If you really want to help the less fortunate
One of the truly unsung expats of Thailand, Father Joseph Maier, has been ministering to the poor and needy in the slums of Bangkok since the early 1970s.
He recently wrote a heartbreaking account of a slum child attacked by dogs due to inattention by his negligent grandmother, who was elsewhere, standing lookout for a gambling den.
Father Joe has also written a book entitled “Welcome to the Bangkok Slaughterhouse”, proceeds from the sale of which go to support his foundation. For anyone interested in looking beyond the glitzy malls and tourist brochures at the sad reality of life for many of Bangkok’s residents, they can start by reading Father Joe.
Support for his foundation, or indeed for any of the accredited charities for which The Nation has a record, will do much more good than giving money to the beggars one sees on the street. Many of these are exploited by gangs, and can keep little if any of the money they receive.
The Klongurchin
