Thailand is seeing a growing demand for 'rent-a-friend' companions, driven by an increase in single people and changes in lifestyle, reports infohub.kz.
A new type of side job is thriving in Thailand: the 'rent-a-friend' service. Paid companions accompany clients on trips, help take good photos, and join them at cafes, gyms, and climbing walls. Experts link the service's popularity to a rising share of single people: according to Euromonitor International, in 2025, 29.5% of households in the country consisted of one person.
Many clients use the service not because of loneliness but for convenience. For example, students and travelers hire assistants to avoid bothering friends and family with requests to take hundreds of shots from the right angle. For providers, it becomes a profitable gig: one of them charges 1,000 baht per hour of accompaniment, carefully selecting clients for safety reasons.
Sociologist Narupon Duangwises notes that such services offer emotional comfort to people who find it hard to make acquaintances in real life. However, he stresses the need for clear rules and safety boundaries to protect providers from potential harassment and unwanted situations.