Phuket locals demand action against foreign beggars targeting tourists
Locals in the Patong neighbourhood of Phuket demanded official action against foreign beggars asking for money from tourists, fearing a negative impact on the province’s reputation.
Newshawk Phuket shared a video yesterday, March 3, showing one of two foreign women asking a foreign man for money. The page reported that the incident took place in the Patong area of Phuket and that it received numerous complaints from residents.
In the video, the foreign man handed over 20 baht to stop them from bothering him. One of the women appeared to ask for more money but the man repeatedly refused saying, “No, no, no.” The two women then walked away from the scene.
The women were dressed in long blue and pink dresses and wore hijabs. They did not appear homeless or to be in financial difficulty. Their nationalities were not confirmed in the report.
Phuket locals shared their experiences with the two women in the comments section.
“I see these two foreign women very often. They are not alone. They have a gang. During the day, they come with a young child to ask for money, and in the evening, they work in pairs. I heard from some people that this gang of beggars is actually very wealthy. I wonder whether they overstayed their visas.”
“These two women asked my foreign customer for money, but I told the client not to give them. She urged the client to buy them food instead. Unfortunately, they requested the biggest KFC meal available. They are scammers!”
“These two women have been in Phuket for over 15 years and even managed to buy a house.”
Other netizens criticised the local police for their inaction, urging officials to deport the women or take legal action against them.
A similar incident was reported in Bangkok, where 23 Jordanian beggars were arrested at a hotel in the Nana neighbourhood.
This group solicited money from both foreigners and Thais and caused a public nuisance in the area. The foreign beggars in Phuket are believed to be from the same country, as their appearances are similar.
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