Incomes: bar work vs conventional?

[12DrinkMore]

Strange,

 

They always tell me that they have no money, only family debts to pay off, or sick parents to pay for.

 

 

[JayBird]

There are two important facts:

 

1) if you want a job and will work hard you will get a job easily and earn up to 12k with no degree or 30k with degree.

 

2) You earn at least 30k if you work bar and the work is easier (no thinking needed)

 

Some choose easy over hard. Or more over less. 

[bazza73]

It depends on where you look. There are many villagers who are scraping along on 2000 baht/month. The Thai pension for women at 60 is 700 baht a month. At 80, it goes up to 800 baht/month.

Someone working in the rice fields will get 200 - 250 baht a day. However, there are quite a few months when there won't be any work in the fields available. Depending on the product, roadside stalls may make 500 - 1000 baht a day. Or zilch.

Massage shops ( legitimate ) may get 1 customer in a day, up to 5. So a massage guy or lady may clear 200 baht or 1000 baht a day. 5 massages in one day is the limit for most workers, many are happy with 2 - 3.

Haven't been on the bar scene for quite some time, but it does depend on the cut the bar owner takes as well. They normally pay the girls about 2000 baht/month, and they are expected to keep the lady drinks flowing. Or a minimum number of barfines. Some bar owners will take the whole barfine. Anything they make on their backs is their own to keep. Frequently money goes back to the family in the village.

The really expert ones can get to 100,000 baht/month, but they are the exception rather than the rule.

It's no wonder Thai women target falangs. Even the average Western pension of 40,000 baht/month is big bikkies to many of them.

 

[Thaidream]

Interesting topic- believe the salaries listed for various occupations are correct.  A bar girl could make 100K per month if she is very pretty; great personality and knows how to handle the punters.  However, this is not the norm.

 

A normal bar girl probably averages 30K per month and this depends on the number of days worked; the number of punters available and the time of year as well as the reputation of the bar. Thai girls going into the business believe they will become rich either by trade or by finding that foreigner who will 'take care of them'. Some of the more clever ones will juggle several potential marriage prospects for some time until they make their choice.

 

The life is hard and can lead to mental illness; alcoholism; or drug addiction.Contrary to popular belief- most are not having fun at all and most do not even like sex.  To make any money you have to go with the good, the bad and the ugly and sometimes accept humiliation and even violence. Then there is the danger of HIV- I know of 3 girls who have died of AIDS. It does exist contrary to popular opinion that they are all checked and 'safe'. The business owners naturally keep it all quiet .  Most of the girls do not last all that long. A few years at the most and then new 'babies' brought into the trade.  There are some sideline girls who work at day jobs and join the trade at night to make extra money.

 

The GoGo places pay extra in salary as well as drink percentage and the girls make what they can by going with the punters but these venues are under fire by the Government and will eventually be a thing of the past.  Generally speaking, a girl is much better off long term by getting a University Education and working in a normal job with medical and other benefits.

[jerojero]

A successful bargirl, i.e. one who gets lots of ladydrinks and barfines, can easily make 100,000 a month.

The question was 'on average' what are bar girls wages. 100K is certainly not the average.

[jerojero]

Not rubbish at all. 
Many of the young good lookers go 2 or 3 times S/T a night .
I know of several who who make 15-20k alone in lady drinks a month.
150k a month is a minimum for them. 

Rubbish. 20K from ladydrinks? She'd be stoned drunk every second night.

[khunPer]

20 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

A successful bargirl, i.e. one who gets lots of ladydrinks and barfines, can easily make 100,000 a month.

Agree in the more hardcore birds can make that amount or more – the saying in various books about the subject published around a decade ago was 70k baht a month, so 100k today is indeed possible – to my knowledge the level is around 60,000 to 80,000 baht a month for a "hot" bird; and that's about 10 times the salary for a "filler" or like in BigC and other supermarkets, and other minimum wage jobs, i.e. 300 baht a day, 6-days a week, which equals 8,000 a month (plus a Social Security benefit).

 

I know a few successful birds that asks for 100-money a day in service charge – US or Euro, depending of "boyfriend's" origination; so that's 3k bath or 4k bath a day – not including ongoing maintenance expenses; i.,e. food, beverages, little bit of this-and-that, etc. Mainly only interested in longer term appointments, like a week or a number of weeks; so 60k to 80k a month is very likely for a good looking and charming bird, not getting stressed; 100k is possible...

 

What do a hard working Westerner end up with after income tax..?

 

Compared to many a "normal" job in the level 10,000 to 15,000 baht a month, or even 20,000 baht a month – think of studying a number of years for starting on a 15k bath a month salary when in mid 20'ies – it's understandable they take some years with little more fun work, while staying in nice several-star resorts, and dining at gourmet restaurants; and furthermore with the option of meeting "a prince on a white horse"; or at least a gentleman in a white Mercedes. I know a working lady who in her mid 30'ies had 4 million baht saved up in her bank account; she however stopped working recently, as she met a permanent sponsor and moved abroad...

