Lonely or afraid of rejection? A local dating company allows you to rent a companion for fees starting at $60. The Sunday Times highlights three dates
There have been some unusual requests, though.
For example, a few weeks ago, a man wanted his date to just sit with him at a cafe without speaking.
During the two-hour meeting, in which the customer paid $80, he mostly used his phone and listened to music on his earphones. Occasionally, he looked at her blankly.
Three weeks ago, Mr Javier C went on a dinner and movie date.
But he did not just pay for the meal and movie. He also forked out $200 for his companion.
The 34-year-old private tutor's date was from Maybe Asia (maybe.sg), a new home-grown company offering dates for hire.
He had come across the business through a friend and took a liking to a woman's profile on its website.
Out of curiosity, the Singaporean decided to hire her for four hours for $200. They had dinner at a Clarke Quay restaurant and watched the movie, Avengers: Endgame.
The bachelor says: "To be honest, I think the experience was fun. I will probably use the service again."
While he thinks it is "quite pricey", he adds: "But the girls need to earn a living too. It also takes time for them to prepare, put on make-up and travel to meet me."
The service, he suggests, would be better if "there were more Japanese, Koreans or Caucasians".
While he has used dating apps to meet women before, he says he has not had any luck getting them to meet him in person.
Maybe Asia, which started in February, has about 25 women and five men - aged 18 to 31 - as dates.
A two-hour meeting - the minimum duration set by most of the dates - costs $60 to $200, of which the dates get a 50 to 80 per cent cut.
Clients can choose their date based on factors such as age and height, which are listed in a public catalogue on Maybe's website.
There is at least one other company, Pally Asia, that provides dates for hire here.
Maybe Asia's director and founder Razzy Abdul Razak, 27, says he was inspired to offer the service last year, when he saw an eligible friend failing to find a match on dating apps.
The friend had also lamented not being able to meet anyone despite going to nightclubs and attending speed-dating events.
"I wanted to help people like him meet someone straightaway - not only for dating, but also just to get to know someone new," says Mr Razzy, who used to be a financial consultant and also ran other businesses before starting Maybe Asia.
But, he qualifies, the dating service he offers is not aimed at those who are looking for a relationship.
Rather, it is just facilitating a one-on-one meeting with someone of the opposite gender. "Our purpose is to make meet-ups more convenient and hassle-free."
The service, he adds, also suits people who do not want their faces appearing on dating apps.
It is also for those who fear rejection, prefer to date without being in a relationship or just want to get to know someone new over supper or drinks.
But Maybe Asia is not a social escort service.
"Social escorts are often expected to sleep with the client. But our clients can rest assured that our dates are not doing any 'extra' services," says Mr Razzy.
In fact, apart from a friendly handshake, no other forms of physical contact, such as kissing, holding hands and hugs, are allowed.
Clients cannot engage dates directly and dates cannot go to the clients' homes or travel overseas with them. Meetings must take place only in public places.
Dates have declined requests such as meeting in places with very few people, Mr Razzy says.
Dates are not allowed to ask for tips or initiate extra services. Doing so can lead to immediate termination and blacklisting by the company.
So far, no dates have crossed these boundaries, says Mr Razzy.
"We are serious about creating a brand and upholding a good image. Thus, we are strict about this."
But what if the client and date want a more serious relationship?
Mr Razzy says: "Should that happen, I would advise the dates to take the relationship outside the business, so that it is no longer a date-and-client relationship."
In recent years, the rent-a-friend phenomenon, believed to have started in the 2000s in Japan, has reached Singapore's shores.
On social media, especially around the holiday season, people have offered, for a fee, to pretend to be one's significant other in front of nosy friends and relatives.
However, clients will likely not succeed in getting Maybe Asia's dates to perform such roles, Mr Razzy says.
"As our catalogue is public, the client's friends can find out about this deception and it can look bad on the client."
The dates would also have to agree to it and the no-physical-contact rule still applies.
On why its catalogue is public, Mr Razzy says: "Revealing the faces shows we are transparent with our services. Our dates know, and are confident in, the boundaries set. Our clients are also assured knowing who they will meet."
While clients can also take photos with, and of, dates, they should first ask for permission.
Repeat meetings with the same date are possible, subject to the date's availability. Clients can also refer dates to friends.
Before the meeting takes place, payment has to be made via bank transfer, PayNow, PayLah or credit card.
The duration of the date can be extended on the spot and some dates accept bookings of shorter durations of less than two hours. Clients can also cut short the date on the spot, but no refund will be given.
During the date, all costs are borne by the client. Should it end after 11pm, the client must pay an extra $30 for the date to take a cab or ride-hailing service home.
So far, most requests have been for lunch, dinner dates or drinking sessions, Mr Razzy reveals.
As male dates were available only about three weeks ago, almost all the clients are men - aged from 19 to their 50s - he adds.
Almost all of Maybe Asia's dates are freelancers - half are students, while the rest are working professionals. They may already be in relationships, says Mr Razzy.
