A pawn shop worker prepares jewellery and luxury watch for photographs at Easy Money pawn shop in Bangkok...
A pawn shop worker prepares jewellery and luxury watch for photographs at Easy Money pawn shop in Bangkok, August 27, 2013. Faced with rising living costs and unable to wait until pay day, growing numbers of Southeast Asians are putting their gold jewellery and designer watches in hock, creating a boom in pawnshops across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. Thailand's largest private pawnshop operator, Easy Money, has seen a 15-20 percent rise in the number of customers in recent months, especially in areas near Bangkok, said Managing Director Sittiwit Tangthanakiat. Picture taken August 27, 2013. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha (THAILAND - Tags: BUSINESS SOCIETY)