Thai Masseuses In Demand

[webfact]

Thai Masseuses in Demand

BANGKOK: -- Chairman of the Federation of Thai Spa Apichai Chianadisak reveals the Thai medical spa business is facing a shortage of masseuse due to the fact that foreign spas would lure them away with double or triple the salaries they are earning in Thailand.

A lot of Thai masseuses are working in China, the Middle East, and Europe due to the fact that Thai masseuses are highly experienced.

The Thai medical spa industry has seen 5.5 million customers in 2011, generating revenue of 14 billion baht. This year, the industry expects to see a 7-10% growth, valued at 15.5 billion baht. Around 60% of clients are tourists while 40% are Thai nationals. There are a total of 1,200 medical spas in the country, with 60% located in hotels and the rest are stand-alone.

Hotel spas are expanding continuously because customers demand the service. This has prompted stand-alone spas to have to adjust with some choosing to expand their area to cater to large group tours.

Translated from Daily News

-- Tan Network 2012-02-21

[bigbamboo]

The successful Thai massage business seems to have created a hole that needs filling.

[rgs2001uk]

"Thai medical spa business is facing a shortage of masseuse due to the fact that foreign spas would lure them away with double or triple the salaries they are earning in Thailand."

What is not mentioned are the ones returning, the same ones who find out the promise of 30k baht overseas is hardly enough to survive on, never mind save anything.

Lady down the road from me found out the hard way, working is a "spa" in some hotel in New Zealand.

Probably earning less than minimum wage, long hours and couldnt believe how much customers were paying for a one hour massage, all she was doing was making someone else rich.

[heybruce]

If you stand anywhere in Chiang Mai and throw a rock you risk hitting a Thai massage shop, most of them legit (not happy ending places). It's hard to believe there is a shortage of masseuse's.

[pepi2005]

Medical spas are usually exploiting masseuses.

While in one of these hole-in-the-wall shops, girls can make more than the average European income a month if they are smart and giving 'passionate' service.

If Spa's would pay them better (they are expensive enough), I'm sure there would be no 'shortage'.

[TantraMantra]

My English mate trained for a few weeks a year in Thailand (he's on a course now in CM). He works from home in UK now and charges £60/$90 an hour. Never any shortage of customers as he knows the medical side a bit. Gets plenty of practice on backpacker girls on Koh Phangnan. But he also has to put up with this kind of thing in the link. Funnily enough he looks very like the guy in this video...But it's not a bad career choice even for a westerner as I see he gets to meet many beautiful women who want an oily massage. Have a laugh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYYoGnFpahQ&feature=related

[tlansford]

Thai massage is very medicinal, I can see why there is an international demand.

But in France at least, masseuses (French, too) work for hourly wages and not much at that. A Thai masseuse won't make that much given the cost of living. Unless, that is, they have their own shop in a good location.

[ETatBKK]

'facing a shortage of masseuse'

would the Thai medi spa industry treats masseuse as a job, a career or a profession ?

it is a Thai heritage but not been respected, and you don't want to see their 'rest corner' under the stair.

[nikkoid66]

Give a choice between legit massage with no happy ending paid 60,000 bath salary and happy ending massages in an obscure massage shop in Pattaya for 6000 bath/month... I cannot blame the ones who leave Thailand.

[TheGhostWithin]

"Thai medical spa business is facing a shortage of masseuse due to the fact that foreign spas would lure them away with double or triple the salaries they are earning in Thailand."

What is not mentioned are the ones returning, the same ones who find out the promise of 30k baht overseas is hardly enough to survive on, never mind save anything.

Lady down the road from me found out the hard way, working is a "spa" in some hotel in New Zealand.

Probably earning less than minimum wage, long hours and couldn't believe how much customers were paying for a one hour massage, all she was doing was making someone else rich.

Please, find out the name of the hotel. This is not the way any respectable business in our country should or is allowed to operate.. there are minimum wages here which should see her far exceeding 30k baht per month. The going rate is 100-180 nzd per hour for massage here.. Name them, shame them!