About 95 per cent are Chinese and about half use pseudonyms on the website to prevent customers from contacting them directly.
Dates have been interviewed in person by Maybe Asia and screened to ensure they look like their photos. They are also briefed on their expected behaviour and attitude.
They have to upload unfiltered photos of themselves on the site, although a few edited photos showing them with features such as bunny or cat ears are allowed.
The criteria for being a good date, explains Mr Razzy, are to be respectful and able to engage in a conversation fairly well.
"Being bubbly and lively is also a plus."
But not all singles are keen on this new offering. Engineer Teo Chong Ming, 28, says: "It is personally not to my liking because it involves a financial transaction, which I don't think is a good way to start any romantic relationship."
He prefers meeting people through dating apps, friends, family or even qualified matchmakers.
"I think it is fine to pay a matchmaker to help you meet a date. But I don't think it is right for the date to receive monetary payment just for being present."
MEET PEOPLE, GET PAID, WHY NOT?
MS DESIREE CHONG
Intern at a technology organisation, 23, charges $100 for a two-hour date.
The Singaporean is completing her degree at a local university and working as an intern during her holiday break.
"I meet people whom I got to know online quite often, so I thought why not get paid doing so?" says Ms Chong, who is single.
BUDDY FOR KARAOKE OR ZOO OUTING
MR DICKSON CHOW
Freelance model, 21, charges $120 for a two-hour date.
Up for being a karaoke buddy, zoo-outing companion or someone to walk your dog with, this 185cm-tall Singaporean bachelor signed up as a date to get to know more people.
"I wanted to see what people of different ages think and talk about."
DATING TO FUND HER TRAVELS
MS WINNIE CHOY
Student at a private institution, 18, charges $200 for a two-hour date. Known as "Alissa" on the website.
Being a date is a good way to earn extra income to fund her travels, says the Singaporean, who is single. It is also something new to try and an avenue to hone her social skills.
"Many people my age can be shy when speaking to others as we spend a lot of time interacting with computers and smartphones. So, I like having the chance to interact more with humans."
So far, she has been on at least two dates. She has dated two men at the same time, twice. The men, both 27, are friends and on both occasions, the trio went out for drinks.
"One of the men, who works in the recruitment industry, just broke up with his girlfriend and was also facing friendship problems.
"He wanted a listening ear and shared with me some negative experiences he had with women. He thought this service was new and wanted to try it out.
"At the end of the date, he said it was quite cool that he could 'click' with me, someone much younger than him."
https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/will-you-pay-to-date-them
There have been some unusual requests, though.
For example, a few weeks ago, a man wanted his date to just sit with him at a cafe without speaking.
During the two-hour meeting, in which the customer paid $80, he mostly used his phone and listened to music on his earphones. Occasionally, he looked at her blankly.
Three weeks ago, Mr Javier C went on a dinner and movie date.
But he did not just pay for the meal and movie. He also forked out $200 for his companion.
The 34-year-old private tutor's date was from Maybe Asia (maybe.sg), a new home-grown company offering dates for hire.
He had come across the business through a friend and took a liking to a woman's profile on its website.
Out of curiosity, the Singaporean decided to hire her for four hours for $200. They had dinner at a Clarke Quay restaurant and watched the movie, Avengers: Endgame.
The bachelor says: "To be honest, I think the experience was fun. I will probably use the service again."
While he thinks it is "quite pricey", he adds: "But the girls need to earn a living too. It also takes time for them to prepare, put on make-up and travel to meet me."
The service, he suggests, would be better if "there were more Japanese, Koreans or Caucasians".
While he has used dating apps to meet women before, he says he has not had any luck getting them to meet him in person.
Maybe Asia, which started in February, has about 25 women and five men - aged 18 to 31 - as dates.
A two-hour meeting - the minimum duration set by most of the dates - costs $60 to $200, of which the dates get a 50 to 80 per cent cut.
Clients can choose their date based on factors such as age and height, which are listed in a public catalogue on Maybe's website.
There is at least one other company, Pally Asia, that provides dates for hire here.
Maybe Asia's director and founder Razzy Abdul Razak, 27, says he was inspired to offer the service last year, when he saw an eligible friend failing to find a match on dating apps.
The friend had also lamented not being able to meet anyone despite going to nightclubs and attending speed-dating events.
"I wanted to help people like him meet someone straightaway - not only for dating, but also just to get to know someone new," says Mr Razzy, who used to be a financial consultant and also ran other businesses before starting Maybe Asia.
But, he qualifies, the dating service he offers is not aimed at those who are looking for a relationship.
Rather, it is just facilitating a one-on-one meeting with someone of the opposite gender. "Our purpose is to make meet-ups more convenient and hassle-free."
The service, he adds, also suits people who do not want their faces appearing on dating apps.
It is also for those who fear rejection, prefer to date without being in a relationship or just want to get to know someone new over supper or drinks.
But Maybe Asia is not a social escort service.
