Many Thai sex workers say they are happy in their jobs

[candide]

What strikes me is how sex work is socially accepted in this country. I recently had a look at a young (19) gogo girl's facebook page. When I look at previous years, I can see the usual life of a quite normal cute teenager in high school, with school pictures, and other leisure pictures with her friends or familly. Then after high school she starts publishing comments and pictures that leave no doubt on the type of works she does (i.e. pictures in front of her Bar, pictures in Bikini with a number on it, etc...). So all her childhood and school's friends, neighbours, etc... know about her work and it doesn't seem to disturb her in any way.

[smotherb]

What does your wife say?

She agrees with them, obviously.

Anyway, those who claim it's an easy job should give it a go for a week and see what they think then...

How would you know, as you always claim you never have visited this kind of places.

How would I know what?

From your previous comment it is clear that you don't consider it an easy job, since you challenge all those who claim it to be an easy job to take it up.

And how would having been a punter give me any deeper insight into what it's like to do the job?

I don't know what it's like. Neither do you. However, it doesn't take much imagination to guess that servicing the sexual rejects of the west on a nightly basis isn't much fun.

Talking about yourself again.

Nope. I haven't been rejected by western women. That's why I don't need to pay for it.

Just being with a western woman is paying for it.

[SoiBiker]

Lets not start posting racist comments about different types of women, eh?

[Thai at Heart]

Some of these girls will have 3 or 4 farangs on the go, who fly back to Europe or wherever but who continue to send the girl anywhere between about 10k-40k per month.

I bet some of these girls make 100k per month.

No wonder they are happy.

Don't forget it is the money these girls bring in that is pretty much bank rolling most of Isaan.

40K thats more than someone with a university degree would earn.

Seriously? You think someone with a University degree only earns 790 quid or US$ 1100 a month?

Perhaps you didn't realise that most people when referring to amounts in Thailand are expressing them in Baht per month.

10K-40K Baht per month is very normal for someone to send their bargirl girlfriend (well normal if the bloke is a complete and utter <deleted>*king moron that is, which of course the almost all are).

How much do you think a university grad earns fresh out of uni and then after 5 years in work?

[drronnie]

Some of these girls will have 3 or 4 farangs on the go, who fly back to Europe or wherever but who continue to send the girl anywhere between about 10k-40k per month.

I bet some of these girls make 100k per month.

No wonder they are happy.

Don't forget it is the money these girls bring in that is pretty much bank rolling most of Isaan.

40K thats more than someone with a university degree would earn.

Seriously? You think someone with a University degree only earns 790 quid or US$ 1100 a month?

Perhaps you didn't realise that most people when referring to amounts in Thailand are expressing them in Baht per month.

10K-40K Baht per month is very normal for someone to send their bargirl girlfriend (well normal if the bloke is a complete and utter <deleted>*king moron that is, which of course the almost all are).

How much do you think a university grad earns fresh out of uni and then after 5 years in work?

Fresh Uni grads usually start at 15 to 20 K and get 30 to 40 K after 5 years

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Tapatalk

[Thai at Heart]

Some of these girls will have 3 or 4 farangs on the go, who fly back to Europe or wherever but who continue to send the girl anywhere between about 10k-40k per month.

I bet some of these girls make 100k per month.

No wonder they are happy.

Don't forget it is the money these girls bring in that is pretty much bank rolling most of Isaan.

40K thats more than someone with a university degree would earn.

Seriously? You think someone with a University degree only earns 790 quid or US$ 1100 a month?


Perhaps you didn't realise that most people when referring to amounts in Thailand are expressing them in Baht per month.

10K-40K Baht per month is very normal for someone to send their bargirl girlfriend (well normal if the bloke is a complete and utter <deleted>*king moron that is, which of course the almost all are).

How much do you think a university grad earns fresh out of uni and then after 5 years in work?

Fresh Uni grads usually start at 15 to 20 K and get 30 to 40 K after 5 years

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Tapatalk

I was asking the other guy.

[bazza40]

The good old better to cry in a Jaguar than in a bus.

Don't you mean TWO Jaguars? One on the road, one in the workshop........

[slipperylobster]

What strikes me is how sex work is socially accepted in this country. I recently had a look at a young (19) gogo girl's facebook page. When I look at previous years, I can see the usual life of a quite normal cute teenager in high school, with school pictures, and other leisure pictures with her friends or familly. Then after high school she starts publishing comments and pictures that leave no doubt on the type of works she does (i.e. pictures in front of her Bar, pictures in Bikini with a number on it, etc...). So all her childhood and school's friends, neighbours, etc... know about her work and it doesn't seem to disturb her in any way.

