Interesting massage shop economics

[PaullyW]

I've got an expat friend who likes to goto have massages regularly. Say, twice a month or perhaps even every week sometimes.

He knows the score and usually goes to places that seem a bit cleaner, if you know what I mean. Typically has the Thai 2 hours massage.

The past month, he says he's been more and more aggressively propositioned for extras even after his traditional Thai massage. Even beyond the basic extras. He gets the impression that one can see some localized reflection of how the economy is really doing by all this.

When traditional Thai masseuses in previously clean shops start offering extras (and even throwing in other, crazier extras for free), is the economy in trouble?

[MichaelJackson]

Thought it was always a case of " you get what you pay for" in Thailand, massage or anything else come to that, incuding law & order.

[GooEng]

"crazier extras for free"?

care to elaborate for the sake of amusement?

[PaullyW]

Thought it was always a case of " you get what you pay for" in Thailand, massage or anything else come to that, incuding law & order.

Agree, but he was pretty surprised, and he's been here and going for maybe 10 years.

I wonder if the paying price is dropping.

[PaullyW]

"crazier extras for free"?

care to elaborate for the sake of amusement?

Well, don't want to be offensive but on one recent occasion he's been asked if he wants a typical happy ending and when he refused, the attendant offered to also "smoke" for free. Lady he's been going to for several years and who had never even hinted at happy endings and especially not along traditional Thai massage.

The place is also a rather high end shop where we'll heeled Thais go as well. If it's any indication, the 2 hour Thai message is 950 Baht.

And the extras for 300 Baht.

Edited November 17, 2013 by PaullyW

[Somsrisonphimai]

Good marketing strategy, the shop is getting free advertising from you and your friend. I am sure some of the members here are dying to learn more about the shop, and in turn the shop gets more customers.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Thailand2012]

Yes where is this shop in question??

[PaullyW]

Lol I'm not permitted to name and shame here.

Anyone had similar experiences lately?

[mrtoad]

Lol I'm not permitted to name and shame here.

Anyone had similar experiences lately?

I don't think this would fall under naming and shaming.

[Thailand2012]

Lol I'm not permitted to name and shame here.

Anyone had similar experiences lately?

I don't think this would fall under naming and shaming.

+1 more likely drumming up businwss for the place

[thaipod]

Yeah.. Same happened to me the other day . I was shocked.

I have heard that the girls are deliberately trying to get their clients aroused so they agee for the happy ending and the extra tip..

[tim armstrong]

I'm a bit tired of the underlying assumption that ALL Thai massage shops probably will give you a happy ending ! What BS! My wife and a few of her friends all trained at one of the 5 or 6 places in Thailand that teach their students therapeutic massage that looks more like a combination of acupressure, physio, and chiropractic. They've all been massaging both here and O/S for many years. The style of massage is very strong and there is absolutely no way you would get even remotely excited. Incidentally one of them in Bangkok has relatively few but well off customers. She charges them 20,000 baht for a course of sessions over a few months. Smart plan.

[CharlieH]

I'm a bit tired of the underlying assumption that ALL Thai massage shops probably will give you a happy ending ! What BS! My wife and a few of her friends all trained at one of the 5 or 6 places in Thailand that teach their students therapeutic massage that looks more like a combination of acupressure, physio, and chiropractic. They've all been massaging both here and O/S for many years. The style of massage is very strong and there is absolutely no way you would get even remotely excited. Incidentally one of them in Bangkok has relatively few but well off customers. She charges them 20,000 baht for a course of sessions over a few months. Smart plan.

Interesting, how much anat & phys were they taught ? How long was the course ?

[yourauntbob]

the place i go to has never offered any extras. the mattresses are all lined up next to each other with only a curtain separating you from the next person. even so, there have been times i have been there with no other customers and never even a hint at something extra. maybe i am just that fugly we are a bit out of the city and its only 250 for two hours. i normally throw in an extra 20-100 baht tip depending on how good the service was and more and more i see their Thai clientele doing the same. maybe the shop your "friend" is going to isnt as clean as you thought.