"Social escorts are often expected to sleep with the client. But our clients can rest assured that our dates are not doing any 'extra' services," says Mr Razzy.
In fact, apart from a friendly handshake, no other forms of physical contact, such as kissing, holding hands and hugs, are allowed.
Clients cannot engage dates directly and dates cannot go to the clients' homes or travel overseas with them. Meetings must take place only in public places.
Dates have declined requests such as meeting in places with very few people, Mr Razzy says.
Dates are not allowed to ask for tips or initiate extra services. Doing so can lead to immediate termination and blacklisting by the company.
So far, no dates have crossed these boundaries, says Mr Razzy.
"We are serious about creating a brand and upholding a good image. Thus, we are strict about this."
But what if the client and date want a more serious relationship?
Mr Razzy says: "Should that happen, I would advise the dates to take the relationship outside the business, so that it is no longer a date-and-client relationship."
In recent years, the rent-a-friend phenomenon, believed to have started in the 2000s in Japan, has reached Singapore's shores.
On social media, especially around the holiday season, people have offered, for a fee, to pretend to be one's significant other in front of nosy friends and relatives.
However, clients will likely not succeed in getting Maybe Asia's dates to perform such roles, Mr Razzy says.
"As our catalogue is public, the client's friends can find out about this deception and it can look bad on the client."
The dates would also have to agree to it and the no-physical-contact rule still applies.
On why its catalogue is public, Mr Razzy says: "Revealing the faces shows we are transparent with our services. Our dates know, and are confident in, the boundaries set. Our clients are also assured knowing who they will meet."
While clients can also take photos with, and of, dates, they should first ask for permission.
Repeat meetings with the same date are possible, subject to the date's availability. Clients can also refer dates to friends.
Before the meeting takes place, payment has to be made via bank transfer, PayNow, PayLah or credit card.
The duration of the date can be extended on the spot and some dates accept bookings of shorter durations of less than two hours. Clients can also cut short the date on the spot, but no refund will be given.
During the date, all costs are borne by the client. Should it end after 11pm, the client must pay an extra $30 for the date to take a cab or ride-hailing service home.
So far, most requests have been for lunch, dinner dates or drinking sessions, Mr Razzy reveals.
As male dates were available only about three weeks ago, almost all the clients are men - aged from 19 to their 50s - he adds.
Almost all of Maybe Asia's dates are freelancers - half are students, while the rest are working professionals. They may already be in relationships, says Mr Razzy.
About 95 per cent are Chinese and about half use pseudonyms on the website to prevent customers from contacting them directly.
Dates have been interviewed in person by Maybe Asia and screened to ensure they look like their photos. They are also briefed on their expected behaviour and attitude.
They have to upload unfiltered photos of themselves on the site, although a few edited photos showing them with features such as bunny or cat ears are allowed.
The criteria for being a good date, explains Mr Razzy, are to be respectful and able to engage in a conversation fairly well.
"Being bubbly and lively is also a plus."
But not all singles are keen on this new offering. Engineer Teo Chong Ming, 28, says: "It is personally not to my liking because it involves a financial transaction, which I don't think is a good way to start any romantic relationship."
He prefers meeting people through dating apps, friends, family or even qualified matchmakers.
"I think it is fine to pay a matchmaker to help you meet a date. But I don't think it is right for the date to receive monetary payment just for being present."
MEET PEOPLE, GET PAID, WHY NOT?
MS DESIREE CHONG
Intern at a technology organisation, 23, charges $100 for a two-hour date.
The Singaporean is completing her degree at a local university and working as an intern during her holiday break.
"I meet people whom I got to know online quite often, so I thought why not get paid doing so?" says Ms Chong, who is single.
BUDDY FOR KARAOKE OR ZOO OUTING
MR DICKSON CHOW
Freelance model, 21, charges $120 for a two-hour date.
Up for being a karaoke buddy, zoo-outing companion or someone to walk your dog with, this 185cm-tall Singaporean bachelor signed up as a date to get to know more people.
"I wanted to see what people of different ages think and talk about."
DATING TO FUND HER TRAVELS
MS WINNIE CHOY
Student at a private institution, 18, charges $200 for a two-hour date. Known as "Alissa" on the website.
Being a date is a good way to earn extra income to fund her travels, says the Singaporean, who is single. It is also something new to try and an avenue to hone her social skills.
"Many people my age can be shy when speaking to others as we spend a lot of time interacting with computers and smartphones. So, I like having the chance to interact more with humans."
So far, she has been on at least two dates. She has dated two men at the same time, twice. The men, both 27, are friends and on both occasions, the trio went out for drinks.
"One of the men, who works in the recruitment industry, just broke up with his girlfriend and was also facing friendship problems.
"He wanted a listening ear and shared with me some negative experiences he had with women. He thought this service was new and wanted to try it out.
"At the end of the date, he said it was quite cool that he could 'click' with me, someone much younger than him."
https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/will-you-pay-to-date-them