[lungmi]

Masseuse is the correct word for special service hidden behind some Spa technics.

Work permit in Germany is easy for Thai Cooks (diploma needed) and Spa Specialists (fake diploma needed).

It's better for Thailand that the "masseuses" go abroad, they can send much money home to Thailand.

[Sydebolle]

The two-legged factories again at work overseas .........

[geriatrickid]

Nothing medicinal about the battle axe that inflicts her thai massage on me. I call it barbaric. I keep hoping one day to find someone to give me an hour of non sexual bliss, and instead I get a a teutonic rendition of S&M playtime, Thai style.

It would be nice to find an affordable "Swedish" style massage shop in Patong.

[lungmi]

Nothing medicinal about the battle axe that inflicts her thai massage on me. I call it barbaric. I keep hoping one day to find someone to give me an hour of non sexual bliss, and instead I get a a teutonic rendition of S&M playtime, Thai style.

It would be nice to find an affordable "Swedish" style massage shop in Patong.

Barbarians meet Barbarians. Law of nature.

[tlansford]

Nothing medicinal about the battle axe that inflicts her thai massage on me. I call it barbaric. I keep hoping one day to find someone to give me an hour of non sexual bliss, and instead I get a a teutonic rendition of S&M playtime, Thai style.

It would be nice to find an affordable "Swedish" style massage shop in Patong.

If you ever head to Koh Tao, then I'll send you an address. You'll want to try the oil massage.

[metisdead]

A post containing an inappropriate comment has been removed.

[nurofiend]

Nothing medicinal about the battle axe that inflicts her thai massage on me. I call it barbaric. I keep hoping one day to find someone to give me an hour of non sexual bliss, and instead I get a a teutonic rendition of S&M playtime, Thai style.

It would be nice to find an affordable "Swedish" style massage shop in Patong.

If you ever head to Koh Tao, then I'll send you an address. You'll want to try the oil massage.

just ask for an oil massage and not a thai massage, anywhere

you get what you ask for!

Edited February 21, 2012 by nurofiend

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

What the article fails to address is the difference between a Thai masseuse who actually has some real training in massage therapy, and there are schools and certificates for such things...

vs. the hands on, no real training except on the job experience that a lot of Thai girls/women working in massage shops get.

Knowing how to provide an oily happy ending isn't quite the same as knowing how to perform a professional, medical type massage.

Not that I have anything against oily happy endings, BTW....

There probably is a real shortage of the former... But there's clearly an abundance of the latter (being the happy type).

Edited February 21, 2012 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[nurofiend]

as someone mentioned already, chiang mai has loads that aren't just about endings of the happy kind.

but overall, of course there's a lot more 'happy' places than strictly proffesional all over thailand... supply and demand and all that.

[tlansford]

What the article fails to address is the difference between a Thai masseuse who actually has some real training in massage therapy, and there are schools and certificates for such things...

vs. the hands on, no real training except on the job experience that a lot of Thai girls/women working in massage shops get.

Knowing how to provide an oily happy ending isn't quite the same as knowing how to perform a professional, medical type massage.

Not that I have anything against oily happy endings, BTW....

There probably is a real shortage of the former... But there's clearly an abundance of the latter (being the happy type).

Training is important. My GF has done training at Wat Pho and also with other certified prof's.

But then she also trains women who are then working in her shop. That is your "hands-on" style of training (albeit without the happy end) and it works pretty well.

On the other hand, if a Thai woman wants to work abroad, she'll run into different laws depending on where she is. It would not surprise me if in some countries a Thai masseuse could not officially work without having a local certification.

[Gonsalviz]

My wife was working at a spa at a 5 star resort as a massage supervisor/trainer for about $600/month plus room and board. If the tips were good that month.

She is now in Los Angeles at a run of the mill Thai massage shop making around $60,000. She is still working on her California license. This is pretty much a breeze for her as all she has to do is translate the Thai names for anatomy to English.