She probably comes home and buys stuff for everyone. When I lived outside of Udon, all the neighbors gossiped about was the lucky gal who went to pattaya and got herself a farang. The best part was that he bought her a mini couper...and she drove up to her old neighborhood in it...all decked out. She was a national hero, to them.. Even ditched the farang and kept the car...lol.

[metisdead]

Posts containing inappropriate language have been removed:

8) You will not post disruptive or inflammatory messages, vulgarities, obscenities or profanities.

[mijako]

Well they're hardly likely to say...Well, having come from a poor family where we barely had enough to eat, having left school at 13, up the duff by 16 and married by 17 to an abusive man who then left me with 2 kids and no money, I still must admit that as a little girl skipping around the school yard, I always thought life would afford me a better outcome than being a hooker in a smelly bar and having to sleep with men as old as my granddad, and being looked down upon as no better than a ragged street dog by my fellow Thais. That said, at least I can fulfil my duty as a Thai and send money home to my mum, and try to offer my kids a better life than I've had.

To admit any unhappiness as a result of being a prostitute would be to lose face completely. It would be to admit failure and wrong doing, and to admit one's parents had failed (an insult of the highest order). Some make a good living and hack it well. Some go through a few husbands and pick up a few pensions and life insurance policies. Many end up alcoholics or drug addicts, with multiple venereal diseases, desperately bitter, unhappy, insecure and never make much money because the parents and extended family take it all for gambling, booze and showing off to the neighbours.

The reality is this: no girl from a well-off family in Thailand ends up a prostitute. No young girl dreams of being a hooker when she grows up.

this is about what I wanted to say. I wanted to read all the men's comment first. Happy you said it, Kennypowers. I'm not thai and I'm not a man but I have many thai friends (girls) who work in bars. Most of them are NOT happy but why would they tell this to you men? Men must feel you make them happy Some of them even suffer and dream of finding a nice farang to stay with. Many of these girls are drug or alcool addict or even both. Is this a sign of happiness?

I know also a few "happy" girls. They sit in bars since maybe between 6 months and one year. They are happy with the money they can make. Soon they will get tired of living at night, They will drink and take drugs more and more. And this costs money + the money they send home, so they also have to work more and... bye bye happiness

[Wilsonandson]

Thai sex workers. Some are from other nationalities. Russia to name one. Sex workers, you make it sound like a career option. Do they pay tax? What are the pension options?

[jerojero]

20. Now that sample size makes the survey it damn accurate. What a f. joke!

[Tonawatchee]

Spreading the smiles in the Land of Smiles.

[smotherb]

The losers who don't have sex unless they buy it love this kind of crap. It lets them off the hook of being involved in destroying the soul of another human for the exchange of cash.

If you aren't in her first 100 customers, I doubt you would be responsible for any damage.

PS

I'm 60+, how would you suggest I have sex without paying for it?

Who are you trying to kid? Every male pays for sex - it's just the currency of exchange which varies.

I can't believe it took 7 pages for that hoary old chestnut of whoremonger wisdom to rear it's comically misguided head.

Just goes to show how naive the average person is. I have been in and out of Southeast Asia for 50 years. I have had three wives and several long-term girlfriends, Western and Asian alike. However, not one of them has been a lady of negotiable virtue.

Back in the day, when I was young and cleaned up rather well, I was the boy toy of the widow and former trophy bride of a wealthy Chinese-Filipino. She provided me with house, car, clothes and spending money. All I had to do was escort her when she wanted and service her when she needed. I would never get rich on what she gave, but the work was pleasant—she was a fit late 40's. However, I could not stay away from the sweet young college girls—they were so easy and so ripe. Well, as it happens, my benefactor came over to my house unexpectedly on several occasions and found young girls there. She demanded I stop seeing them. I guess I didn't want to. Finally, she kicked me out. So, for at least that period of time in my life, I did not pay for pussy--well, I paid in my time and precious bodily fluids, but I did not pay money.

My second wife was the CFO of a large plastics firm. She was a few years older than I, but for some reason, she wanted me around. I married her because I thought she was the best woman I had ever met—resourceful, intelligent, well-off, and not hard to look at. She made all my friends' wives look like cheap imitations. However, admiration and respect is not love. She wanted white picket-fence suburbia and I wanted to travel the globe. When we divorced, we split our assets 50-50—but my input to our assets was more like 30%. So, I guess the ledger book would have to say, I didn't pay for that either.

Nevertheless, I have to admit, sex does cost. You can pay money for it directly with a lady of negotiable virtue or indirectly with a girlfriend who has less than you; or pay with your time and integrity if the woman who has more than you.

