OPINION

Blind to the business of begging

News, Somporn Thapanachai, Published on 08/02/2012

» There was an interesting piece of news last week that really impressed me about the cleverness of the guy in the story. The man was earning over 100,000 baht a month from begging _ far higher than the government's proposed 15,000 baht monthly salary for a new university graduate holding a bachelor's degree. With his wife acting as the guide, the man put on a pair of dark glasses and feigned blindness. The couple popped in and out of restaurants in Chon Buri, collecting change from the compassionate and earning 3-4,000 baht a day. Their game unravelled only after the couple had an argument. The wife grumbled about the husband's "big spending" at their rented air-conditioned bungalow, and a fight ensued. Police were called in to investigate the disturbance.