Guide to Thai Bar Girls: What Tourists Need to Know
Published: September 30, 2021 - Reading time: 9 minutes
» Updated: June 13, 2025
Although we call them “girls”, Thai bar girls are adult women. A more accurate term might be “Thai bar ladies”.
They differ from Western bar staff: Thai bar girls often engage in paid companionship or prostitution.
What is a Thai bar girl?
A Thai bar girl works in bars across Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, and other nightlife hotspots—chatting with customers and encouraging them to buy special “lady drinks”.
Customers can pay a “bar fine” allowing the bar girl to leave the venue with them, for an additional fee paid directly to her.
Why do Thai women work in bars?
Daughters in Thai culture are often expected to support ageing parents. With low wages and limited job prospects, many women rely on bar work or hope to meet a foreign boyfriend who’ll provide financial support for them and their families.
Where do Thai bar girls work?
- Beer bars: Casual venues with affordable drinks.
- Go-go bars: Higher-priced venues with stage dancers.
- Gentleman’s clubs: Discreet, air-conditioned lounges.
- Ladyboy bars: Featuring ladyboys for entertainment.
- Nightclubs/discos: Freelancers seeking customers.
- Freelancer friendly bars: Some bars and nightclubs encourage 'freelance' ladies to visit.
Common Bar Girl Phrases
- Butterfly: Customer who flits between girls.
- Bar fine: Fee paid to take a girl out.
- No money no honey: Means that attention is depend on payment.
- Lady drink: Premium drink bought for her.
- Cheque bin: Container holding drink receipts.
- Mamasan: Bar girl manager.
- Can't eat love: Bar girls cannot eat your love; support requires financial help.
How do Thai bar girls earn money?
- Salary: Paid weekly or monthly. Full salary might be conditional on hitting minimum targets for lady drinks and/or bar fines. Failing to meet those targets can result in salary deductions.
- Tips: Direct payments from customers.
- Lady drink commissions: Paid per lady drink ordered (typically 30 to 80 THB depending on the venue and its location).
- Bar fines: When a customer pays to take her out.
- Short-time/long-time fees: Direct payment for company.
- Sponsorship: Financial support from foreign partners or boyfriends.
Thai bar girl scams & dating a Thai bar girl
Many guys assume that once they enter into a relationship with a Thai bar girl, she will stop seeing other customers. In reality, that’s rarely the case. Most continue working behind the scenes — even while accepting money from a boyfriend or sponsor who believes he’s the only one.
This isn’t just an opinion. It’s based on over a decade of real-world experience investigating hundreds of Thai bar girls. Time and time again, we’ve seen the same pattern play out: the relationship appears exclusive, but the reality is anything but.
🔍 Bar Girl Investigations
Most bar girls we investigate are found to be unfaithful. We can discreetly verify your girlfriend’s loyalty—helping you avoid emotional pain and financial loss.
Typically, bar girls will message their “boyfriend” throughout the day and call him every night after work. To most men, this feels like clear proof of loyalty. But in reality, it often means nothing. Many girls only accept short-time customers, which leaves plenty of time to keep up appearances.
By carefully planning their downtime and using excuses like “I’m tired, going to bed early,” it becomes easy to create a false sense of security. The boyfriend thinks everything is fine — that she’s loyal, committed, and just waiting for his return. But we’ve seen behind the curtain.
After investigating hundreds of cases, we can say with confidence: this happens far more often than you think. And if you’re reading this and thinking, “that could never happen to me” — you’re exactly the kind of guy it happens to.
Making a Thai Bar Girl Your Girlfriend
You can have a genuine relationship with a bar girl—but only if she fully leaves the bar scene. Our investigations consistently find that even those claiming to quit often continue working in secret.
Have open conversations: Does she owe debt? Does she support her family? Many women return to nightlife due to financial pressure.
If you suspect dishonesty, use our decoy (honeytrap) investigation service. There's also a real health risk if she’s being sexually active with other men without your knowledge.
🚨 Background Checks: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You
If your Thai girlfriend is currently married, her husband could sue you under Thai law. Even if her ID or passport says “Miss”, this doesn’t guarantee she’s single. Likewise, “Mrs” doesn’t confirm marriage. In Thailand, women must go out of their way to update their title—most don’t. A professional background check is the only way to be sure.
We’ll confirm marital status, identify dating site activity, and uncover any adult content involvement—all common in Thai nightlife backgrounds.
Are Thai Bar Girls Tested for STDs?
Prostitution is illegal in Thailand under the Prevention and Suppression of Prostitution Act (1996). Because of this, there is no legal requirement for bar owners to test workers for HIV or STDs.
Some venues may offer voluntary testing, but it’s not standard. UNAIDS warns that criminalisation of sex work pushes the industry underground, increasing the risks of unprotected and unregulated sexual activity.
If you're in a relationship with a woman from the nightlife scene, regular testing—for both of you—is strongly advised.
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