Illegal Cambodian beggars ring busted in Pattaya

The Thai authorities in Chon Buri province conducted a crackdown on illegal begging on Wednesday, targeting a Cambodian beggars’ ring in Pattaya.

Led by Police chief Colonel Napatspong Khotsitsuriyamani and Pol. Col. Nawin Thirawit, the operation aimed to safeguard Pattaya’s tourism charm. What they discovered during their crackdown sent shockwaves through the city.

In a bid to preserve the positive image of the renowned tourist destination, officials combed through various hotspots, exposing a clandestine group of 11 individuals, including seven Cambodian women and four children. These beggars had snuck into Thailand through covert natural routes in Sa Kaeo, Chanthaburi, and other provinces, endangering their lives to solicit money in Pattaya.

During interrogation, a 36 year old Cambodian woman confessed to clandestinely entering Thailand with her three month old daughter and two year old son, navigating through jungle paths at Ban Laem village in Chanthaburi province, along the Cambodian border. The group strategically targeted tourist spots, raking in an estimated daily income of 1,000 baht.

Now they face preliminary charges for illegal entry and violating the Begging Control Act as well as deportation, reported Pattaya Mail.

Amongst the group, three pairs of mothers and children will find themselves in a childcare facility in Bang Lamung district. They will undergo DNA testing to confirm their biological relationships. Any anomalies discovered in the test results will be treated as potential human trafficking cases.

In related news, Human Security Emergency Management Center (HuSEC) officers are searching for a foreign beggar who showed off his yoga skills for money near Mor Chit BTS Station in Bangkok.

Pictures of a foreign beggar seeking money to travel back to his home country went viral on Thai social media this week. The foreign man in the pictures was seen wearing elephant-patterned pants and a yellow T-shirt and performing several yoga gestures on the footpath.

Thai netizens shared their opinions on the foreign beggar saying he might be a backpacker who travelled on a budget or lost his wallet and could not afford to return to his home country.