Bargirl

A bargirl is a woman or child who works as a hostess in a bar catering mostly to male clients, but also some female clients.

Note that this term should not be confused with a barmaid, who serves drinks in a bar but is not expected to entertain customers personally or provide sexual services.

Associations

The term is often associated with some Southeast Asian countries (especially Thailand and the Philippines) where many (but not all) bargirls also act as prostitutes, either on-site (effectively a brothel) or by being available to be bar fined.

Bargirls usually get a commission on drinks bought by their customers and a percentage of the escort fee ("bar fine") paid by any customer who wishes to take them out of the bar. In addition to entertaining customers individually, many bargirls work in go-go bars where are also expected to dance on stage, often in skimpy costumes or bikinis.

Bar fine

A bar fine (sometimes written as "barfine" or "bar-fine"), bar fee, or (in engrish) "paybar", is the payment made by customer to the operators of a bar (particularly hostess bars or go-go bars) that allows a dancer or hostess or some other employee of that bar to leave work early, usually in order to accompany the customer outside the bar back to his hotel room. A bar fine may also be required in order to take the employee to a more secluded part of the same establishment such as a "short-time room".

This is common in transactions involving prostitution in South-east Asian countries such as Thailand and the Philippines. It is also a standard feature of dockside nightclubs in South Africa Fact|date=April 2008 that cater to foreign seamen. Depending on local customs, the bar fine may or may not cover any additional services (usually sexual services) that may be rendered.

Prostitution

Where bargirls act as prostitutes, their patterns vary widely, both between bars and also just on individual preference. Some will seek to have as many customers as possible in a given day, like many prostitutes in the west; these will generally only take "short time" clients. Others will be more selective and only accept one customer in a day, taking "long time" customers overnight or even for a few days following.

A payment over and above the bar fine may not be expected, but should be given for good service; this varies nationally (it is always customary in Thailand), and by the length of time the bargirl spends (it is generally customary for "long time" but not for "short time" in the Philippines.)

Conditions

Women and children involved in prostitution are vulnerable to rape, murder, AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. [http://www.hawaii.edu/hivandaids/Determinants%20of%20Extramarital%20Sex%20in%20the%20Philippines.pdf]

Legal Issues

In places such as the Philippines prostitution is a serious crime and is covered by the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act. [http://www.chanrobles.com/republicactno9208.html] In most countries where bar fine prostitution is common, it is technically illegal but widely tolerated. Fact|date=April 2008

In respect of American soldiers, the purchase of a bar fine has been prohibited by the Uniform Code of Military Justice, making it an offense considered equal to buying the services of a prostitute.

Economic Impact

Many bargirls use part of their income to support their parents and other family members, sometimes telling their family that the money is earned through more respectable work.

ee also

*Hostess club
*Taxi dancer

References

Documentaries

[http://www.hopeinheavenfilm.com/index.htm Hope In Heaven]