[JSixpack]

I'm a bit tired of the underlying assumption that ALL Thai massage shops probably will give you a happy ending ! What BS! My wife and a few of her friends all trained at one of the 5 or 6 places in Thailand that teach their students therapeutic massage that looks more like a combination of acupressure, physio, and chiropractic. They've all been massaging both here and O/S for many years. The style of massage is very strong and there is absolutely no way you would get even remotely excited. Incidentally one of them in Bangkok has relatively few but well off customers. She charges them 20,000 baht for a course of sessions over a few months. Smart plan.

How to add in the arousal and "happy ending" to a massage needn't be taught in a course.

[Beetlejuice]

Yes, many Thai massage parlours do seem to be going this way.

I’ve had friends who have visited massage parlours in Chiang Mai, especially the Loi Kroh Road areas where the staff seem more interested in arousing the guy’s never regions and pushing for tips, rather than just getting on with the job of giving a straight massage, and then asked if the guy would like a happy ending, sometimes being quite insistent and if the customer declines the staff then lose interest in the massage completely. I have heard stories that sometimes these woman can be extremely persistent and even aggressive and not take no for an answer.

Of course there are still many professional massage parlours that will happily give a decent service, but the happy ending establishments have become more common over the last few years. It`s just a case of shopping around and if you find a massage parlour that suits your requirements, then stay with that one.

[Showbags]

Never thought I'd see the day.

Not so happy endings.

[Brasilouro]

I woke up in Pattaya with a stiff neck . So I though good time to go for a massage after the first two shops stroked me up and down and grab my balls and wanted extra .. I though had enough of this and went to an up market parlour told the lady on reception about my experience with the other places she says no problem can do can do then begins to rub tiger balm on my neck witch was quite nice only then go strait to my ball sack for a good rub with the same hand full of tiger balm !! It took my mind off my sore neck believe me I was on fire .. Never again !!!

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

[Somsrisonphimai]

I woke up in Pattaya with a stiff neck . So I though good time to go for a massage after the first two shops stroked me up and down and grab my balls and wanted extra .. I though had enough of this and went to an up market parlour told the lady on reception about my experience with the other places she says no problem can do can do then begins to rub tiger balm on my neck witch was quite nice only then go strait to my ball sack for a good rub with the same hand full of tiger balm !! It took my mind off my sore neck believe me I was on fire .. Never again !!!

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

Should have gone to the chiropractic instead

[Habs]

[Thai at Heart]

I've got an expat friend who likes to goto have massages regularly. Say, twice a month or perhaps even every week sometimes.

He knows the score and usually goes to places that seem a bit cleaner, if you know what I mean. Typically has the Thai 2 hours massage.

The past month, he says he's been more and more aggressively propositioned for extras even after his traditional Thai massage. Even beyond the basic extras. He gets the impression that one can see some localized reflection of how the economy is really doing by all this.

When traditional Thai masseuses in previously clean shops start offering extras (and even throwing in other, crazier extras for free), is the economy in trouble?

Well I guess it beats the big Mac index as a research project.

[Water Buffalo]

"crazier extras for free"?

care to elaborate for the sake of amusement?

Well, don't want to be offensive but on one recent occasion he's been asked if he wants a typical happy ending and when he refused, the attendant offered to also "smoke" for free. Lady he's been going to for several years and who had never even hinted at happy endings and especially not along traditional Thai massage.

The place is also a rather high end shop where we'll heeled Thais go as well. If it's any indication, the 2 hour Thai message is 950 Baht.

And the extras for 300 Baht.

This does sound unusual given the shop price, the fact it never happened before, and the cheap extras (and as you say, some free extras thrown in)

I don't know if it reflects the economy. Maybe the personal situation of the particular masseuse.

[JoeThePoster]

I often go to massage shops. Sometimes I even get a massage.

[kikoman]

I go for a 2 hour Thai massage at least twice a week, some even come to my hotel room for the service, never had a problem, with someone wanting to give me a happy ending because I make it quite clear to the hotel desk that I desire a massage and nothing else!

