Admitting they are unable to solve Pattaya’s homeless problem alone, city social workers urged the public to report any vagrants and street children panhandling or sleeping in public.
Responding to a recent Pattaya Mail “Baywatch” article showing a homeless man sleeping on Beach Road, Theeraporn Sreejan, head of Pattaya’s Social Welfare Department, said the city requires public assistance to keep a lid on the homeless problem.
Municipal police officers question this person, and finding him to be homeless, transfer him to a shelter.
She said the majority of homeless people arrive penniless from other provinces or are mentally ill. However, city officials have little information on their whereabouts and, often, homeless stopped by police claim they are merely tourists, leaving authorities powerless to do anything.
She urged anyone spotting a person sleeping or living on the street or creating a nuisance to call the Pattaya Call Center at 1337 with the person’s location, description and behavior.
Once under the city’s care, homeless people can benefit from a number of services, from shelter to vocational training, she said.
Street children are placed in orphanages or long-term homes while homeless adults are transferred to shelters in Nonthaburi and Saraburi.
There, she said, government workers offer them vocational training, medical treatment and other services to get them back on their feet.
