I realize with the comments and the questions from readers that many don’t really make the difference between the different kinds of massage places. It’s true that even when you read the blogs, websites or forum, they often use Massage Parlors for all kind of places, or they call naughty massage shops all places that provide p4p, be it optional or common. Easy to get confused then.
Let’s clarify things.
When I started this blog, I decided for 3 categories that correspond to 3 kind of services and 3 kind of payment: Naughty Oil Massage Shops, Teen Massage Shops and Massage Parlors. If you understand each of them you will make sure you get what you are looking for and for the price you should expect.
- Naughty Oil Massage shops are massage shops like you can see everywhere in Thailand, in the open. Basically it is a small shop with large windows and girls waiting outside or inside the shop. You’re not supposed to chose the girl, although you can do so by pointing to one of them and asking that she be the one who provides you the service. Unless someone told you about the shop before (someone like SukPsycho for instance), you can’t be sure that it is a p4p place until the girl offers a special. On the other hand, contrary to other places, you can chose to get only a massage, because you also are not supposed to know that it is a p4p place.
You pay for the massage at the cashier. Everything that happens during the massage session is between you and the girl. As this is not an official p4p place, going rates may fluctuate more than in other p4p places and you may be asked for 1000 baht for only a HJ for instance. It’s sometimes difficult to tell what massage shop is naughty or “traditional”. Sabai Sabai on Suk soi 11, which looks very serious, is actually naughty, whereas T Barber & Massage, right in the middle of soi 4 and the gogo and beer bars, is not.
- Teen Massage: I call Teen Massage shops or Teen-like shops the massage shops that look like traditional massage shops but are not. You can easily tell the difference: tinted windows, no girl outside, and when you get inside, there are no girl either and no seat and no bed. There is usually a counter, and behind the counter what I would call a blind fish bowl. This is a fish bowl where you can’t see the girls. You chose the girl from the photo album that may or may not be displayed on the counter, or by asking to see a selection of girls or all of them. Note that if you don’t ask to chose the girl, the receptionist will chose for you. I strongly suggest that you do chose. Unlike naughty oil massage shops, Teen massage shops have names that give you a clue of what happen inside, like Angel, Teen, Dream, Love or whatever can make you think that you will spend a very good time in good company. Examples of Teen Massage shops include Teen Massage (of course!), Angel26, Tulip Massage, Orchid Massage or Avita.
In Teen Massage shops, you pay only for the massage at the cashier. Then you pay for the special directly to the girls. Prices are standard: 500 baht HJ, 1000 baht BJ and 1500 baht FS. A tip can be added for a very good service.
- Massage Parlors: usually Massage Parlors are much bigger than Teen Massage shops. But the main difference is not there. The difference is that 1) you chose the girl from a fish bowl (a large room with a large window where the girls are waiting and where you can actually see them) and 2) you pay for the full service in advance. And you’re welcomed by a papasan or a mamasan, not a receptionist. Prices are complicated (depending on the different kind of girls they have) and different from one place to the other. The price always includes everything except the drinks. You can leave an additional tip, as in Teen Massage shops, but you don’t have to. Massage Parlors are usually located in more remote locations than Teen Massage shops, mainly because they’re usually very large buildings which look more like hotels than like massage shops (Poseidon, Utopia, Emmanuelle, to name a few), but some smaller ones can be found on Sukhumvit or Patpong, like Darling or Annies.
There are a few Teen places where you pay for the full service in advance. Akane or Paradise for instance. But they’re the exception, not the rule.
Confused? Don’t worry, here is a recap:
- Naughty oil massage: traditional shop where p4p may happen, payment at the cashier for massage only,
- Teen Massage: blind fishbowl, not bed or seat on the ground floor, p4p is not only provided, but expected, payment at the cashier for massage only,
- Massage Parlor: large fishbowl, papasan or mamasan, large building, p4p is mandatory as it is included in the upfront payment at the cashier.
All information about all the massage shops is on the Massage pages of the blog.