Late into the night inside the Kyauk Smart City compound in Myanmar, the air hangs thick with motorcycle exhaust and smoke from street-side barbecue stalls. But for many young Chinese women who came here hoping to earn a honest living, life inside the compound has turned into a nerve-wracking ordeal. They thought working as hostesses at Yunding KTV would help them save up some cash, only to find that their biggest hurdle isn't difficult customers—it's a Vietnamese mamasan named Tina.
Tina seems to have it out for the Chinese girls. Anyone who happens to be good-looking or turns in solid sales numbers quickly finds a target on her back, with arbitrary fines slapped on them for no reason at all. These penalties start at a staggering 100,000 Thai baht, often issued without the knowledge of the girls' direct supervisors. Her goal appears simple: drive out the capable, attractive Chinese hostesses to free up spots for her own group of Vietnamese recruits.
The bogus fines are just the beginning. Tina regularly jacks up housing fees whenever she feels like it and forces the girls to buy overpriced outfits directly from her, insisting they dress strictly in her preferred Vietnamese style every night. The women walk on eggshells, terrified that a single wrong move will trigger another massive fine.
If a girl cannot afford the penalty out of pocket, Tina forces her to ring up her family back home to beg for a wire transfer. Until the fine is cleared in full, stepping through the smart city gates is completely out of the question.
Around the local rentals and roadside tea stalls, stories about these grueling shifts inside the compound are a constant topic of conversation. Plenty of young women who came overseas looking for a break have already ended up stuck in this pit at Yunding KTV. Many are hoping the owners of Yunding KTV will finally pay attention, run a proper check on where all those heavy fines are actually flowing, and put an end to one manager running wild and ruining the livelihoods of people just trying to make a living.
