connda

Nothing "tantra" here - just a "ball massage."

Yep.

Not necessarily. Like the English language, a word can have multiple meaning. You have to place it in context. Also, if you look up the term "steam" and "bake," the term "bake" is a primary translation for อบ, "stream" although it can be translated that way is not normally directly translated to "op" อบ as it's primary translation, but can be. Steam, bake, warmed - context. They all work.

I've lived in this world in both the US and in Thailand and know exactly how it works. Really, you don't have a clue. In some cases what you say has some truth, a "trainee" has to start somewhere, but you completely miss the bigger picture. Fyi, the owners of most shops will tell their clients they are being given a massage by a trainee and "is that ok?" By the way, this isn't the West. My ex-wife was a "certified massage therapist"in the US. The certification programs there are complete overkill in typical Western nanny-state fashion. I've had significantly better massages here in Thailand by what you would consider to be "untrained" masseuses. My exwife's massages as well as her "trained, US certified" staff sucked by comparison. There is training, but the way it is passed down is actually in the Tradition of Thai Massage which IS a UNESCO recognized profession. You think that all Thai masseuse learns their trade in a Community College like in the West (rhetorical - no you don't). It doesn't really work that way, although it can. There are two paths: on-the-job training and certification programs. Having learned "on-the-job" does not in the least discount a masseuse's abilities to perform Thai Massage. However, the Thai government wants to give "Thai Massage" legitimacy hence the Skilled Local Massage Practitioner program by the Thai MoH. By the way, there are Traditional Thai Massage certification programs already in place and they have been here for years and available through the Trade Colleges here in Thailand. There is already a tiered certification program in place. I know Thais who are have certificates. They earned those certification so that they could leverage that in the massage shops as being staffed with Certified Thai Massage Practitioners and therefore could command a higher price for massages, or promote the certification as a means to advertise their shops. Honestly? Some people want a massage and a hand-job, and some people just want a good Thai Massage. Now it looks like the MoH will be given the power enforce certification by limiting the promotion of "Traditional Thai Massage" on a shop's signage only to those shops with certifications. So in the future more Thai masseuses and masseures will more than likely be required by shop owners to get certified. In typical Thai fashion it will not be the state mandating certification, it will be the owners of Thai massage shops. That's not a bad thing. Like I say, you and others who think they understand this - don't.

I could walk you down Loi Kroh in Chiang Mai and point out a dozen or more instances where the term "nuad Thai" which is actually a mis-transliteration of นวด ไทย which has an unaspirated "t" sound hence more accurately "Nuat Thai" but is printed on signage in either form. A lot of times there will be the term "Thai Massage" with นวดไทย in Thai also on the sign. If you don't read Thai you won't see it. The Thai government will be insisting on the term "นวดไทย" being removed in shops that are not certified and will provide rules for the English terms that will denote "Certified Thai Massage."

Tosh.

bob smith - is this your alter ego?

Here's what is really going down. The Thai government is going to use a carrot, not a stick. They are offering certifications. Well, some stick - my guess in the near future, in order to use the term "Nuat Thai" on your establishment, the owner will need to be certified by the government to a certain level and their staff will also need to be certified to minimum standards. What you may see if they implement this is the police notifying massage establishments that they have a year to comply with certification or else they must take the term "Nuat Thai" off of their signage. Which actually may not be a bad thing. If you certify the owner will be able to print the term "Nuat Thai" or "นวดไทย" or "Certified Traditional Thai Massage" on their signs. With the certification, these massage shops can then charge a higher price for services minus Happy Endings. It's gonna be all about the wording on signs. Nothing much else really. Well, imho.

For those who wish to look for it, the script for Ap Op Nuat is: อาบ อบ นวด 👈 Literally - "Shower Bake Massage" These are legally run businesses. This is where Chuwit Kamolvisi made his money. These establishments are a Thai institution. They aren't going anywhere. And they are not aimed at non-Thais. Most non-Thais probably don't ever know they exist - well, unless you're a Western expat who lives in the Thai community and can read and write Thai. The BIB may bust a few for show, then it's back to business as usual.

