In a highly unusual move, a Thai woman has made headlines after publicly announcing her search for three “beautiful and educated” women to care for her husband—offering them a modest salary of £342, the regional minimum wage.
Pattheema Chamnan, 44, who lives with her husband in Bangkok and helps run a family business in Samut Prakan province, says her decision stems from her ongoing battle with chronic depression, which has left her feeling unable to meet her husband’s emotional and physical needs.
“I haven’t been sleeping with my husband and it makes me feel like I’m not a good wife,” she said in a candid video appeal shared on social media. “My husband works hard. I just want him to be happy—and I’ll also have some company at home.”
She has already shortlisted two candidates and is continuing to seek a third. Her requirements include that the women be young, single, college-educated, and able to “communicate well, be physically attractive, and have a good personality.” She also emphasized they should not have children, citing it as a potential burden.
The proposed companions would live with the couple and also work in their family business. Pattheema hopes the arrangement will bring harmony to their household and relieve her own emotional burden.
Her husband, Pattagorn, said he was initially surprised to discover the video but respected his wife’s wishes. “She said she wanted someone to take care of me,” he explained. “I never asked for mistresses, but since my wife is offering, I won’t reject.”
While unconventional, the couple’s story has sparked widespread discussion across Thailand and online, touching on themes of marital commitment, mental health, and shifting relationship norms.