its become a regular sight now , I use the predestine walk way over the road from the Mall to get to the other side , there sat on the floor is an old woman cup in front , with closed hands in a wai position , some times its a woman with a young child , some times its an old man with a missing limb . Ive got into a routine of putting my hand in my pocket to see if I have any loose change as I approach them ,ready to drop coins into the solitary cup.
The last time I approached a woman sat on the walkway floor , I did my normal routine and dropped a few coins in the cup, the difference this time was that I was not alone , I was walking across the walk way with a farang friend , on reaching the other side he made the comment that he never gives the beggars a satang , when I asked why his reply was any money given either ends up being spent on alcohol or gambling and in some cases a Mafia minder who pays the beggar to sit there .
I am aware the amounts I give are relatively small , but as my friend so aptly pointed out , multiply the small amounts over a long period , and may be the amounts add up to a larger amount .
So do you ever drop some thing into their cup, or just walk on by , do you think my friends assumptions could be right .