 

[bazza73]

45 minutes ago, 12DrinkMore said:

Strange,

 

They always tell me that they have no money, only family debts to pay off, or sick parents to pay for.

 

 

Quite frequently that is true. Somchai has bought a shiny new pickup on the never-never, then finds he can't make the monthly repayment. Or he's been gambling, and the Thai mafia is threatening to break his legs.

Many Thai families have enormous debt burdens because they can't resist the Thai culture of everything being new.

[seancbk]

I have an English speaking Thai woman, who works as my assistant, she's working for me part time at the moment (4-5 hours a day, 4-5 days a week).

I pay her 500 baht a day at the moment, but she understands that when the position becomes full time her salary will be 15,000 per month (6 hours a day, 5-6 days a week).
 

I'm planning to hire two kitchen workers and start them on 9000 THB a month, for 6 hours a day, 6 days a week.

I'll increase salaries as business grows and they prove themselves to be good employees.

 

 

[Justgrazing]

3 hours ago, georgemandm said:

Now that is just  total rubbish .

were do you get your  information from ?. 

In possible to get that much money ,

3,300 thai bht a day in 30 days no way unless she is 10 out of 10 in looks and body then she gets her day of the month and that can run for up to 5 days if she is lucky.

Brewsterbudgen aint far away with his figures .. Even when the place is quiet the GoGo real pretties will still coin it .. You gotta remember just 2 tricks a day will pull in 10k if the costomer is Korean or Japanese .. Which they prefer for reasons already mentioned by other contrib's .. True the beer bar girls earnings are harder to quantify but even some of the younger lookers can rake in 40 / 50k a mth when its busy .. The great unknown in these calculations is the guys who are unable to control their own generosity .. Leaving a girl 3k ( not forgetting  " tip " ) when the original fee had been set at 1500 bt disrupts the pricing structure and leads other chicks to raise their fee's which in some cases is unwarranted but will they listen .. There is also the question of monthly Western Union payments that some girls are in receipt of .. the cute ones being able to secure debit's from 3 , 4 maybe more besotted costomer's .. That is a tidy pile coming in a mth but how much tax and N I they will pay is unclear .. 

[Justgrazing]

37 minutes ago, jerojero said:

Rubbish. 20K from ladydrinks? She'd be stoned drunk every second night.

A lot are in Drinking St .. 

[khunPer]

39 minutes ago, jerojero said:

Rubbish. 20K from ladydrinks? She'd be stoned drunk every second night.

Many a lady drink in certain venues does not include alcohol – for obvious reasons... 

[Justgrazing]

1 hour ago, 12DrinkMore said:

Strange,

 

They always tell me that they have no money, only family debts to pay off, or sick parents to pay for.

 

 

I find the ones that introduce the " Water Buffalo fall over " and " Mama in Monkey house from gambling debt " element to their pleadings to be the most worthy ( convincing )  .. That some of the money to get Mama out of Clink is then distributed amongst male members of the family to get paralytically blind drunk on the Patio waiting for Mama or the Buffalo to return is neither here nor there .. This really must be the unluckiest country in the world as catastrophes strike these people every day from what i've been told .. So at the end ( or beginning ) of the day who can deny them a wee dram or two .. That Gen P really isnt taking the people into account is he .. 

[Thaidream]

Very few save their money or put it into land or possibly a condo. Most who are making money think they will be able to get more over and over again. Unfortunately, it is the Thai mentality. LIve for today and forget about tomorrow.  They can't seem to contemplate that they are aging day by day and their beauty will leave and their will and ability to act will eventually give way to despair and depression. It is in reality a horrible life...with the majority failing.. and ending up back on the farm- destitute. They keep coming for the same reason a person buys the lottery...just a chance to hit the big payday.

[Techno Viking]

1 hour ago, jerojero said:

Rubbish. 20K from ladydrinks? She'd be stoned drunk every second night.

average of 6.6 drink a night, hardly the recipe to get one stoned drunk.

[sead]

Yes ofc the bargirl are being exploited. Their salary is between 3000 to 9000 bht. They need to sell xx drinks to get fully paid or need to go with customers to get the barfine for the boss. When a customer buys a drink  she needs to sit with them and the customer can ofc touch her where he wants during that time. If she doesnt allow the customer that she will get salary cut etc etc etc. Even if boss knows shes been drunk night before or had customer she will cut on salary if she comes 5 minutes late. The rules are many and more than you yourself could imagine. So to make money she needs to do xxx. So no , no bargirl is only working as Selling drinks lol, whatever anyone is telling you

Edited August 7, 2017 by sead

[thaibeachlovers]

6 hours ago, elgenon said:

Very rare I would think. Definitely not easy.

