I know this has probably been discussed before but I'm curious from you locals what is considered a good tip after a visit to a sauna/massage. Good tip vs. generous. I know all is subjective but would appreciate some direction. Thanks!

1,000 is the minimum "good" tip. More than that would be considered "generous". Being a "generous" guy, I often give 1,200 -- or up to 1,500 for really exceptional performances.

Icon, how about the range of tips for massage/treatments at establishments like Banyan Tree Bangkok? Considering that they already have a 10% service charge added to the bill, how much extra tip should be given to the therapist?

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- tight-ass-to-go, anyone? -

Hi Guys, I'll be in Thailand for my first time in month, and I'm very excited to try the saunas and massage, but what can I expect sexually from the boys? I'm basically a top and would love some anal action is that possible, do I need to ask the proprietor who would be up for that kinda stuff or is that too much during a massage session?

Dragonman,

I have never been to one of those fancy hotel spas, but for other hotel services (like meals and room service), I generally do not tip if 10% service is already included. Granted, a massage is a bit more personal than being served a meal. I might give the therapist a couple hundred baht if he/she was nice.

As for traditional massage places where there is no service charge (i.e., the 150 baht/hour places that are all over town), I usually would give a 100 baht tip to the therapist for a two-hour massage.

Topper Dude,

You will have no problem finding massage boys willing to bottom for you. But you must determine whether that is part of their repertoire beforehand.

Just ask tell the captain what exactly it is you are looking for, and he will point out the boys who are willing. All of the massage parlors have boys who bottom.

Icon;
Thanks for the info, I'm quite excited for my trip to Thailand. I have to confess that I've never had sex with an asian boy before and am looking forward to it. My trip began as a place to rest in the sun but I may never see the sun if the boys are as beautiful as they are portrayed.
Can you help with the money involved with a service with sex in a massage place? Do I have to pay the establishment extra above the massage fee? How much should I pay the boy, and what about tips? What are the names of the places where I can find what I'm looking for?
This is all old hat to you guys but I want to get it right.
Thanks

The best massage place (still) in my opinion is Hero, at the end of the left-hand fork of Sukhumvit Soi 11. They always have between 30 and 40 gorgeous, talented guys on hand, and the captains are very candid about who is good at what.

Other good ones are Albury and Aqua. Nice Guys has its fans and its detractors, as do Banana Boys, A-Men, V Club, etc. etc.

Address details on all can be found at:

Dreaded Ned's Site

All of these places work the same way. You pay a massage fee to the house. This fee is usually 350 to 500 baht. At Hero, it's 500 baht, which includes the use of its extensive sauna facilities (best jacuzzi in town). Use of the sauna facilities without a massage is 180 baht.

After the massage, you pay a tip directly to the massage boy. As noted, the tip is usually in the 1,000 to 1,500 baht range. Most places specify a "minimum tip" of 500 or 700 baht -- but this really is a bare minimum and not considered generous if you have a decent time.