"I'll Take the Perfect Travel Shot for You"... Thailand's 'Paid Friend' Service Gains Popularity at 40,000 Won per Hour

Accompanying clients for shopping, exercise, and travel... a unique side job
Rise linked to lifestyle changes such as growth in single-person households

An unusual service called 'paid friend,' where individuals temporarily hire companions by paying an hourly fee, is gaining popularity in Thailand.

The photo is not directly related to the content of the article. Pixabay

Recently, Kyodo News reported that the "paid friend" role-playing service is spreading in Thailand. The outlet described it as "a new form of gig work, where people are paid to act as someone else's companion." Paid friends accompany clients during activities such as running, going to the gym, shopping, attending weddings, or even traveling and taking photos together.

The fee and recruitment methods vary depending on the provider or the type of activity, but Kyodo News explained, "One paid friend charges 1,000 baht per hour (approximately 42,000 won), recruits customers mainly via social networking services (SNS), and typically spends 2 to 3 hours with each client."

Paid friend services are drawing attention as a unique side job that allows flexible time management and does not require high-intensity work, making it accessible to university students and freelancers. Thanaphon Charancha (age 20), a university student who has served about 50 clients in the past two months, provides his service under the theme “I’ll take pictures for you like your best friend.” Thanaphon said, “I enjoy taking photos and meeting new people, so this work is both enjoyable and rewarding.”

Aintuon Rattanawaraporn, a university student and content creator from Bangkok, shared her experience with the service: “When I travel, I want someone to take my photos, but I don't want to bother my friends. Out of curiosity, I hired a paid friend, and I liked that I could freely request specific angles and compositions I wanted.”

A Thai woman paid 350 baht per hour (approximately 15,000 won) to hire a “paid friend” to take her graduation commemorative photos. The user rated the service satisfaction 9 out of 10 on the social networking service (SNS) Lemon8. Screenshot of the Thai lifestyle community “Lemon8.”

According to market research firm Euromonitor, single-person households made up 29.5% of all households in Thailand last year, a figure significantly higher than the global average of 21.9%. Although there are no official statistics, such social changes—including an increase in single-person households and unmarried individuals—are cited as major contributors to the rise of this service.

Naruphon Duangwises, Director of Research and Academic Promotion at the Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre, analyzed that "paid friends can provide emotional comfort to those who experience difficulties in making friends and maintaining social relationships in daily life."

However, citing potential safety concerns, Director Naruphon advised that "service providers should set clear rules and boundaries to prevent situations such as sexual harassment." In fact, paid friend service providers are known to take precautions for safety, such as checking customers' SNS profiles in advance and accepting reservations only in public places.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.