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Vietnamese media outlets have claimed Thai women are hired as "rental wives" by retired Western men, particularly in tourist centres including Pattaya. However, the reports provide no official figures, named providers or evidence that such arrangements are a recognised or widespread practice in Thailand. The claims appeared in Vietnamese newspaper Tien Phong, which cited Chinese outlets Sina and Sohu. According to the reports, foreign visitors may pay Thai women to act as guides, partners and, in many cases, sexual companions. The term could cover very different situations, ranging from paid companionship and informal relationships to commercial sex work, with differing legal and personal consequences. Reports link claims to Vietnam War period Tien Phong traced the alleged practice to the Vietnam War, when US military personnel were stationed at air bases in Thailand. It said local intermediaries introduced Thai women to American servicemen for fees, while entertainment venues near the bases developed from serving drinks into arranging female companionship. The newspaper claimed comparable arrangements later became associated with Pattaya and other destinations as more Western men retired in Thailand. It portrayed the women involved as mainly coming from lower-income families seeking better earnings. It said such arrangements could run from a few days to one or two years. Foreign partners were generally said to pay for accommodation, food, entertainment and other costs, while some couples were eventually reported to have married legally. Prices and scale unverified Tien Phong cited prices of around 13,000 baht a day for arrangements of fewer than seven days, falling to 9,000 baht a day for longer bookings. It put the cost of a month-long arrangement at roughly 50,000 baht. But it did not identify the Thai media outlets said to have supplied those figures, name any service providers or produce official data. Nor did it cite a national survey or government statistics showing the scale of the alleged arrangements. The reports warned that women could face unintended pregnancies, abandonment and financial insecurity. They also said foreign men could lose money or property through fraudulent relationships. Thai abortion law misstated Tien Phong also incorrectly said abortion is illegal in Thailand, claiming many women are left with unwanted children. Termination is permitted without conditions during the first 12 weeks, and between 12 and 20 weeks after counselling with an authorised medical professional. Other grounds include health risks, severe foetal abnormalities and sexual assault. Join the discussion? 29 August 2026

An Israeli national accused of offering a bounty against the owner of an open zoo on Koh Samui has had their permission to stay in Thailand revoked, according to Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul. Speaking before the Cabinet meeting at Government House on 25 August 2026, Mr Surasak said he had received a report on the case, from authorities in Surat Thani province. The visitor involved had had their visa withdrawn and would not be allowed to remain in the country. He described the move as firm action intended to stop the matter escalating into further problems. Thailand remains open, but expects respect for laws The Tourism and Sports Minister also stated that he supported visa revocations where there are clear cases of foreigners breaking the law, ignoring social norms or traditional ways of life, or provoking conflict. Mr Sorawong said there had been a number of recent disputes in Samui and Phuket had reportedly involved Israelis and local people, but stressed that they concerned the behaviour of particular individuals rather than foreigners generally. "We definitely welcome tourists of all nationalities, but on the principle that they must respect and comply with our culture and laws. The recent conflicts in those two provinces could be regarded as involving individuals, which need to be properly addressed on a case-by-case basis," he said. He said explicit breaches should result in visa cancellation to help avoid further unrest in the affected areas. For expats and tourists, the practical message is that ordinary disputes can take more serious consequences if they involve threats, intimidation, public disorder or conduct judged to offend Thai laws and local customs. He also said Thailand would not accept foreigners promoting national ideologies that could create wider disputes. He described Thailand as a non-conflict country and said visitors should not use it as a platform for such activity. Minister also addresses southern security concerns Separately, he said attacks at several locations in the four southern border provinces during the week were not expected to affect Malaysian arrivals for Malaysia's National Day holiday on 31 August. Although the government had attempted to prevent violence, simultaneous attacks at a wide range of targets had made it difficult to protect every location fully, he said. Malaysian visitors were familiar with similar incidents and would understand that most tourist destinations had not been targeted. Picture courtesy of Komchadluek Related story Samui-visa-action-sought-over-Palestinian-flag-row Join the discussion? 26 August 2026