None of the customers seem to be interested in Thai massage. They almost all want deep tissue massage. Women customers will ask for oil or aromatherapy massages. She has training for all kinds of massage, herbal, hot stone, oil/aromatherapy, deep tissue, etc. No happy endings at this shop.

[livinthailandos]

As i've worked in the hospitality industry for quite a while now I can tell you many thai woman in the spa industry have been going overseas to work is nothing new, this has been going on for quite a few years now and its for positions like spa therapists and spa reception. The places they've been sent to

maldives

china

places in the middle east

india

russia

etc

and from what I know a few things happen

1. contracts are issued at least 1 to 2 years, if you don't finish the contact you will have to pay for the rest of the remaing contract

2. pay wages are offered at 30,000 - 40,000 baht and while it may seem high to most thai's at the real costs of just trying to survive in some of those places make that money go pretty fast and definitely hard to save anything at all

3. If there not going overseas most of them go apply where the money is descent, I know hotels that pay

salaries at 10,000 baht or more

Service charge at 5,000 baht or more

they get a commission % per spa treatment sold

plus food, housing, as well

the reality is there is a big part of thailands labor sector that is not even in the tourism industry there in the agricultural industry or manufacturing.

[tlansford]

My wife was working at a spa at a 5 star resort as a massage supervisor/trainer for about $600/month plus room and board. If the tips were good that month.

She is now in Los Angeles at a run of the mill Thai massage shop making around $60,000. She is still working on her California license. This is pretty much a breeze for her as all she has to do is translate the Thai names for anatomy to English.

None of the customers seem to be interested in Thai massage. They almost all want deep tissue massage. Women customers will ask for oil or aromatherapy massages. She has training for all kinds of massage, herbal, hot stone, oil/aromatherapy, deep tissue, etc. No happy endings at this shop.

Good for her !

It doesn't surprise me that the customers don't seem interested in the Thai massage. Even at my wife's shop, many of the tourist arrive having never had a Thai massage nor understanding how it is different. I read a western Thai Massage expert once describe it for people unfamiliar with Thai Massage as a bit like having someone do yoga to you. I thought that was a good short-cut for telling people about it.

[oldsailor35]

Thai massage done in the proper way can be very good if one has physical problems. I have been getting awful pain in my left shoulder for some months, unable to lift my arm above the horizontal. My wife who owns a massage shop and has qualifications has been nagging me to get massaged with one of her staff who is supposed to be very good with shoulders and necks. Eventually pain and money got the better of me as she said that she would pay. I have had 2 sessions now and can't wait to get back for another. I can now circulate my arm and lift it to above shoulder height. What is more, i have been able to sleep the night through since starting the treatment. What a fool i have been being such a sceptic ! I can even swim again without too much pain. If anybody has any doubts, do find a genuine massage parlour and give it a try.

If they quote 1500 bht per hour as did one in Chaweng, to me recently............just keep going Meow Kup !

[Gonsalviz]

My wife was working at a spa at a 5 star resort as a massage supervisor/trainer for about $600/month plus room and board. If the tips were good that month.

She is now in Los Angeles at a run of the mill Thai massage shop making around $60,000. She is still working on her California license. This is pretty much a breeze for her as all she has to do is translate the Thai names for anatomy to English.

None of the customers seem to be interested in Thai massage. They almost all want deep tissue massage. Women customers will ask for oil or aromatherapy massages. She has training for all kinds of massage, herbal, hot stone, oil/aromatherapy, deep tissue, etc. No happy endings at this shop.

Good for her !

It doesn't surprise me that the customers don't seem interested in the Thai massage. Even at my wife's shop, many of the tourist arrive having never had a Thai massage nor understanding how it is different. I read a western Thai Massage expert once describe it for people unfamiliar with Thai Massage as a bit like having someone do yoga to you. I thought that was a good short-cut for telling people about it.

Funny you should mention Yoga. The name of the shopis Thai Yoga Massage.