First a busker…

A beggar or a busker in Thailandbegging-and-busking-ksr-2Foreign-Man-His-Family-Begging-On-KSR

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remember our post about “Stick Boy Bangkok“, and photos showing a European man with two young children busking in Thailand?

His signs said he was trying to raise cash to cover insurance costs for his daughter’s operation. Immigration police told him busking was illegal. There was controversy over whether Lukas had busked once or repeatedly, whether he should have his kids with him at all, why he didn’t have travel insurance, and should this even be illegal? Forum chatter ensued.

 …then a beggar…

Stick Boy posted again, showing that

The Czech father kicked off the streets of Patong for busking and begging with his young family has reappeared in Bangkok, busking and begging with his kids again. Facebook user Ben Wood spotted Lukas Matena at Victory Monument, and shared a photo on a popular Bangkok FB group. Mr Wood also added that the busker had a sign up saying “no photos”, no doubt to avoid publicity as Mr Matena is fully aware that it is illegal for him to be singing on the streets of Thailand for money.

…inspiring a massively dangerous law.

From an article titled “New law seeks better control over beggars, and buskers

THE CABINET yesterday gave the green light to a draft bill on street beggars, which empowers the Social Development and Human Security Ministry to send migrant beggars back to their home countries. Also under the bill, buskers and street performers will be required to seek permission from local administrative bodies before taking to the streets.

So. A guy busks in Thailand, gets in trouble, the story is picked up on social media, and now the Thai government is going to deport migrant beggars and require ALL buskers to seek permission to busk!

Is this a bad apple spoiling the bunch, or a rotten apple basket?