Women in Helsinki's Thai-massage parlors get no payment for regular massages

[webfact]

Women in Helsinki's Thai-massage parlors get no payment for regular massages

BANGKOK: -- A new report from the Finnish Ombudsman of Minorities shows that women at some Thai-massage parlors in Helsinki are victims of human trafficking. Even though they work at a massage parlor they will only get paid for performing sexual services.

Chief inspector Venla Roth form the Finnish Ombudsman of Minorities tells Finnish national broadcaster Yle, that the women rarely make their own decision on whether they want to prostitute themselves or not and that the women at massage parlors will only get paid for sexual services.

“Either the workers get no pay at all for massage, or the pay is too small to do it alone. To get enough money, these women will then be forced to sell sex,” Venla Roth tells Yle.

The report does not investigate the percentage of Thai-massage parlors that offer sexual services. But many parlors are known to be undercover brothels, in 2007 Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat visited 30 Thai-massage parlors in Helsinki and in every single one they were offered sexual services.

Read more: Join hands to end human trafficking

Different backgrounds

According to the report, the background of the women at the massage parlors varies. A lot have come to Finland to get married to a Finnish man, but stands without money after a divorce. Some are working while still married in Finland and others have been imported directly from Thailand.

The women often live at the parlor or only go home when they need to sleep. Venla Roth tells Yle, that it is problematic that the women are so isolated.

“The possibility for them to seek help or even contact someone other than their colleagues and clients is almost nonexistent. These women live in a culture of exploitation that makes them believe that they have no choice.” Venla Roth tells Yle.

Source: http://scandasia.com/women-in-helsinkis-thai-massage-parlors-only-get-paid-for-sex/

-- ScandAsia 2014-09-12

[dBrown]

That's about the same as they are used to in Thailand then.

[robertthebruce]

Sad but true...

[Thai at Heart]

Someone should slap a defamation suit on this paper for defaming thai women. These Finnish NGOs get everywhere

[Guest]

Those are sad looking places. I'm quite surprised that those places has not been closed. The environment of the massage place gives a glue what might happen inside.

[super22k]

In my experience it is the massage girl who is keen and enthusiastic about sexual extras.Its a great way for them to make money.They are not forced into it.They can walk out of the front door anytime they want.Lets get real.

[SOTIRIOS]

......duh....what were they hired for.......

....so tired of these 'innocent victim' stories......

[humqdpf]

Perhaps it is the way the article is written but according to what I have learned about human trafficking, the traffickers would never allow one of their slaves (which is what they really are) ANY latitude. They would never allow them to live independently and want to control their lives, including holding their passports.

If a woman is working in a massage parlour and getting paid (for sex, massage or manicure) and going home to live a separate life, she is not being trafficked in the slave sense as described above. Yes, she may be exploited but that would also be the case if she did housework or baby-sitting.

My concern is that by describing such women as trafficked, the concept of trafficking is diluted, not seen as being so bad after all and falls from the agenda.

Lets focus on the real slaves who, despite promises, are never actually paid, whose movements are closely monitored, who cannot live independently and whose passport is retained. Such people also know that if they run away from the traffickers, their relatives back home may suffer. And there will be nasty consequences if the traffickers catch them.

[prakhonchai nick]

Surely they knew the pay rates when they started work. Som Nom Na!

Edited September 12, 2014 by prakhonchai nick

[Twice shy]

I know a thai girl in pattaya that owns a large building full of rooms she rents out to the girls

Built by her own money and she got no change out of 10 million baht to build it

All the cash was made in a Helsinki thai massage parlor

I have to agree that this is just another innocent victim story

[wotaplonker]

In my experience it is the massage girl who is keen and enthusiastic about sexual extras.Its a great way for them to make money.They are not forced into it.They can walk out of the front door anytime they want.Lets get real.

exactly whats stopping them turning themselves into a local police station or are the ladies actually chained down when they are not massaging?

codswallop, "there's always a choice," Sartre

[MJP]

The whole World's a f ing mess.

