Beggar with luxury SUV earns thousands at flea market

A beggar at a flea market was shockingly discovered to be the owner of a luxury SUV, earning more in a few hours than those who gave him money. The incident left officials astonished and opened a dialogue on the issue of beggars.

During a routine check at the Sri Jaya night market in the Maran district of Pahang, Malaysia on February 21, social welfare officers stumbled upon an unexpected case. They observed a man, dressed in a grey cloak and a Muslim cap, carrying a paper bag and appealing for sympathy from passersby, many of whom compassionately offered him money.

Upon closer inspection, the man’s hands appeared unusually small compared to an average person, sparking curiosity among the officers. When questioned, the man initially remained silent, leading officials to think he might be deaf and mute. However, they persisted in their attempt to communicate and requested his identification. Surprisingly, the man then revealed that he had left his documents in his car, reported The Straits Times.

What followed was even more astonishing for the social welfare officers. Upon reaching the man’s vehicle, they found it to be a premium Proton X70 SUV, priced between 123,800 and 128,800 Malaysian ringgit (approximately 930,000 to 967,000 baht) (US$25,883 to US$26,913). The man confessed to the officials that he could collect up to 500 ringgit (around 3,700 baht) from begging at the market within just four to five hours.

Further investigation revealed that since 2001, the man had been receiving a monthly disability allowance of 450 ringgit (about 3,300 baht). Despite this, the social welfare department did not take any severe measures against him. Considering it was his first offence in the area, they opted to issue a warning before releasing him.

In related news, Immigration Bureau officers arrested 23 Jordanian beggars at a hotel in the Nana neighbourhood of Bangkok following complaints from business owners on Soi Sukhumvit 4 near Nana Plaza.