailandblog.nl/boeddhisme/mahachat-de-grote-geboorte-viering/
'Giving' in Thai is ทาน thaan, 'dana' in Sanskrit, related to our word 'donation'.
But….
The current perception of Buddhism in Thailand is a bit different. First of all, poor people, beggars, homeless people and disabled people are often seen as relatively 'bad' people. They are like this because they would have acquired little merit in their past and in this life and have "bad karma." My Thai stepdaughter is severely disabled due to a hereditary condition and a monk once stated that it is because of bad deeds committed in a past life.
Rich, powerful, beautiful and high-ranking people are often seen as the 'good' people, the คนดี 'khon die' in Thai. They have gained much merit in their many past lives.
Well, giving to a "good" person, such as a monk or the king, brings a lot of merit. A hundred baths for a temple is much more merit than a hundred baths for a beggar. That is the 'circle of merit'. You give to the king, the king gives back to the people and both greatly improve their karma and of course they will be reborn again as 'good people'. A gift to a beggar does little to help.
At the end of the Buddhist rain retreat, sometime in October, there is the kathin ceremony where robes are offered to the monks. The king does so every year in a royal temple of the first rank. Important figures spend a lot of money to participate in this ceremony and the higher the status of the temple, the more money is involved and the more merit the giver acquires. Beggars are not welcome in these temples.
That is the general way of things. Let me add that there are quite a lot of temples that help beggars and the homeless. This used to be very common in almost all temples. You understand where these temples are now.
Nice response, Tina. I myself was raised anthroposophically and my Thai wife is Buddhist. I notice that anthroposophy, or the teachings of Rudolf Steiner, corresponds to Buddhism for about 80 percent. By the way, I knew that before we got married. Both life lessons (they are not beliefs, that is also an agreement) have beautiful things, but sometimes I also think: mwah. Your comment about that monk also sounds familiar to me.
In any case, very nice that you give your stepdaughter a good chance in life. And I'm sure she deserves that chance.
Small addition. 'Bad people' refers not so much to morally bad (sinful) people: criminals and the like, but 'bad' as in a 'bad restaurant' where the food is not tasty and healthy, the atmosphere is less good and the service leaves much to be desired.
Our Thai daughter-in-law was recently in Thailand to visit her family in her native village. The housing of old people is often bad, and no home care like here. Neighbors then bring food to the elderly who do not have children in the village. Her father is lucky to have a good home and family nearby. But he does not receive state pension. He is 87 and still sells lottery tickets and earns something. Those who are sick just have to wait. They depend on donations.
Our daughter-in-law visited old people in the village and brought groceries. That doesn't happen in the cities. I've seen pictures of those people, very how they live in their old age. In their house that was once good, but after all these years is nothing more than a hovel.
Every Thai is entitled to a state pension.
60-69 year olds: ฿600/month
70-79 year olds: ฿700/month
80-89 year olds: ฿800/month
90+: ฿1000/month
There are also disability benefits. The amounts thereof are not known to me, but in the same order of magnitude.
That is of course far too little to make ends meet.
I spoke to a retired teacher who said cynically that he received a whopping 60.000 satang in state pension. “Sounds a lot better than 600 baht”, he said!
Cynical yes. But is it the truth? I don't have any teachers in the family here in Thailand. But I believe that a teacher is a public servant and he is entitled to a state pension. Of course no treasures, but still significantly higher than that 600 baht.
Dear JoshNT,
A teacher in government service receives a state pension (like all Thais, with the amounts as I have already mentioned above and can be found on the website of the SSO) and a government pension from the age of sixty.
That your wife is not entitled to ฿600 state pension while she is 66 because she is married to a foreigner is nonsense. Every Thai is entitled to the state pension (in NL this is called AOW).
My wife lives 80% of the year in NL, but she also receives 60 baht since she was 600, which is passed directly on to her sister.
My wife ditto.
we got married in the netherlands and she also gets a thai aow.
Maybe it matters that our marriage is not registered in Thailand.
y, that's right.
If I'm not mistaken you get 10% of your monthly salary as a pension, if you have more than 15 years of service. With an income of 20.000 Baht, 2000 Baht per month
With a lower number, you will receive a lump sum benefit that is as high as the contribution to Social Security
Addition:
My girlfriend told me that those who are not (via work or their own initiative) voluntarily insured can receive a maximum total of ฿800/month in disability benefits. On the website of the Social Security Office (สำนักงานประกันสังคม) after some searching I could only find disability benefits for (via work or own initiative) voluntarily insured persons and the state pension.
https://www.sso.go.th/wpr/main/privilege/กองทุนประกันสังคม_sub_category_list-text-photo_1_125_692
Here in the south (Trang) I have never seen a homeless person, I did in Bangkok. Usually one finds shelter here – debj ik – with fanuli and friends. Even if it's just a spot on the floor, people don't have much possessions, so they can take that with them. Older people usually continue to live with their last child. Unless one is or will be divorced. My father-in-law was taken away from his wife by the children (they had a fierce argument) and parked with older daughter(s) in another province. When he died, however, he was laid out the same evening in the house of his woman.
Incidentally, there is a kind of “state pension” for the elderly, My wife seems to receive 60 baht per month when she is 60! When she is 67, another 20% AOW will be added from the Netherlands (must be applied for)
Then your wife is lucky. My wife is 66 and does not receive a pension. Reason: because she is married to a foreigner. Not that she needs it, but out of curiosity she once asked a cousin who works at the town hall. Besides, I have always forbidden her to accept it if she is entitled to it. There are those who need it much more.
“By the way, I have always forbidden her to accept it if she is entitled to it. There are those who need it much more.”
That's pointless anyway.
And where do you think the money of those who do not apply for or accept it will go?
She better accept it and then she can give it herself to those who need it more. That's how it gets there.
JosNT, I read this with surprise. No pension because she is married to a farang? Does this also apply to pension from a job where contributions have been paid for that provision?
It's discrimination; just as, in the old days, a Thai was no longer allowed to own land after marrying a farang. First by the courts and then by the legislature a thick line has been drawn.
I would ask that cousin what she does with the money from the state pension, so your wife's money to which every Thai is entitled when she reaches retirement age. The fact that the niece tells it, says enough to check to whom it is transferred monthly. The rules are set and it doesn't matter who she married or if she has a billion baht in the bank.
Nice photo report. Good to show the other side of the coin as well.