[Sawan Chan 7]

Some of these girls will have 3 or 4 farangs on the go, who fly back to Europe or wherever but who continue to send the girl anywhere between about 10k-40k per month.

I bet some of these girls make 100k per month.

No wonder they are happy.

Don't forget it is the money these girls bring in that is pretty much bank rolling most of Isaan.

Total BS, have you even been to Isarn?

[Sawan Chan 7]

I can't believe it took 7 pages for that hoary old chestnut of whoremonger wisdom to rear it's comically misguided head.

Who are you trying to kid? Every male pays for sex - it's just the currency of exchange which varies.

The losers who don't have sex unless they buy it love this kind of crap. It lets them off the hook of being involved in destroying the soul of another human for the exchange of cash.

If you aren't in her first 100 customers, I doubt you would be responsible for any damage.

PS

I'm 60+, how would you suggest I have sex without paying for it?

Just goes to show how naive the average person is. I have been in and out of Southeast Asia for 50 years. I have had three wives and several long-term girlfriends, Western and Asian alike. However, not one of them has been a lady of negotiable virtue.

Back in the day, when I was young and cleaned up rather well, I was the boy toy of the widow and former trophy bride of a wealthy Chinese-Filipino. She provided me with house, car, clothes and spending money. All I had to do was escort her when she wanted and service her when she needed. I would never get rich on what she gave, but the work was pleasant—she was a fit late 40's. However, I could not stay away from the sweet young college girls—they were so easy and so ripe. Well, as it happens, my benefactor came over to my house unexpectedly on several occasions and found young girls there. She demanded I stop seeing them. I guess I didn't want to. Finally, she kicked me out. So, for at least that period of time in my life, I did not pay for pussy--well, I paid in my time and precious bodily fluids, but I did not pay money.

My second wife was the CFO of a large plastics firm. She was a few years older than I, but for some reason, she wanted me around. I married her because I thought she was the best woman I had ever met—resourceful, intelligent, well-off, and not hard to look at. She made all my friends' wives look like cheap imitations. However, admiration and respect is not love. She wanted white picket-fence suburbia and I wanted to travel the globe. When we divorced, we split our assets 50-50—but my input to our assets was more like 30%. So, I guess the ledger book would have to say, I didn't pay for that either.

Nevertheless, I have to admit, sex does cost. You can pay money for it directly with a lady of negotiable virtue or indirectly with a girlfriend who has less than you; or pay with your time and integrity if the woman who has more than you.

Go on admit it you're a 25 year old English teacher with a big nose, called Nigel who never had a girlfriend in England but have a wild imagination.

[Baerboxer]

Some of these girls will have 3 or 4 farangs on the go, who fly back to Europe or wherever but who continue to send the girl anywhere between about 10k-40k per month.

I bet some of these girls make 100k per month.

No wonder they are happy.

Don't forget it is the money these girls bring in that is pretty much bank rolling most of Isaan.

40K thats more than someone with a university degree would earn.

Seriously? You think someone with a University degree only earns 790 quid or US$ 1100 a month?

Perhaps you didn't realise that most people when referring to amounts in Thailand are expressing them in Baht per month.

10K-40K Baht per month is very normal for someone to send their bargirl girlfriend (well normal if the bloke is a complete and utter <deleted>*king moron that is, which of course the almost all are).

Thai teachers with a first degree are paid very low. A Master's degree minimum supposed to be ThB 15k per month.

My wife, an experienced senior teacher with several years experience in and out of Thailand gets offered roles at between ThB 30-50k per month.

Teaching is not a well paid job in many countries though. She can work in commerce for a similar entry salary.

Hence the reason she runs her own business rather than teach.

[Baerboxer]

Some of these girls will have 3 or 4 farangs on the go, who fly back to Europe or wherever but who continue to send the girl anywhere between about 10k-40k per month.

I bet some of these girls make 100k per month.

No wonder they are happy.

Don't forget it is the money these girls bring in that is pretty much bank rolling most of Isaan.

Total BS, have you even been to Isarn?

I know one Thai lady who had several farang b/f's on the go. One was a very wealthy Brit based in the Middle East. He paid her an "allowance", bought her a condo in BKK and visited 2 - 3 times a year when he expected her undivided attention. She still got more men to fill in the time he was missing. Finally married an Italian and moved to Italy.

[smotherb]

Lets not start posting racist comments about different types of women, eh?

Oh please do forgive me SoiBiker, I did not realize you were the only one allowed to give their opinion.

