The Ministry of Social Development and Human Security will launch a campaign urging the public to stop giving money to beggars.

Minister Varawut Silpa-archa said the campaign will hand out leaflets -- written in Thai, English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Cambodian -- to people around Bangkok.

The campaign is to raise awareness of the growing beggar problem and control the number of beggars while aiming to change the mindset of people who give money to them.

People tend to take pity on beggars who suffer or pretend to suffer from disabilities. 

Many beggars often end up being trafficked or are hired to engage in illegal activities, the campaign said.

Mr Varawut said the ministry's campaign found 506 beggars on the streets nationwide, a 20% increase from last year.

Of those, 331, or 65%, were Thai. 

Mr Varawut said most beggars worked in major cities and tourist towns, especially in Bangkok, Samut Prakan, Pathum Thani, Chon Buri, Nakhon Ratchasima and Chiang Mai.