PATTAYA, Thailand – Beneath the bright lights and nightlife that draw visitors to Thailand’s entertainment districts are stories rarely seen by tourists — women working late into the night while carrying the responsibilities of motherhood. For some, working in bars and entertainment venues is not a career they dreamed of. It is a way to earn money quickly when other opportunities have disappeared and family expenses continue to rise.
“Nid,” a 22-year-old mother of two who has worked in a bar for less than a year, said she never imagined taking such a job but felt she had few alternatives after losing her previous livelihood.
“I didn’t want to work like this. If I had a choice, who would want people to look down on them?” she said.
Nid said she comes from another province and left her two daughters in the care of their grandmother after struggling to find work that could provide enough income to support them.
Her story reflects a wider economic reality facing low-income households, where rising living costs, household debt and limited employment opportunities can force workers into informal sectors offering faster or higher earnings. The pressure is also being felt by small businesses around nightlife areas.
“Auntie Oi,” a food vendor operating near the bar where Nid works, said business has slowed considerably. “It’s not only that there are fewer tourists. The bar workers themselves are spending less because everything costs more,” she said. “Small vendors like us are struggling too. Everyone is trying to survive.”
For “Koi,” a 35-year-old bar worker and mother of three, the job represents a sacrifice for her children’s future. Her eldest child is preparing to enter university, while the children’s father is no longer involved in supporting the family. She works during the day doing various jobs before heading to the bar at night. “I have three children. The money I earn here may not seem like much to other people, but for my children it can mean tuition fees and food,” she said.
Koi also stressed that working in a bar does not automatically mean engaging in illegal or inappropriate activities, saying much of her work involves looking after customers and earning tips.
For women like Koi and Nid, the judgment they face from society can sometimes feel heavier than the financial burden itself.
Koi questioned whether people who criticize their choices fully understand the circumstances that led them there. “If your child was hungry and you didn’t even have money to buy milk, would you still choose only what society considers right?” she asked.
Their stories highlight the complicated choices faced by mothers struggling to provide for their families. While questions surrounding nightlife work, working conditions and social expectations remain, the experiences of these women also reveal a determination to protect their children and secure a better future for them.
This story is not intended to judge whether their choices are right or wrong. Instead, it looks beyond the neon lights and entertainment venues to the people working behind them — and the personal struggles that can remain invisible to those passing through the nightlife scene. For some mothers, survival is not a glamorous story. It is simply the daily struggle to put food on the table, pay school expenses and give their children opportunities they themselves may never have had.
