Street Children in Chiang Mai

A little dirty girl is running toward cars stopping by the red light at the intersection of Chiang Mai – Hangdong highway. She raises the white flower garlands in her hand while handing them to people in the cars.

“A flower garland? Would you please help me to buy one?”

She asks with her little pity voice. Some drivers buy her garland. Some pitifully give her money while some feel irritated and annoyed. They shout her away. The little girl keeps on shouting and walking on her little tired feet. When the green light turns, she rushes to run for life to be on the pedestrian island. This is a scene of street children in a big city like Chiang Mai.

Chiang Mai is the second big city of Thailand, second ranking to Bangkok. Chiang Mai is developed in many ways, economy, tourism, transportation, etc. to serve and raise the quality of people lives. The change of society, from an agricultural society to a materialistic society, forced people to speed up their lives. They struggle to earn a living for themselves and for their family. Poor families suffer from poverty. Their children are also affected by this change which can destroy their lives. Some children are forced to sell flower garlands on streets; some are forced to sell flowers and snacks in restaurants at night to earn a little money to help their family.

The street children have to struggle to live. While they try to ask for mercy from people on streets, they have to be aware of accident. Their lives are hung in risky situation. They have to run back and forth across the street, among the noisy and busy traffic. One day they may be crashed by car.

Another scene of street children is always seen at the tourist areas, most especially the night bazaar, in many bars and restaurants, young boys and girls are wandering, selling flowers from chair to chairs. Some children do not selling, but plea for money or charity like beggar. They are seen there from dusk till dawn. Isn’t it time to go to bed for little children like them?

According to the Center for Protection of children, Chiang Mai’s street children usually come from poor family. Sometimes, their parents have died, some parents are in prison for drug abuse and some of them are hill tribe people, lured by the chance of making money. Often, these street children fall prey to child traffickers. Some of these children has no education, no nationality and is often exploited. They are at high risk for using drugs, becoming prostitutes and contracting HIV.

Many organizations try to help street children to break the vicious cycle of street life and, hopefully, to return them to a normal life. These organizations work to improve the lives of street children. Some encourage them to join the life skills program. Volunteers visit the children, offering them the chance to learn life skills or continue their education. Some suggest that the government should take action; there should be a strict regulation to control these children. Do these
methods work in solving the problems?

Nowadays there still be lots of street children living their old cycle of risky lives on busy street and in the night life. The attempt to help them is not success yet. I hope the government and organizations will not give up their endeavors to raise these children life. The street children should have a chance to live a normal life as any other happy children in this society.

===== Prapaporn Malasarn ======