[khaowong1]

Short term thinking. These girls only make real money when they are young and beautiful. After a few years and hundreds or thousands of men they are worn and left standing in beer bars yelling " hello sexy man " . Get a real job, make little money at first but gain experience, get benefits and retire or open your own business in the future. You also keep your self respect and are not the talk of the village. There is no easy way to riches !

I don't know many Thai people who are not short term thinkers. I lived in a small town in North East Lopburi and knew quite a few young ladies who worked the bar trade in Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket. I never saw an instance of their being the talk of the village. They made sure their family's lived well. It's not like the old days when the family buffalo would suddenly get sick. These young ladies may not be the toast of their villages but certainly not the talk of their villages either. Yes, most of their income drops when they get past 30, but by then, the majority have invested in some business with their families that they couldn't have done from working in the rice fields or plucking chickens. I'm not advocating prostitution, I'm saying take what you have and make the best of it.

[JHolmesJr]

If I may be allowed to chime in: Im quite happy with their jobs too.

[Nomyai]

Well they're hardly likely to say...Well, having come from a poor family where we barely had enough to eat, having left school at 13, up the duff by 16 and married by 17 to an abusive man who then left me with 2 kids and no money, I still must admit that as a little girl skipping around the school yard, I always thought life would afford me a better outcome than being a hooker in a smelly bar and having to sleep with men as old as my granddad, and being looked down upon as no better than a ragged street dog by my fellow Thais. That said, at least I can fulfil my duty as a Thai and send money home to my mum, and try to offer my kids a better life than I've had.

To admit any unhappiness as a result of being a prostitute would be to lose face completely. It would be to admit failure and wrong doing, and to admit one's parents had failed (an insult of the highest order). Some make a good living and hack it well. Some go through a few husbands and pick up a few pensions and life insurance policies. Many end up alcoholics or drug addicts, with multiple venereal diseases, desperately bitter, unhappy, insecure and never make much money because the parents and extended family take it all for gambling, booze and showing off to the neighbours.

The reality is this: no girl from a well-off family in Thailand ends up a prostitute. No young girl dreams of being a hooker when she grows up.

this is about what I wanted to say. I wanted to read all the men's comment first. Happy you said it, Kennypowers. I'm not thai and I'm not a man but I have many thai friends (girls) who work in bars. Most of them are NOT happy but why would they tell this to you men? Men must feel you make them happy Some of them even suffer and dream of finding a nice farang to stay with. Many of these girls are drug or alcool addict or even both. Is this a sign of happiness?

I know also a few "happy" girls. They sit in bars since maybe between 6 months and one year. They are happy with the money they can make. Soon they will get tired of living at night, They will drink and take drugs more and more. And this costs money + the money they send home, so they also have to work more and... bye bye happiness

I agree many arent happy but theres a large % that are. You just cant fake having a good time.

Ive rarely seen drunk or high girls on duty. Maybe because i only frequent the high class agogos.....................hahaha. Drunk, high girls are bad for bunisess!

PS....i dont think HAPPY is used in proper context here.

Edited November 3, 2015 by Nomyai

[dirtycash]

What B.S. , talks to 20 and comes to this conclusion. What a rag of a publication to call this writer a reporter.

How many have you spoken to?

BS back. i know a massage worker in soi honey pattaya , she is 26 years old, her name is superstar ( wonder why ) she earns average 8-10k a day sometimes as much as 20k a day - 300000k a month average. plus she has 3-4 farangs sending her money from abroad. she allways has a large smile on her face.

please tell me she doesnt just love her life in thailand.

[William C F Pierce]

They may say they are happy in their jobs, but for how long?

In Europe and the USA there has been an explosion of adult dating sites where members offer each other all kinds of sexual activity with NSA (No Strings Attached). Many women are indulging in this just as much as men. So with free sex becoming more readably available for whoever wants it. The need to pay high long haul travel prices for cheap sex, will gradually become a thing of the past. This could also be another a reason why Western tourism to Thailand is in decline. If something is free and the quality is good for either male or female. You will not entice them to visit Thailand to pay for it.

[Guy360]

It's all about security for her. Security equates to a house, land and gold. Their thinking also changes as they get older and are in the game longer. The young ones 18-25 are about good times, partying and having money to blow on clothes, makeup, yabba and good times. By 25 they are getting close to their sell by date and are thinking of linking up with a Falang for support or marriage. They start thinking about their older age and what they are going to do about surviving. When they hit 30, earnings are down and their anxiety is up. They are more desperate to get someone steady who will support or marry them. If they haven't made it by 40, they either return to the village with whatever they have or wind up in a massage parlor working 28 days per month providing happy endings and hopefully making enough to live on and put some away. If you are looking to settle down with a Thai lady and don't mind what her background was, these 40 and overs usually will make excellent long term companions.

