Thailand has a label for women working in bars – they are known simply as “Bar Girls”. When used in conversation it tends to evoke a derisive laugh from a group of lads. A scorn from the women walking with their husbands down the glitter strips of Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya. The men that fall in love with them and want to protect them away from this lifestyle in the style of Julia Roberts would not agree.
How do you feel about this area of the Thailand with its sometimes underground economy.
We spent time talking with some of the girls in the seductive sexy industry in Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket to find out the real face of these divine beauties of the night. What we discovered changed our world.
The typical life of a “bar girl” is modelled something like this.
Why Do You Do It – What is your reason for being a bar girl
“My grandmother is sick and I need to look after her”
“My mother and father need my help and my sister is in school”
“My brother is sick and I need to pay the hospital bills”
Although the work of a bar girl is considered negatively and proportionate to the ongoing supply of Iphone, Ipad and the constant stutter of the ATM machine. There are many different reasons for girls to work in this industry and not always based around fashion, drugs , Botox and fillers.
It is undoubtedly an industry that provides a higher income per month than that of an average worker in Thailand. A bar girl can earn anywhere from 50,000 baht to 150,000 baht per month. This depends on what services she offers , the look of her body and her ability to interpret the customers that walk in the door. Does she ultimately choose to have sexual contact with her customer? In a country where the average monthly salary is 20,000 baht per month its a remarkable motivation.
Like any industry the higher the demand the greater the return – undoubtedly a pretty girl will come with a higher demand. However the same as any business, the higher the rewards the higher the risks.
What about the risks?
“What can I do – I need to do this work”
“Yes I heard my friend had ….. this happen”
A work environment that deals with intoxicated customers , the inappropriate groping by some of the most upstanding citizens. The continual waft of “weed” snaking through the air.
Health risks – the sex industry in Thailand is rife with social diseases being passed from person to person. With accessibility more open and easy it can be a an eclectic mixture of possible health risks each time.
In a study conducted in Hat Yai involving the testing of used condoms from males using a sex establishment the following results were determined:
Overall, 17 (6%), 47 (16%), and 2 (1%) of specimens were positive for C trachomatis, N gonorrhoeae and T vaginalis respectively. HSV sequences were found in 24 (8%) of the specimens: 14 specimens (5%) with HSV type 1, and 11 specimens (4%) with HSV type 2. HIV RNA was detected in two samples (1%). Overall, 75 specimens (26%) were positive for one or more infections, and more than one pathogen was detected in 16 specimens (5%).
That’s around 30 % of specimens showed some type of sexual disease – that is high risk in anyone’s book.
How Can you have a Real Relationship after Being a Sex Worker ?
“I don’t want – I don’t want jealous boyfriend and I can’t afford to leave my job”
“Don’t like to be with man now”
Some bar girls may form relationships with customers, including foreigners. These relationships can be complex, with varying degrees of genuine affection or financial support involved. These are some of the relationships that lead to the stigma and the ATM jokes that the internet is littered with.
The girls working in this industry are confronted with numerous proposals to give them a different life. They are pretty and often the older foreigner (Farang) is susceptible to their charm – where else in the world can an older man interact with a beautiful young lady – who will look after him in and support him (while he does the same for her).
The girls themselves are all in this industry for differing reasons. Some just love the lifestyle and the ability that it gives them to enjoy nights out in different clubs and hotels, beautiful clothes – and numerous trips to the plastic surgeon.
It would seem incredibly difficult for either a Thai woman or a customer of the night to find real and true lasting love in this type of meeting.
What do you want to do in your future when you are finished being a bar girl ? What are your dreams?
“I don’t have time to think about the future”
“I’m too tired to dream”
“Don’t have”
“Just want to look after my family and have everybody be okay”
Not all bar girls see their job as a long-term career. Some may enter the industry temporarily to support their families or achieve specific financial goals, such as paying for education or helping with household expenses.
Whatever reason they enter the industry always remember if there was not a demand for these girls then there would be no income and no supply. The answer to helping the girls in the industry, as harsh as it sounds , is to not be a client.
How Does Your Family View Your Job
“My family does not know”
Bar girls often face social stigma and judgment from some segments of Thai society. Their work can be seen as unconventional and not in line with traditional Thai values. It is a profession many times looked down upon.
What Does It All Mean
The women that were interviewed in this industry were all hardworking. There day starts around 5 pm- first getting ready to present themselves in the best possible way. Then they work all night until 3 or 4 am. Then some small amount of time to themselves to eat , maybe have some social time with each other then home to sleep until they wake and repeat this process. They often live in the same room to minimise rental costs.
It seems to me that these girls’ despite being involved in the sex industry- created by the very people that look down upon them – are in a tough bind. It was with more respect that I finished my interviews and a shock that I too had once been a person that thought them to be petty women of the night. A tribe more interested in electronics than the families that they sacrifice themselves to serve.
To all of you ladies I wish you health, safety and the time to find and realise a dream.
Come discover the world with us on foot, boat or bike – Resurgence Travel