 

What does the OP mean by a "bar girl" . A girl at a bar beer makes small money. A girl at an a go-go might have a monthly salary of 10,000 - 14,000 per month. Plus whatever additional she can earn. Some guys throw out crazy numbers. Some girls might hit it once in a while but most girls don't make much. But it still is decent money if you have no other prospects.

 

Some of the girls in the go-gos in Pattaya have the chance to do 10 days on 10 days (or up to her) off. But have to sell a certain number of drinks to be able to take time  off. It is a boring, stressful, tiring life. They girls get worn out and often their personality changes and they become hard. They often have to deal with jerks. A hot girl I know wanted to take time off to be w her kid. She was lucky to have an English guy buy her 6 drinks and another bought her 4. She got to take time off. Normally they get about 2 days off a month. This does not coincide with their periods.

 

A friend of mine who has a masters degree and works for the government in research makes 8,000 a month. But has some perks. No perks for bar girls. No health care or retirement. They are necessarily freelancers or the bar would be involved in prostitution which is illegal. Some bar girls have degrees (not from top unis as their family is poor) but found they make very small money in a regular job.

 

I am friends with several girls whose fathers are in bad shape and they try to pay for better hospital care for him. No, they do not ask me for money. These are real people trying to do the best they can. Wereas a government worker might get free health care for their family.  Although a friend who works for the BoT had to pay for the quality health care her dying mother received. 

 

No perks for bar girls.

Seriously?

 

What about getting bought out of the bar for a week or more to have a beach holiday, everything paid for, including whatever they want to eat, and in some cases whatever alcohol they want to drink. Plus, of course, the fee negotiated on top of that.

I know one that had a holiday in Germany on a temporary boyfriend.

 

Many get bought out for the duration of whichever boyfriend is in Thailand, even if they don't go to the beach etc, and they might have 2 or 3 boyfriends visiting at different times.

 

Even when just one night, they normally get dinner and breakfast.

 

seems pretty perky to me.

 

BTW, "bargirl" is a generic term for a girl that works in a place that sells alcohol and is available to go out with customers, regardless of if she works in a barbeer or a gogo.

[thaibeachlovers]

11 minutes ago, sead said:

Yes ofc the bargirl are being exploited. Their salary is between 3000 to 9000 bht. They need to sell xx drinks to get fully paid or need to go with customers to get the barfine for the boss. When a customer buys a drink  she needs to sit with them and the customer can ofc touch her where he wants during that time. If she doesnt allow the customer that she will get salary cut etc etc etc. Even if boss knows shes been drunk night before or had customer she will cut on salary if she comes 5 minutes late. The rules are many and more than you yourself could imagine. So to make money she needs to do xxx. So no , no bargirl is only working as Selling drinks lol, whatever anyone is telling you

I don't think you know many bargirls.

Some do indeed only work in the bar for wages, drinks and tips, and being touched does not apply to "anywhere". While it might go on in gogos, I doubt it is normal in any barbeer, considering there is a bar between them and the customers. Any customer wanting a feel would have to have very long arms.

If your rules applied in Chiang Mai, most would not get any wages as many bars have less customers than girls at the moment.

 

Exploited- oh that old urban myth. They don't have to work in a bar. They can work in a sweat shop or the rice fields if they don't want to work in a bar, as do millions of Thai women.

[12DrinkMore]

9 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I don't think you know many bargirls.

Some do indeed only work in the bar for wages, drinks and tips, and being touched does not apply to "anywhere". While it might go on in gogos, I doubt it is normal in any barbeer, 

considering there is a bar between them and the customers. . Any customer wanting a feel would have to have very long arms.

 

Not in any of the zillions of barbeers I have been to in forty years.

 

Maybe I should research this a bit more?

 

Mind you there have been one or two places where the girls were in cages. They were certainly a little out of reach.

 

Indeed that statement leads me to believe you have hardly been in any barbeers.

Edited August 7, 2017 by 12DrinkMore

[Thaidream]

There are all kinds of bars in Thailand employing all kinds of girls that will do and not do all kinds of things. Anything that you have ever thought of has taken place in a bar somewhere in Thailand.

[georgemandm]

3 hours ago, smotherb said:

Well now, in a local girlie bar where sexpats drink Chang, never buy ladies drinks and want a short-time for B500, you may be right. However, there are many upper-class and Jap/Kor bars where a girl can make >B5k a short time and B300-B500 a drink. A good looking massage girl in Danok can get three or four customers a day; more if she works O/T.  And don't forget those who hit the jackpot and find a farang to marry.

There is  thousands of bars lady's in thailand ok , I agree some could make that money sometimes but the average have no hop and that type of money is made in the  Peak times , not all year round.

To me the place is a joke that those lady's have to sell their selfs to make money, but that is thailand not much I can do about or do I want to try and fix it , like Thais say up you .

