bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

knowledgeQuestion

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Zoey Zhang

Poor young women in Indonesian villages are becoming temporary wives for male tourists in exchange for a bride price leading to online condemnation of the practice.
Puncak, in the country’s western region, is home to a village with plentiful supplies of rich Arabian flavours that attracts many tourists from the Middle East.
In the mountain resort of Kota Bunga, male tourists are introduced to local women through agencies which help them to enter into temporary marriages.
Once both parties agree, they hold a quick, informal wedding ceremony, after which the men are required to pay the women a bride price as compensation.
The wife will have sex with the husband and do household chores. When the husband ends his tour and leaves the country, the marriage is dissolved.

Such temporary arrangements, known as “pleasure marriages”, have become a thriving industry in Puncak, boosting tourism and the local economy, the Los Angeles Times reported.
In the early days, girls were introduced to tourists by family members or acquaintances. Nowadays they are handled by agencies.
A woman identified as Cahaya shared her experience of being such a wife since she was 17 years old.
Cahaya told the Los Angeles Times that she has been married more than 15 times and that her “husbands” are all tourists from the Middle East.
Her first temporary husband was a tourist in his 50s from Saudi Arabia.
The man paid an US$850 bride price, but after the agent and person who conducted the marriage took their cut, she was left with only about half the amount.
Five days after the wedding, the man flew back home and they were “divorced”.
Cahaya said she could earn between US$300 and US$500 per marriage, which she uses to pay rent and care for her sick grandparents.
Another woman called Nisa said she had been married at least 20 times and had managed to quit the business.
Nisa met an Indonesian man who worked in an immigration office and they married four years ago and had two sons. She says she will never go back to her previous life.
Such arrangements are called nikah mut’ah or “pleasure marriages” and are said to be part of the Shia Islam culture.
However, most scholars, including many of the Shia Islam faith, deem the practice entirely unacceptable.
Pleasure marriages are also not recognised by Indonesian law, as they contradict the fundamental purpose of marriage, which should create a stable, long-term family relationship.
The violation of Indonesia’s marriage laws can lead to fines, imprisonment, and social or religious repercussions.

After media outlets in China carried reports about the phenomenon, it quickly trended on Weibo.
“This dark industry of temporary marriages may boost tourism and the local economy, that’s why it likely leaves even the government feeling powerless,” one person said.
Another said: “This reminds me of the girls in impoverished rural villages in China. To change their fate, they need to be empowered with education and skills to support themselves.”


Rural Indonesia women get into short ‘pleasure marriages’ with tourists for US$500 condemned

Burned-out South Korea and China youth embrace nutrient IV therapy to boost energy

Malaysia dad sets son’s motorbike on fire, driven by concern for his safety in late-night races

Malaysia hotpot eatery manager becomes local celebrity after viral dance, leads to overseas tour

Viral stories

There has been online condemnation of the practice of poor Indonesian women entering “quickie” marriages with rich overseas tourists to make ends meet. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock

Rich tourists get sex, and the household chores done, in return for a bride price. Photo: Shutterstock

Some women have entered into numerous so-called pleasure marriages. Photo: Getty Images

China dad wins US$3.4 million after 7 years using family birthday digits for lottery tickets

A father in China has finally won US$3.4 million after using family birthdates to buy lottery tickets for seven years. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock

Eyes on the prize: winner Huang, right, is all smiles as he collects his lottery windfall. Photo: Baidu

The persistent use of his family’s birthdates to buy tickets finally paid off for Huang. Photo: Baidu

China actress warned by doctors after adding ‘height-boosting’ drugs to son’s food

A Chinese actress was cautioned by doctors after she added height-enhancing drugs to her son’s food. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Xiaohongshu


Deng noted that her son, at 146cm, was one of the shortest in his class, which led her to regularly add height-enhancing medication to his food. Photo: QQ.com

The National Medical Products Administration has not approved height enhancement products, suggesting they may be falsely advertised and risky for children. Photo: Shutterstock

Thai official, inactive for 10 years, continues to receive salary while working at nightclub

Despite a decade of inactivity, a Thai official continues to draw a salary and bonuses while moonlighting at a nightclub. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock

The official was reportedly tired from late-night work at the nightclub, often skipping daytime shifts. Photo: Shutterstock

In the 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International, Thailand scored 35 out of 100, ranking 108th among 180 countries. Photo: Shutterstock

China firm criticised for suggesting daughters of unmotivated parents destined to marry older men

A Chinese civil service exam training company faced backlash after its materials were found to include sexist content. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Sohu

The Beijing-based training firm is among China’s largest for civil service exams, operating over 1,000 centres nationwide to help aspiring civil servants secure stable careers. Photo: AFP

The company stated that the slogan was meant as a joke, created by a female teacher who wished to reflect on her mistake. Photo: Shutterstock

China woman who survived husband’s attempted murder in cliff fall gives birth to IVF baby

Wang, who tragically lost her unborn child five years ago when her husband pushed her off a cliff in Thailand, has welcomed a new son during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Photo: SCMP composite/Weibo/Royal Thai Police

On September 17, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, Wang announced on Weibo the birth of her son, saying her life is now complete. Photo: Weibo

Wang shared that her trauma has left her “instinctively fearful of males” and unwilling to love again. Photo: Royal Thai Police

News

People & Culture

Some of country’s poorest young women have dozens of sex-and-chores-for-cash quickie weddings with rich tourists


Some of country’s poorest young women have dozens of sex-and-chores-for-cash quickie weddings with rich tourists.


Indonesia