A series of campaigns will be held at major spots in Bangkok between 4pm and 6pm from June 5-7 and June 19-30, Nuchchanart Thaenthong, an activist at a community development centre, told a seminar yesterday.

Participants in the public-awareness campaigns will wear black.

The poor are being exploited by the rich and by lenders, Nuchchanart said, citing the issuance of credit cards to low-income earners as an example. By lowering the income ceiling, credit card issuers had encouraged poor people to take out personal loans.

"These credit-card firms just want more and more money and collect interest from people who make small amounts of money. All of this is going on just because the poor don't have many recourses," she said.

Nuchchanart and other speakers at the seminar said they would compile grievances of the poor and forward a report to the government on July 4.

The report will also include requests for free public services. These will include free bus rides for uniformed students and people older than 60, as well as 12 years of free education, something guaranteed by the Constitution but not provided, speakers said.

The report will also call for the imposition of new taxes on stock investors, an inheritance tax and higher taxation for people earning high salaries, the speakers said.

Groups attending yesterday's seminar included the People Under the Bridge, the Homeless, and Housewives' Supporting Community Development.

Suwit Wadnoo, of the Foundation for Better Dwellings, said the number of people living in Bangkok slums had reached 350,000 and was still rising.

He criticised mobile phone services for offering discount campaigns that have attracted youths and distracted them from their studies and other useful activities.