Edited August 7, 2017 by georgemandm
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[12DrinkMore]

3 minutes ago, georgemandm said:

There is  thousands of hookres in thailand ok , I agree some could make that money sometimes but the average have no hop and that type of money is made in the  Peak times , not all year round.

To me the place is a joke that those lady's have to sell their selfs to make money, but that is thailand not much I can do about or do I want to try and fix it , like Thais say up you .

 

This is NOT a Thai issue.

 

In Germany, where everybody can get a reasonably paid job with security, the prostitutes' organization Hydra puts the number at 400,000 working girls.

 

Jus' sayin'

[smotherb]

3 hours ago, 12DrinkMore said:

 

Presumably not a retired UK expat on a 28k/month state pension.

 

 

No, usually farangs who can legally stay here

[thaibeachlovers]

2 hours ago, Thaidream said:

 

 

The life is hard and can lead to mental illness; alcoholism; or drug addiction.Contrary to popular belief- most are not having fun at all and most do not even like sex.  To make any money you have to go with the good, the bad and the ugly and sometimes accept humiliation and even violence. Then there is the danger of HIV- I know of 3 girls who have died of AIDS. It does exist contrary to popular opinion that they are all checked and 'safe'. The business owners naturally keep it all quiet .  Most of the girls do not last all that long. A few years at the most and then new 'babies' brought into the trade.  There are some sideline girls who work at day jobs and join the trade at night to make extra money.

 

Life is hard, is it? Boring most likely for the average bargirl. Have you considered that girls with mental illness, alcoholism or drug addiction were that way inclined before they ever set foot in a barbeer/ gogo? How many have you interviewed out of the thousands that are in the job to come to your conclusions? I have met a few that were crazy or alcoholic, but the job didn't make them that way. Most are just normal women wanting an easy way to make more money than they would in a sweat shop.

Don't like sex- 5555555555555555555555. Perhaps they just don't like the person they are with, which is not going to be a turn on.

Humiliation and violence? That's more a western thing. Out of the small number of bargirls I polled, none said they had violent customers. Violence is FAR more likely to come from their Thai boyfriends if they don't give them enough money to go drinking with their buddies.

HIV- yes, if the girls are stupid enough to allow sex without condoms. Unfortunately, stupid people in every walk of life.

Business owners keep it quiet- LOL. How many customers ask the mamasan if the girl has aids? Only a fool would assume a bargirl was devoid of STDs.

Most of the girls do not last all that long

Most bargirls only do it to make enough money and then they leave. Or they didn't make as much money as they thought they would, or they found the farang husband they wanted, or they just wanted to do something else. I knew one that gave it up to be a maid, but hated doing that, and went back as a service girl.

[smotherb]

8 minutes ago, georgemandm said:

There is  thousands of bars lady's in thailand ok , I agree some could make that money sometimes but the average have no hop and that type of money is made in the  Peak times , not all year round.

To me the place is a joke that those lady's have to sell their selfs to make money, but that is thailand not much I can do about or do I want to try and fix it , like Thais say up you .

Never said the average b-girl can make it, she has to be smart and have that marvelous product.

[thaibeachlovers]

14 minutes ago, 12DrinkMore said:

 

Not in any of the zillions of barbeers I have been to in forty years.

 

Maybe I should research this a bit more?

 

Mind you there have been one or two places where the girls were in cages. They were certainly a little out of reach.

 

Indeed that statement leads me to believe you have hardly been in any barbeers.

Coyote bar dancers don't go with customers.

The first bar I went to in Chiang Mai had a girl I bought a drink for that didn't go with customers.

There was a post on a C M thread about a bar that has girls that don't.

I have been in enough barbeers in my time, but I only chatted to one of the girls in each so I can't speak for the other 10,000 girls that I didn't chat to.

 

[thaibeachlovers]

19 minutes ago, georgemandm said:

There is  thousands of bars lady's in thailand ok , I agree some could make that money sometimes but the average have no hop and that type of money is made in the  Peak times , not all year round.

To me the place is a joke that those lady's have to sell their selfs to make money, but that is thailand not much I can do about or do I want to try and fix it , like Thais say up you .

Just curious, but do you also object to sex workers in your home country doing what they do?

[georgemandm]

14 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Just curious, but do you also object to sex workers in your home country doing what they do?

Yes I can't stand it in my own country.

you can say Thais have  excuse  because of no work in thailand.

But in my country there is no excuse for them to be working lady's .

Just looking for  easy money or drug money.

[Rc2702]

23 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

A successful bargirl, i.e. one who gets lots of ladydrinks and barfines, can easily make 100,000 a month.

And a very damaged liver I'd suspect

[LongTimeLurker]

A couple of years ago I saw an ad outside a 7/11 for staff stating Baht 8,000 per month salary.