March 10, 2018 - Reading time: 2 minutes

Does your girlfriend work in a Thai massage parlor? Thai massage is famous the world over. If you mention “Thai massage” to anyone that hasn’t visited Thailand, you might find them associate it with the sex industry and mentions of “happy ending massages”. There are thousands of massage shops all over Bangkok and Pattaya. Many of them offer massages in large open plan rooms… Many other shops have private rooms that customers are lead to for their massages; and plenty other shops provide ‘short-time’ hotel rooms above the massage shop itself.

If someone tells you that they work in a massage shop in Thailand, it’s impossible for you to know if they are involved in the sex industry or not. Many massage shops are legitimate businesses with the staff being trained at a massage school before starting work. Illicit businesses do not advertise themselves as such, as their activities are against Thai law. Genuine massage shops look identical to massage shops which act as brothels and allow their staff to work as prostitutes. You cannot tell simply by looking at a massage shop if they have private rooms upstairs or offer other services to their customers.

Seedy massage shops do not hire trained staff. Genuine masseurs in Thailand attend 3-4 week long courses to learn the proper way to give a traditional Thai massage. The only way to be sure that your girlfriend or partner is not selling sex or ‘massages with extras’ is to hire a private investigator… And that’s where we come in. We have busted hundreds of Thai women working in massage parlors and selling themselves for money. We can guarantee you the best access to the truth and offer nothing but facts in how events unfolded. We never pay for extras or sexual services; our job is only to establish the truth and report back to our clients.

Get a quote from us today if you’d like our help. We cover Pattaya, Bangkok and northern Thailand.

March 3, 2018 - Reading time: 5 minutes

Thousands of foreign guys visit Thailand each year and form romantic relationships with Thai women. If you're one of them, you should be aware of signs and things to look for in your Asian spouse. Thai culture is very different to countries in the west, so we've compiled these top 10 warning signs we think are a good starting point.

1. She constantly talks about money or asks you for money A good Thai woman would never request money from a man she is just starting a relationship with; this is not an appropriate sign when you are still getting to know each other and should act as a red flag. Common excuses for money can include: her parent’s buffalo is sick, she needs money for her family's medical bills, home improvement, or even just help paying for rent and food... Many Thai women that have been involved with the sex industry are especially good liars and know how to get money from foreign men!

2. She spends a lot of time in bars Alcohol is tolerated in Thai society and culture, but responsibly so. Most people in Thailand wouldn't consider spending night after night sat on a bar stool getting wasted. If you're looking for a party animal and someone to have a casual time with, this could suit you. But if you're looking for a serious, stable relationship, maybe this isn't the person for you. Also see our blog post about bar girl investigations.

3. She has tattoos While this point in itself doesn't automatically make someone a bad person, tattoos on women are very much frowned on in Thai society. Tattooed women have become synonymous with the sex industry in Thailand with bar girls and go-go dancers frequently sporting ink. Outside of the night life and in normal society, women with tattoos carry a stigma and this should raise another red flag against your Thai partner. See our blog post about Thai women with tattoos.

4. She smokes cigarettes Good women that haven't been involved in the sex industry night life don't tend to use tobacco in Thailand. Smoking cigarettes is very common with ladies working in shady beer bars and can be a sign of a troublesome past.

5. She wears a huge amount of gold Gold is worn in Thailand and used as an investment as it can easily be pawned or sold when falling on hard times. However, it should be worn tastefully with no more than a couple of items, for example one necklace and 2 rings. If someone is wearing multiple thick gold chains worth thousands of dollars, they are seen as flaunting their wealth and showing off. This isn't an attractive trait and could be a sign they are used to a very expensive lifestyle.

6. Her English is very good but she never attended university Public schools in Thailand do not tend to teach a high level of English at all. If you're dating someone that speaks English but never attended university or English classes, this could be a sign that they've learned the English they speak by hanging out with foreigners in bars and other seedy places.

7. She swears a lot A good, respectable Thai woman would not use English swear words when speaking to their boyfriend or anyone else. You might find it amusing if your darling swears like a drunken sailor, but this is definitely not a good thing and highly taboo in Thai culture.

