How much are bar fines in Pattaya?

September 12, 2021 - Reading time: 6 minutes

If you intend to take a lady from a bar in Pattaya and spend time with her, then you will need to pay what is called a “bar fine” to the establishment she works at.

In Pattaya, regular beer bars tend to charge 500 THB to 1,000 THB for bar fines. Beer bars in less popular, non-tourist areas might charge only 300 THB. A go-go bars tend to be the most expensive and can charge 1,000-2,000+ THB, sometimes going up even higher for popular ladies in high end establishments.

The cost of a bar fine will depend on the type of establishment, and sometimes the time of night (some bars might reduce their bar fines after midnight, for example). A go-go bars almost always charge more expensive bar fines than beer bars.

What are bar fines?

Bar fines are payments which are made to the bar in exchange for taking a member of their staff, the lady in question will typically receive a percentage of the bar fine payment (usually around 1 third of the fee). The bar fine does not include compensation for the lady herself and you will need to agree a separate amount which will be paid to her directly.

Bar fines typically allow patrons of the bar a level of ‘protection’, in the sense that if a lady steals from you, misbehaves, or takes items from your hotel room, you can then return to the bar that she works at and explain the situation to them. Most ladies will not attempt anything untoward with the knowledge that they are traceable and might run into problems through their employer.

Are bar fines negotiable?

Bar fines are typically not negotiable. You will need to pay whatever amount the bar’s mamasan or cashier requests. Sometimes if you are paying a bar fine for several days or weeks, then the bar might offer a discount. However, this will be at their discretion and not all bars offer ‘bulk discounts’, especially if the lady is popular or the bar is struggling to find staff.

If you are intending to pay a bar fine for several days or weeks, then you might encounter issues which are more serious than the amount which you pay as a bar fine – typically falling in love with the lady and becoming a victim to a ‘bar girl scam’, where the lady will continue to work at a bar despite being ‘in a relationship’ with a previous customer.

Why do bars charge bar fines?

If a lady is taken from a bar by a customer, then she will no longer be encouraging people into the bar, and no-one will buy drinks for her – by having one less member of staff the bar will lose money. Put simply, bars charge bar fines as compensation for losing a member of their staff.

Falling in love with a Pattaya bar girl

Thousands of foreign men visit Pattaya every year and end up falling in love with bar girls. If you are spending a prolonged amount of time with a certain lady then you might find yourself in a similar predicament. 

Sometimes relationships between bar girls and foreigners can work, however, such cases are rare, and for every success story there are 10 horror stories.

Men that fall in love with bar girls will always say “She’s different!” or “She’s not like the other bar girls!”. When guys fall head over heels in love with bar girls, they tend to lose sight of the full picture.

Whether the lady works in a beer bar, gentleman’s club, a go-go, or a massage parlour, bar girls work in these venues because they need money. They usually have children from previous relationships and need to provide for their parents as well. The minimum wage in Thailand is quite low and usually not enough to support a full family of people.

Without a university degree, it can be difficult to find a decent paying job in Thailand, and many ladies resort to bar work in order to earn enough cash to support themselves and their families. If you form a relationship with a bar girl, then you will need to send her money on a regular basis to support both her and her family, and this is where problems can arise.

You may hear tales of “bar girl scams” in Pattaya… Men often fall in love with ladies that are working in bars and decide to send money to them. In return the lady will promise not to leave the bar with any customers, or she might claim that she has left Pattaya and gone back to live with her family in the village.

We know from experience that most of the time bar girls will continue to accept bar fines and leave the bar with customers whilst a foreign man is “taking care” of them and wiring money on a regular basis. 

Another classic bar girl scam involves the lady forging multiple relationships, and having several different foreign boyfriends sending her money. Each boyfriend will believe that they are the only man in her life. When done correctly, this type of scam can allow some bar girls to earn huge amounts of money. 

You might read this article thinking that “it could never happen to you” or “she is really different”… This is the type of mentality which helps guys fall victim to bar girl scams. Not all bar girls are different and most of them are actually quite similar.

If you do happen to find yourself in a romantic relationship with a bar girl, then we can help to find out if she is different and get to the truth.

We often investigate bar girls that are working in Pattaya in order to check that they are loyal to their boyfriends. Most ladies are not loyal and will continue to leave the bar with customers whilst their boyfriends are back in their home countries. Bar girl investigations can typically save our clients huge amounts of money, as well as their time and heartache. 

Learn more about bar girl investigations.