Tightened Penalties Proposed for Begging under the New Control of Begging Act by MSDHS
Laid-Back Perspective on New Begging Regulations
The Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS) is gearing up to unveil a new bill aimed at tightening anti-begging regulations. This upcoming bill, named provisionally as the "Revised Control of Begging Act," seeks to intensify penalties for those involved in begging activities.
After a thorough review of the existing "Control of Begging Act BE 2559 (2016)," the MSDHS determined that current law enforcement is out of step with present conditions, and the existing penalties are ineffective in deterring begging and exploitation of beggars. The Act also lacks essential provisions designed to help skilled individuals.
The revised bill's key strategies include:
- Clearly defining offences and criminal penalties for individuals who profit from begging and those who beg.
- Delegating enforcement authority to officials.
- Establishing guidelines for protecting and improving the quality of life of beggars.
- Implementing measures to encourage, support, and develop skilled individuals.
Thus, the MSDHS meeting agreed to replace the existing Act with the new bill, featuring revised enforcement measures.
The new bill will impose criminal penalties on individuals who beg, stricter punishments for those who beg under specific circumstances, and offer protection to vulnerable Thai beggars, following screening, if they agree to participate in a quality-of-life development program.
The bill also covers offences and criminal penalties for those profiting from beggars, such as:
- Prohibiting begging, with special circumstances subject to harsher punishment.
- Handling migrants who enter the Kingdom to beg based on this Act before continuing with Immigration Act procedures.
- Imposing stiffer penalties on individuals taking advantage of child beggars, including parents, relatives, guardians, or caretakers, regardless of legal status.
The revised bill will also establish guidelines for enhancing begger's quality of life, including identifying roles and responsibilities of guardians and quality-of-life development centers, and outlining the methods and rights of beggars who choose to accept protection.
Moreover, the bill encourages individual, corporate, and organizational support for controlling begging and developing skilled individuals through tax incentives.
The MSDHS plans to submit the new "Control of Begging Bill" to the human security law development, revision, and amendment working group soon. The bill will be opened for public consultation via the central legal system, with a public forum scheduled for July. Later, in August, it is expected to be reviewed by the beggar control committee before being submitted to the Cabinet for deliberation in September.
- Categories
- MSDHS
- begging
- beggars
- exploit
- penalties
- lawmaking
- revisions
- In light of the new "Revised Control of Begging Act," the general news discusses various opinions on how it will impact politics, especially in terms of business, as the bill aims to address the exploitation and penalize individuals profiting from beggars, while also providing support for skilled beggars.
- The MSDHS's revised bill, targeting the begging issue, is generating a great deal of interest in the business sector, as the provision of incentives for individual, corporate, and organizational support for controlling begging and developing skilled individuals could lead to positive changes in the overall general-news landscape, including social development and human security.