8. She says that all Thai men are "no good" With every group of people in the world there are good and bad, and Thai men are no exception. While there may be cases of domestic violence or abuse in Thailand, it's not true that all Thai men are bad. Thai men typically respect their girlfriends or wives in the same way that you would expect with a Western relationship. If a woman tells you that "all Thai men are no good" maybe that's a sign that Thai men just don't like her, and maybe there is a reason for that.

9. She is constantly on the phone texting while spending time with you It is never a good trait if your girlfriend or the lady you're dating is constantly using her phone and texting while you're together. This type of behavior is disrespectful and shows that you’re not deserving of her full attention. You should become extremely suspicious if she hides her phone screen from you or walks away from you to secretly speak with people in English in the toilet or somewhere else... No matter the excuses, these are huge red flags that the woman could actively be in a relationship with another man.

10. She is involved with, or tolerates the use of illegal drugs This by far the most serious warning sign to look for in your prospective partner in Thailand. Drug use and drug dealing is extremely taboo in the kingdom. There are 35 crimes that can earn you a death sentence in Thailand with drug trafficking being on that list. If you encounter anyone involved with illegal drugs in Thailand the best thing to do is walk away.

10.5: You met her through an app or internet dating site. If this applies to you then read our blog post about the dangers of internet dating in Thailand.

Are you being lied to by a Thai woman? We can help and have investigated countless ladies in Thailand. We can expose cheaters and their lies. Our prices are very competitive, for personal survellience we charge just 1,000 THB per hour. We also offer more high tech investigations such as cellphone monitoring software and GPS tracking devices. If you're having doubts about your girlfriend in Thailand, Send us a message today for a free quote and see how we can help you.

February 24, 2018 - Reading time: 2 minutes

Do you need to translate a video from Thai to English? Translation software is known to be highly unreliable as there are different dialects and accents spoken all across Thailand. Thousands of people in Thai cities originate from Isan in northern Thailand and speak the Laos dialect. These people are often from rural farming communities and travel to cities for work. Foreigners in Thailand tend to learn the 'central' dialect which is common in Bangkok and major cities.

There are many reasons you could need to translate video from Thai to English. Maybe you've heard something on a YouTube video you need to understand or have captured CCTV images on your own property and need a transcript written and translated into English so that you can understand exactly what was said.

It can be difficult for foreigners to comprehend the subtle differences between Thai dialects; and we believe that the only way to get an accurate, reliable translation of audio from video clips is to use native Thai speakers. We can translate any video, voice clip or text from any Thai dialect into English reliably and professionally. Whatever the reason we would be glad to help you and turn around the translated material in the shortest time with little or no prior notice. We appreciate you don’t have time to wait and can deliver a very fast turnaround time.

Sometimes translating video/audio from Thai into English can provide vital clues in an investigation and to find out what someone is hiding, and what their true intentions are! After all, if you don’t speak their language they could be saying anything.

Our customer testimonials are second to none and in hiring us you can be confident that you will receive a high quality service that is truly world class. Get in touch with us for a free quote, including the length of audio you need to be translated so that we can let you know our costs. We are always happy to help anyone that reaches out to us with their problem or dilemma.

February 17, 2018 - Reading time: 3 minutes

Are you Internet dating a girl from Pattaya or Bangkok? Internet dating is very popular in Thailand and there are countless different websites and apps used in the country to find prospective partners.

We have found that meeting ladies through internet dating tends to give a false sense of security. It is very easy for someone to lie about where they work, as well as having graduated from university and many other different facts that makes someone attractive to the opposite sex. It's hard to cut off a relationship with someone after you've spoke daily for several months and met them in Thailand... and this fact isn't lost on them.

If a woman has been involved with the sex industry for many years and looks to dating through the web to find a foreign husband... Will she be honest about her line of work? Will she explain that she has been a prostitute for several years? We don't think this is very likely at all. Prostitution is highly stigmatized in Thailand as it is in most of the world and ladies of the night are fully aware of this. It's very easy to lie about this and claim to have a legitimate job.

Finding a girlfriend or a wife in Thailand is very different to dating in the western world. It has been reported that there is over 27,000 active prostitutes in Pattaya city alone, with it often being described as the sex tourism capital of the world. Internet dating can be a life line in helping prostitutes escape a life of poverty; it allows them to find a husband overseas while continuing their illicit line of work in the land of smiles. It also allows them to find multiple men that are willing to send them money regularly.

