The 650 Euro massage
 

I read a lot here about the exploits of Sextile and others. They seem to visit massage joints on an almost daily basis and keep track of it all for our education.

My disposable income is limited, but today I decided to check out some of these joints. I went to two of them, both on Soi Convent. One is called Fan club, and the other one is close to Sathorn, more or less opposite BNH hospital.

Both shops quoted prices of around 600 THB for a massage, plus a mandatory minimum tip for the masseur. Total cost would be about 1600 to 2000 THB. That is about 10 times the minimum DAILY wage.

If I convert that to equivalent European/USA rates, it would mean a 1 hour massage in an unsafe, smelly and rickety old building in a slum by an unlicensed "masseur" would cost around 650 Euro in Amsterdam. Or around 900 USD in New York. So prices are way out of line.

What gives? I just laughed and walked out when the mamasans told me the costs. How does anyone take these places seriously?

What would you expect to pay for an hour massage and full-on sex?
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[quote=donatella-t;682222]

I think you need a new calculator.

THB 2,000 is about $65. Pretty good value for 90 mins of massage, good sex, a hot shower and nice cup of green tea to finish. :)

He was attempting to correlate to daily minimum wage, but as far as I know there is no correlation between minimum wage and the cost of a sex massage.

If you want it cheaper, you can find some boys on Romeo offering it for as little as 1,000 baht -- but you provide the place and taxi fare.

If it's just cheap sex you want 500 baht from street hustlers (again, you provide the room), but AYOR.
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I'd be happy to pay for some farm boy to squeeze my muscles....usually I give 1500 to the boys I meet on Gayromeo. But shop rates are way out of line with what should be charged.

When I go to Soi Twilight they charge me 7 euro for a soda. I do not understand how they get away with such crap, but they do.

When I buy wine, I pay 15 euro (seriously!) for a bottle of Jacob's Creek plonk that costs 4 euro in the Netherlands, including transport from Australia.

In Euroland I get a 1 hour massage with happy ending for maybe 200 Euro. I get a beer for a Euro or two.

So: fifty euro (65 US$) for a third rate massage in third world surroundings is not worth it, IMO.

I'm just observing, and maybe I have been here to long? Now you can go tell me to go back to Europe. :-)

It's not 7 euro for a soda in Soi Twilight. It's 7 euro for a full-on sex show. The soda is free.

If you have limited disposable income, as you say, it will still go a hell of a lot further in Thailand than in Euroland.
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PS: I would also question the third rate/third world part.

I've been in the flespots of Amsterdam, and neither the service nor surroundings were any better than in Thailand. In fact, they were much worse.

It has also been a long time since Thailand was "third world".
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Visiting massage joints ...
 

-- Donatella t,
- I do not visit what you are pleased to call massage joints all that often as my income is limited, too! I may look-in from time-to-time, but that's often to obtain a Business Card or to establish some info.; in fact my last two visits were on 24 feb. & 03 feb. to K-MALE CLUB. - wch. see in its own thread: postings #50. & #46..
- Of course I cannot write on others' visits; but I ha' me doots about anyone, unless he's here for a short time vacation and wishes to cram-in as many experiences of BKK. and of its delights as possible, visiting as often as you seem to imply.
-- :)

"When I buy wine, I pay 15 euro (seriously!) for a bottle of Jacob's Creek plonk that costs 4 euro in the Netherlands, including transport from Australia."

The problem is not due to huge mark-ups but from the huge import duty on alcoholic beverages from abroad. You can find a limited selection of Thai wines for much less.

donatella-t seems to be from Holland, they want everything for free, don´t mind him.

Oh! I thought he was Scottish!

The import duties on wine are approx 400% of the CIF (landed) value. (In Holland there's zero excise on EU wines and just a small CCT impost on imported wines). Bizarrely in Thailand there are virtually no taxes on spirits so you have the ridiculous situation that a bottle of Jacobs Creek (12% Alc) is more expensive than a bottle of 100 Pipers (40%Alc). Blame the local beer and spirit moguls for that.