It will never, ever be able to do that. The BIB are now The Happy Ending Police? Prostitution is primarily a bar-scene phenomenon aimed at tourists. That discounts the Thai prostitution scene complete which is the 90% of the iceberg under the water. That prostitution takes the form of Karaoke clubs as well as Shower Massages where you pick a gal out of the "Fishbowl" or "Sideline" and enjoy a 90 minute boom-boom. Those are aimed directly at Thai guys. They will never close them down - too much money involved.

That's very binary thinking. The problem with the Far-Left is they only seem to perceive binary states, and then project that onto people they hate. "If you support any Trump policies, then you support all of Trump's policies." That is binary thinking. And it wholly inaccurate. Those who support Trump support some of his policies, and don't support some of his policies. There are shades of grey to the right of Far-Left.

@placeholder You do understand that Trump lives in your mind rent free. That's not healthy.

Ever wonder why people would pay money to see Evel Knievel jump over buses? So they could witness the crashes when they happened. Brit TV, I sure, has over-the-top graphic death scenes in movies. If you're going to censor, better censor it all. Right. Gotta censor any that may be disturbing to your citizens, yeah?

Ofcom: The spear-tip of the Nanny-StateTM.

Ever serve in the military, or were you a coward? I'm guessing the latter. Enjoy wallowing in your self-sanctimonious drivel. I've no time for fools like you.

Dude - screw your head on straight. I was Vietnam War cannon fodder on my 18th birthday. The Vietnam war didn't end until April 30, 1975. The boomer era spanned 1946 through 1964. US kids were being drafted big time after the Gulf of Tonkin fiasco in the summer of 1964. By 1965 the US were drafting US 18 - 26 year old US guys with abandon. Those born in 1946 were all turning 18 in 1964 and were eligible to be drafted. And that war went on for 10 freaking years! I lost a lot of friends. "Swissie." Not American are you? You really don't have a clue. Don't you dare discount that war as something trivial.

How did you manage to miss Vietnam?

It's not my cup of tea, but neither is closing web portals because they host legal but disturbing graphics. If you don't want to watch, don't watch. I personally have no desire to watch people die. Now on the other hand, Thai TV News shows the same type of graphic stuff daily in order to generate viewership. The only difference? They pixalate or blur the gory details. In reality, they are doing the same thing: Leveraging other's deaths to generate viewership. One's "Bad" and the other is "Acceptable?" Get real. They both use the appeal of a common denominator.

Fiery but Peaceful. 🔥

It's pretty sad what other people consider "success." I consider success a roof over my head, food on the table, good health, and family. Everything else is gravy. Which is why I'm not in debt and others are up to their eyeballs in debt. My lifestyle doesn't reflect what's "in the bank." I've never had any interest in "Keeping up with the Jones Shinawatras" in appearances. Those who do? Fools.

If the PTB hadn't have destroyed the small and medium size business (you know - the NON-ESSENTIAL ones) then they wouldn't have to aggressively inflate the economy. Which will lead to inflation, which in turn will make it even more difficult for average people to live. It's almost like it's planned that way, 'eh? 🤔

Exactly.

I wonder how many of those Thais working in 7/11 hold down two jobs to make ends meet? I've done that in the US. One's earning potential is limited by one's desire to earn. And luck. But? I was brought up in the era of "hard work pays." Definitely a different era. And I started working as a kid doing paper routes and selling stuff because <drum roll> I wanted to earn money when a I was a kid <cymbal crash>. That all prepared me for adulthood.

What's with the sad emojis. Someone disagrees and it's "Sad Emoji Time." Like I said, if you feel so sad about it, start handing out money to these "poor Thais" in order to create equality in your own mind. You'll feel much better 🙄 Not.