Many Thai women don't enjoy being involved with the sex trade, but it is a way to provide for themselves and their families with the Thai minimum wage around just $10 US per day. A lot of these women are expected to provide for their families and this can be hard to do on a meager wage.

A common tact among internet dating hookers to hide their profession is to find a business near to their home and take many different photos there. This could be a restaurant or a café which tend to have informal dress codes for their staff. It is easy to visit such a place and take photos which can then be uploaded onto dating sites and sent to their boyfriends overseas. We have even seen women pose wearing uniforms from the shop to make these photos appear more convincing. Without being in Thailand yourself it's impossible for you to discover the truth yourself, but very easy for us to help you!

We believe that if you are becoming involved in a romantic relationship with a Thai woman that it is best to get her checked out early in the relationship. The more time goes on, the more attached you will become to the lady, and the more forgiving you're likely to be of her deception. If you think that we can help you, send us a message today explaining your situation and we'll reply with a free, no obligation quote.

February 8, 2018 - Reading time: 2 minutes

At PattayaPI, we are happy to work with any client that reaches out to us. This includes private individuals, law firms, and other detective agencies. Frequently we are instructed by foreign companies working on behalf of their clients in other countries. We have no problem working with these companies but feel asthough we owe it to prospective clients to explain the process by which international PIs work.

An "international private investigator" is someone based centrally, typically in the USA or Europe. They will accept a range of cases and work in any country in the world, whilst communicating with the client in their home country. There is no problem with this business model and it tends to work well most of the time. What typically happens when an international PI is instructed by their client is that they will go on to contact several different detective agencies based in the relevant country... For example, if you need a task performing in Thailand, these companies will contact every agency within Thailand asking for a quote. Sometimes they will even have rival companies bid against each other for work with the aim of finding the lowest possible price. Once they have secured the lowest possible price from a detective agency in their chosen country, they will go on to add their own commission (which in some cases can more than double the cost) and then act as a middle man between the client and investigator.

Often lawyers based overseas will not wish to contract with foreign entities, and so "international private investigators" tend to fill this void, acting as middle men based in the lawyer's country. While this does work in practice, it results in the client paying vastly more for the service, as lawyers and international PIs both charge their own fees. It also means that we don't have a direct line of communication with the client; there is a possibility of miscommunication as messages are relayed between an 'international PI', and then a lawyer before reaching the end client. We always prefer to have direct communication with our clients wherever possible. We feel that knowledge is power, and if you are considering working with an international PI, we hope that this post will help you with your decision.

January 28, 2018 - Reading time: 2 minutes

If you’re looking for a private investigator based in Bangkok, look no further. PattayaPI does not only cover the Pattaya and Chon Buri areas, we also service Bangkok, Isaan and most of Thailand. We often take on work from other companies based centrally in Bangkok or even overseas in the Asia region. The contacts and knowledge PattayaPI have are simply unmatched by anyone else. We urge anyone looking to hire us to approach us directly and avoid any middleman fees.

Unlike other companies, we never outsource our work. All jobs completed by us are done so by our own staff, this allows us to maintain a consistently high standard of work and have direct lines of communication with our clients. You will not find many private investigators based in Isaan, in northern Thailand. These areas are often very rural farming communities and sparsely populated. Despite this, we are happy to send our teams to these areas at short notice and work for you to discover and report the truth.

There are many unregulated private detectives in Bangkok and all over Thailand. We suggest taking your time to search for a competent agency and doing your own research before hiring them. Good PIs can be very few and far between in south east Asia and especially a developing country such as Thailand. At PattayaPI, we have extensive contacts throughout Bangkok, the surrounding areas and all over Thailand. Our pricing is competitive and our standard of work is second to none. We keep our clients in the loop and updated in real time through every step of the investigation. It is for these reasons that we consistently receive positive, five star rated reviews and recommendations.

If you need to hire a private investigator anywhere in Thailand, for any reason, get in touch with us first and see how we can help you. We offer free, no obligation quotes for all work and are genuinely pleased to help anyone that reaches out to us.