Pattaya culture and the background of the Thai ladies.
This city is renowned for having approximately 30,000 female bar workers employed across 3,000 bars, a go go entertainment and coyote clubs. While the number of working women may fluctuate throughout the year, the ratio of women to men seeking companionship always remains heavily skewed towards the former.
Pattaya is known for its vibrant nightlife and the availability of female entertainment employee's. Most of these women come from the Isaan region in northeastern Thailand, an area culturally influenced by its proximity to Laos and Cambodia. The primary source of income in Issan is rice farming, and the region is known for being relatively poor and rural.
The women who come to work tend to come from impoverished families and have little education. Many of them have children from previous relationships, which places additional financial pressure on them. Unlike in Western countries, there is no social safety net in this amazing country. If someone is not working, they have no income.
To replace these safety nets, Thai children are conditioned to feel a sense of obligation to support their parents when the need arises. This responsibility often falls on the eldest daughter, and given the high unemployment rates in Issan, the need for financial support is almost always present.
Many of those who work in this nice city are driven there by perceived or actual pressure to provide for their families. This pressure is especially significant for those who have children to care for. They often come with the hope of finding a foreigner who will marry them and support both them and their families.
Unfortunately, many of these women soon realize that the reality is much different than the stories they have heard, and it is not easy to find a good man. Their hopes are quickly dashed, and they become disillusioned.
The situation of the women is not unique to Thailand. Bar entertainment work often arises as a result of economic hardship, lack of opportunity, and limited social safety nets. While the women who work in Pattaya may come from a specific cultural background, they share a common thread with bar workers around the world.
It is crucial to approach this topic with empathy and understanding and to work towards creating more equitable economic and social systems that reduce the need for vulnerable individuals to engage in exploitative work.
Family is considered the most important aspect of life, and children are raised to be dependent on their families. This is in contrast to the West, where independence is highly valued. For example, it is common for the children to sleep with their parents for a longer period than would be acceptable in Western cultures.
This conditioning is crucial because Thailand lacks a welfare system, and it is the responsibility of offspring to support their elderly family members when they can no longer work. In many cases, this responsibility falls more heavily on female family members.
Another significant factor is the unequal treatment of male and female children. In Thai culture, males are generally considered to be more valuable than females, which can impact the opportunities and expectations for both genders. Despite these differences, family remains a central part of the culture and plays a vital role in shaping the values and behaviors of individuals in society.
It is important to understand the cultural background of the women to have a better understanding of their situation. Most of the ladies come from a poor region called Issan, where the main source of income is growing rice. They travel to Pattaya to provide financial support to their families, often under pressure to find a foreigner to marry them.
Family is the most important thing in Thai culture, and the responsibility to provide for the elder members of the family falls more on females.
Many women from Isaan, a region in northeastern Thailand, travel to Pattaya to find work and support their families financially.
The work these women do can vary, but many find jobs in the entertainment industry, such as working in bars or as dancers. While these jobs may not be ideal, they offer a way for these women to earn a decent income and support their families back home. Many of these women also have children, and the money they earn goes towards supporting them and ensuring they have access to education and healthcare.
Despite the hard work and sacrifices these women make, they often face discrimination and judgment from others who view their work as shameful or immoral. This stigma is especially prevalent in Thai society, where there is a cultural emphasis on the importance of preserving one's reputation and social standing.
It is important to recognize and acknowledge the contributions these women make to their families and communities. They are often the primary breadwinners and play a vital role in ensuring their families' survival. Instead of judging or shaming them, we should support and empower them by advocating for better working conditions and opportunities that allow them to provide for their families while also preserving their dignity and well being.
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