Social Development and Human Security Minister Pol General Adul Saengsingkaew presided over a meeting on Wednesday concerning the draft beggar control strategy for 2018-2022, where participants heard that the ministry had issued permits to more than 1,500 independent musicians, dancers and painters.

The strategy will provide funding and other assistance to provide job training to street beggars to promote self-reliance and vocational capacity, while encouraging communities to watch out for human trafficking.

The plan also includes a campaign to educate the public about how to help beggars in a constructive manner and the development of a database so relevant agencies could handle the problem more efficiently.