[Crazy chef 1]

Where is Stacey when we need her???

[drbill]

I found that out many years ago when I owned a large factory in central BKK and occasionally offered the

lasses I have befriended at the usual places a proper job with good salary and benefits and a chance to

learn a craft, I was turned down every time and was told that they're not interested in the meager salary

I have offered while they were making 10 time the amount laying on their back, sleeping all day and dancing

at night with their buddies... come to show you that the adage that say you can take the bar girl from the

bar but you can't take the bar out of the bar girl....

I never would hire bar girls at any of the manufacturing plants involved with in the past.

Lazy,high absentee rate and unwilling to learn skills.

This is not just Thai bargirls but bargirls in Europe . Money is the motivating factor. Easy

money and as someone mentioned in the post some " farang boy friends" do send some of these girls

a few hundred per month. I've spoken to or heard of several. I've even heard of some wiring them

40,000 to buy their families better homes in Esan ! Some bar girls are smart and marry a faring for all

the " benefits". ... some most noticeable in The Netherlands and Germany stay in the business even after

married. In Europe they can be well into their forties and still make a large income.

Many possibles the vast number become regular adults either here or in other

parts of the world and I guess become good wives. We all see many older guys married to

former bar girls that are in their 40's or 50's !

Just my past observations

[DogNo1]

See the interesting book "Patpong Sisters" by a woman anthropologist. It's on sale at Kinokuniya.

[puukao]

This title will take away some shame and guilt from all the sex tourists who ruin this country!!!

Shame on you sex tourist!!!!! haha....nothing i say will stop those filthy animals called farangs!!!!

If you want to help, you must go elsewhere!!!!

we are ALL to blame..

oh wait, i'm not in Thailand now.....

[Ulic]

Well they're hardly likely to say...Well, having come from a poor family where we barely had enough to eat, having left school at 13, up the duff by 16 and married by 17 to an abusive man who then left me with 2 kids and no money, I still must admit that as a little girl skipping around the school yard, I always thought life would afford me a better outcome than being a hooker in a smelly bar and having to sleep with men as old as my granddad, and being looked down upon as no better than a ragged street dog by my fellow Thais. That said, at least I can fulfil my duty as a Thai and send money home to my mum, and try to offer my kids a better life than I've had.

To admit any unhappiness as a result of being a prostitute would be to lose face completely. It would be to admit failure and wrong doing, and to admit one's parents had failed (an insult of the highest order). Some make a good living and hack it well. Some go through a few husbands and pick up a few pensions and life insurance policies. Many end up alcoholics or drug addicts, with multiple venereal diseases, desperately bitter, unhappy, insecure and never make much money because the parents and extended family take it all for gambling, booze and showing off to the neighbours.

The reality is this: no girl from a well-off family in Thailand ends up a prostitute. No young girl dreams of being a hooker when she grows up.

this is about what I wanted to say. I wanted to read all the men's comment first. Happy you said it, Kennypowers. I'm not thai and I'm not a man but I have many thai friends (girls) who work in bars. Most of them are NOT happy but why would they tell this to you men? Men must feel you make them happy Some of them even suffer and dream of finding a nice farang to stay with. Many of these girls are drug or alcool addict or even both. Is this a sign of happiness?

I know also a few "happy" girls. They sit in bars since maybe between 6 months and one year. They are happy with the money they can make. Soon they will get tired of living at night, They will drink and take drugs more and more. And this costs money + the money they send home, so they also have to work more and... bye bye happiness

The girls may not be happy with every aspect of the work, but for the most part they are happy

and do not choose to do anything else. They are independent contractors who are not trafficked

and are not forced to go with anyone they do not want to. That said during low season they

may become less picky. They hang out with friends, gossip, listen to music, dance. If they are young

and even just average looking, and have no kids, they can do very, very well. There is a lot of

competition between the girls to be at or near the top in lady drinks and bar-fines. Most

go-go girls have Thai boyfriends which they support. Other girls with a child or two or a little older

and with some life experience, like a no good ex-boyfriend/husband who has a drinking/drug/gambling

problem or he has moved on to a younger model are working in a beer bar to make ends meet. They

have parents to support as well as kids. They are doing better that a factory worker but the money is

not fantastic and they would love to pick up a sponsor and/or get married to a Farang. They have

been through the wringer a little and understand life is not always a bed of roses. So as I said they

may not enjoy everything about the job, but when they weigh out the options, it is the one they choose.