A massage is, exactly that a massage! If I wanted a happy ending I would look for that service alone.

As my massages are mostly 100 to 120 baht an hour, not high end priced massage I have not had any noticeable problem with what the OP states of massage ladies in the last 13 years doing due to hard times. As one poster already stated that I always give an not more then a 100 baht tips dependent on the quality of the massage.

Realizing what I would pay for a massage back home and what great service I receive in Thailand at only a tiny fraction of the cost.

I respectfully disagree with the OPs observance!

Cheers:

[AYJAYDEE]

I go for a 2 hour Thai massage at least twice a week, some even come to my hotel room for the service, never had a problem, with someone wanting to give me a happy ending because I make it quite clear to the hotel desk that I desire a massage and nothing else!

A massage is, exactly that a massage! If I wanted a happy ending I would look for that service alone.

As my massages are mostly 100 to 120 baht an hour, not high end priced massage I have not had any noticeable problem with what the OP states of massage ladies in the last 13 years doing due to hard times. As one poster already stated that I always give an not more then a 100 baht tips dependent on the quality of the massage.

Realizing what I would pay for a massage back home and what great service I receive in Thailand at only a tiny fraction of the cost.

I respectfully disagree with the OPs observance!

Cheers:

we arrange for a woman from the local traditional medicine hospital to stop by after work. 150 baht per hour for a REAL massage

[Digitalbanana]

Perhaps its a Happy Ending index as the Big Mac has never really caught on here?

[mca]

"crazier extras for free"?

care to elaborate for the sake of amusement?

Juggling and fire breathing act while riding a unicycle?

What I always wonder is how some of these massage places in Bangkok stay in business. In the lower Suk area where I live near Terminal 21 there's a glut of shops with one even offering a traditional Thai massage for 150 baht an hour and 250 baht for 2 hours. With what must be the price of rent around there etc. that's bargain basement. My wife tried them out and said that even though it wasn't the best massage she'd ever had it was far from the worst.

[CharlieH]

"crazier extras for free"?

care to elaborate for the sake of amusement?

Juggling and fire breathing act while riding a unicycle?

What I always wonder is how some of these massage places in Bangkok stay in business. In the lower Suk area where I live near Terminal 21 there's a glut of shops with one even offering a traditional Thai massage for 150 baht an hour and 250 baht for 2 hours. With what must be the price of rent around there etc. that's bargain basement. My wife tried them out and said that even though it wasn't the best massage she'd ever had it was far from the worst.

150 per hour against 300 it cost to pay staff for the whole day ! (usually 12 hour day too)

Others get paid a percentage, so no customers no money, thats why they push for "extras".

Edited November 18, 2013 by CharlieH

[oogster8]

"crazier extras for free"?

care to elaborate for the sake of amusement?

Well, don't want to be offensive but on one recent occasion he's been asked if he wants a typical happy ending and when he refused, the attendant offered to also "smoke" for free. Lady he's been going to for several years and who had never even hinted at happy endings and especially not along traditional Thai massage.

The place is also a rather high end shop where we'll heeled Thais go as well. If it's any indication, the 2 hour Thai message is 950 Baht.

And the extras for 300 Baht.

Extra is quite a bargain at 300 baht! Lady must be old and unpleasent to look at.

[mca]

"crazier extras for free"?

care to elaborate for the sake of amusement?

Juggling and fire breathing act while riding a unicycle?

What I always wonder is how some of these massage places in Bangkok stay in business. In the lower Suk area where I live near Terminal 21 there's a glut of shops with one even offering a traditional Thai massage for 150 baht an hour and 250 baht for 2 hours. With what must be the price of rent around there etc. that's bargain basement. My wife tried them out and said that even though it wasn't the best massage she'd ever had it was far from the worst.

150 per hour against 300 it cost to pay staff for the whole day ! (usually 12 hour day too)

Yes but it' s unlikely that they've got guests one after the other for their whole shift. Back in Khon Kaen my friend had a massage shop. Some days they'd have 15 guests, some days 2.

Edited November 18, 2013 by mca