[ggt]

Human trafficking is a real problem...in most countries of the world...it is just so easy to convince a person that the grass is greener over yonder...once they commit...then they are controlled by the traffickers...often sexually abused and assaulted...to keep them in line...given a small portion of their earnings and threaten with death if they reveal their dilemma to anyone...it happens to men and women...in many industries other than the sex trade...farming...fishing...and so on...

[Lupatria]

Those are sad looking places. I'm quite surprised that those places has not been closed. The environment of the massage place gives a glue what might happen inside.

I especially like this pert of your post: gives a glue what might happen inside

[Daniel Boon]

I think most blokes have no empathy or comprehension of the pressures on ' working women' ... put in a similar position, you'd suck cock and prefer one bloke rather than many ...

[Neeranam]

When I worked there, there were more Estonian prostitutes than Thai. Russian mafia everywhere wearing long black leather coats. Mixed with temperatures at -20C and all the depressed people with S.A.D, it was a miserable stay. One thing I did notice was that everytime I went out into town a drunken beautiful local lady would jump on me, usually saying it was because of my dark hair. never any need to visit a massage place.

[DrTuner]

And the owners of the massage places ? I reckon most are Thai. They've simply imported the business model from Thailand.

[SGD]

These type of articles never differentiate between pure human trafficking which is deplorable and the ex hooker girls who can't stand working in a menial job for minimum wage and would actually prefer to go back to the sex trade of their own free will.

Then there are those who realise that short time sex in the west pays much more than Pattaya and thus travel deliberately to sell themselves.

I know few ex hookers who would not trade another roll in the hay for money.

[callaway]

Had a lady marry a Swede in the village I live in. She went to live in Sweden and since then has been clearing the village of young ladies taking them to Sweden to work in rub and tug shops. She pays them bugger all but they all seem keeen for the travel and dream of a falang husband. To me the girls are doing no wrong, just dreaming, but the low life sl#t that is extorting them and her shit husband are the low lifes. Fortunately I have never been home when he has been there because cannot wait to mention what I think of him. Low life making money off young ladies trying to live their dream.

Edited September 12, 2014 by callaway

[Steely Dan]

It's nice to see at least one news item with a happy ending.......hang on.

[NanLaew]

I know a thai girl in pattaya that owns a large building full of rooms she rents out to the girls

Built by her own money and she got no change out of 10 million baht to build it

All the cash was made in a Helsinki thai massage parlor

I have to agree that this is just another innocent victim story

Are you suggesting that every Thai masseuse in Helsinki can also make 10 million baht?

Sounds more like your 'thai girl in pattaya' was probably on the supply side rather than doing the 'hands on' bit.

[NanLaew]

Those are sad looking places. I'm quite surprised that those places has not been closed. The environment of the massage place gives a glue what might happen inside.

I especially like this pert of your post: gives a glue what might happen inside

Hey guys! There's absolutely no shame in turning the spell check on.

[me313]

In my experience it is the massage girl who is keen and enthusiastic about sexual extras.Its a great way for them to make money.They are not forced into it.They can walk out of the front door anytime they want.Lets get real.

If you have the experience of Thai massage workers in Thailand happily giving those great massages, then you are blind to the reality of how people are trafficked in foreign countries where they lack the support of family and their own society. There is a stigma towards prostitution in Western countries, due to the Judeo-Christian double standard against women who sell their bodies for sex, whether exploited or willingly with full consent. There is shame associated with sex workers in The West, I doubt Thai women would be able to brush off the negativity and the people profiting off them and keeping them in isolation, as this article states. It's not the same thing at all for people displaced and they are threatened, and forced into working for sex. That is the way prostitution operates in many countries. Thailand might be an exception in that regard.

[ableguy]

In my experience it is the massage girl who is keen and enthusiastic about sexual extras.Its a great way for them to make money.They are not forced into it.They can walk out of the front door anytime they want.Lets get real.

As a punter what do you know about Finland ?