Over a year ago, I met the lone man of Lumpini Park for the first time. He was diligently reciting a Buddhist verse, and it was the time I learned the piece was the sacred Channabanchorn Gatha.
Every time I saw him, he would sit at the same bench, reciting the same verses over and over again. Judging by the combination of his appearance and repeated recitations, I knew he must not be in a right state of mind.
Anchalee Kongrut writes about the environment in the Life section, Bangkok Post.
I continued to run across him for many months -- almost a year. He carried the same backpack every time, sitting alone chanting. The security guard at the park told me he was a vagrant.
Our paths crossed because he took over my favourite bench, which is at a prime spot, not far from the entrance gate and with a superb view that includes ponds and greenery. I often stopped there to stretch my muscles after completing my jogging laps, until he started to appear. At first I feared him, though he looked harmless. The man only prayed.
To be honest, I wished he would go away. But it is a public park, so he is entitled to use the space as much as I am.
The man disappeared last month, at the same time the government launched a campaign, conducted by the Social Development and Welfare Department, to sweep homeless people from the park. The campaign followed a visit to the park by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha last month after park-goers complained about the homeless people there.
According to the Social Development and Welfare Department, there are about 95 "homeless" people in Lumpini Park. They are mockingly referred to as "Lumpini Park's residents" who ate, bathed and slept there.
These people have diverse backgrounds. Some are blue-collar workers, including migrants, who cannot afford housing. Many are food vendors and a few have mental problems. A number of them are villagers from the provinces who cannot find places to live.
The department simply booted all of them out of the park. The campaign drew criticism from social workers as police rounded them up against their will. To me, there was no more Chinnabanchorn chanting. I cannot help but wonder: Where did the department take him to? A mental hospital? Or a state-run shelter?
If he does not have family, it is highly likely that he might have been sent to the shelter at Klong 5 in Rangsit, Pathum Thani. The department often sends homeless people to places that accommodate around 600-700 people. Once released, many often return to living on the streets.
So, the problem is not being solved, it is just being swept under the rug.
I think the government needs to change the way it handles this problem. We have no idea where these people end up and whether or not they are being well taken care of.
We need to care because homeless people are mirror the inequality in the country. The number of homeless people tends to rise because of economic problems and unaffordable housing. The problem intensifies as we enter an ageing society.
To be fair, the regime seems to acknowledge the problem and recently approved a 118-million-baht budget for the construction of shelters across the country. But in my opinion, state shelters should mean more than a roof, beds and bathrooms. Good shelters provide help and hope.
At this point, I believe the government needs to work more with civic society and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
One excellent example is the Suvit Watnoo Homeless Shelter in the Bangkok Noi area which opened in 2008. Named after the late social activist, the shelter is operated by an NGO.
The shelter is a cooperative effort between state agencies that provides accommodation for 20 families. But in practice, it offers more than just beds and clean bathrooms.
There is a job training and job seeking programme. It has a vegetable garden, fish ponds, and mini farm plots to raise ducks and chickens for food.
The work of the Mirror Foundation is noteworthy too. It helps homeless people with health problems, including those with psychological problems and amnesia.
It's time the government treated the homeless issue as a national priority and departed from its modus operandi based on charity. It's the duty of the state.
According to Section 71 of the current charter, the government is obligated to provide reasonable housing for all. And the homeless -- including the man who once sat on a park bench reciting his psalm -- are part of society too.