People in Kuta are still giving money to internet famous bule beggar Benjamin Holst, even after his reputation of being a scammer has been shared vigorously across social media and written about extensively in the Indonesian press.
Since arriving in Bali this August, Holst has been spotted sitting on a street corner in Tabanan, begging, and also “hanging out” with “lady friends” in Kuta.
Now the latest is a video uploaded to Facebook on Friday afternoon showing the German beggar sitting at the side of the road on Jl. Raya Kuta, holding out a Pop Mie cup for change.
Mostly people stopped at the traffic light just stare blankly at him, but a guy does get off his motorbike to give the German some money in the video.
Tribun Bali reported that while watching Holst begging on Friday, a number of people “made donations,” giving him nominations from Rp 2k to Rp 50k.
One local resident told the newspaper that he pities the German because of his swollen foot and “hopes that the German government will help (Holst).”
The funny thing is, Holst has received help from concerned locals donating their change, as well as from the German government before. Back in 2014, photos of Holst with his swollen foot, begging in Bangkok went viral. The German embassy bailed him out and he raised thousands of Thai Baht from locals who pitied him, but instead of getting on a plane that had been arranged to take him home, Holst was found partying it up in Pattaya—sex tourism capital—instead. That of course led to his deportation.
Following Bangkok, Holst has been spotted around the world, in Denmark, in Manila, and a number of other cities running the same plays of begging and partying.
To be honest, we’re amazed he’s lasted as long as he has in Bali and not gotten deported for begging without a valid visa—something that legit happened to a set of Chinese tourists pretending to be monks.
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