As long as the three pillars of Thai society are "Nation, Religion, he whose name shall not be mentioned" instead of "Freedom, Democracy, Rule of Law", Thailand is a third rate banana kingdom. Those corrupting pillars make it easy to be sleazy here, but not very good value for money.

Holland is a third rate banana Queendom.

You certainly have high expectations for a holiday destination. You want to be able to see a live sex show and patronize boy prostitutes (at a bargain basement rate), but also require social equality and lack of corruption. Is that even possible?
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About 10 years ago I visited a "boy club" in Amsterdam. Even then I paid about Euro 200 for an East German twink who spoke no English & was half hearted at sex. The venue was far less clean than most thai places and there were no shower facilites. Now THAT was a rip off!

Query?
 

-- Being not unaware of others' prying eyes, the long arms of those organs of State that monitor the i'net. etc. etc. and interpretations that some may place on what others regard as FREE SPEECH - the USofA. First Amendment - possibly it might be preferable for the a/m. posting to be DELETED?
-- :(

Hmm, it's not a holiday destination for me. I've lived here for the last decade or two. Oh, and I edited my post. It no longer mentions he whose name shall not be mentioned.

-- I doubt if even an indirect mention, such as you've posted, would be enough to safeguard either this web-site or you if certain auth'ys. were determined enough to make an example 'pour encourager les autres.'
-- :(

Not to worry, I always use a VPN.

Anyways, the only point I wanted to make was that I feel Thailand is no longer very good value for money, all in all.

Time to move, I'd say -- if you can find a place that's better. And if you do, I'd certainly like to know where it is. (I already know that the Netherlands is a very poor value).
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If I weren't tied down to living in the USA, I think I'd seriously consider Buenos Aires. Beautiful men, legal prostitution, great food, and affordable with US dollars.

Granted, prices went up (there's inflation) and most Western currencies went down against the Baht.

But having a Western salary, Thailand is over all still much better value than Western countries. Sure, you'll find exceptions like wine and cars, but all things considered I'm spending much less than I would spend in Europe, and enjoy amenities (like a swimming pool and a gym at my condo building) that aren't all that common in Europe yet.

Sounds interesting, how are these Argentinian guys compared to our beloved Thai guys, besides their beauty?

Why is it if you don't like something about a place there are always some voices calling for you to "move if you don't like it". Is one only allowed to say hallelujah about a place?

Anyway, I have looked at other places. They were all worse than Bangkok, so far.

-- But didn't you write, in an earlier posting: #20., that you no longer feel that BKK. is very good value for money?
- I don't know the state of yr. financial affairs, and I hesitate to judge them by mine, but surely a valid reason to start seeking some greener grass?
-- :)

the answer would be daft obvious for someone who claims to be living in this great city for 20 yrs (I only visit for half the year-for 21/22 years now):
1.go out of that HiSo upperclass condo ghetto. There are dozens of listing-sites for gaymassage, wher you can get the full works for a grand (as the US say- a grey note), the fee and requiered tip included. And hey-you even say to offer GR-lads half of that more. Thats suburban BKK.
2.if you fancy Asians-and who does not on this site? the cheap alt. is just a cheapo AirAsia flight away. Vnam, and INDOnesia offer it for a lot less. And in Indo many even have a grasp of the old occupiers lingo, Dutch.
Once again there is that story of the plice of a prate of fly-lice: you can get it for 30 bt (sometimes even 25-then you be sure its below stdd) or 130 or 330-what U get on the prate is mostly the same, but the surroundings are fancier. Or they may even have a raykarn aharn (menu) in the phaasaa angkrit or maybe even an odd waiter speaks a word or 2 of it. Its that added service that inflates the bill. Same-same with any other service in LOS here. the same Thai-style nouat (normal massage) also ranges between 100 (or even lower)/hr in suburban Thai places to well over 500 in fancy tourist oriented and hi-so trendy 5*** HTLs. But what you get for it (if you close your eyes) is very much the same.
BTW-the min daily wage for BKK is now 217 bt. Khun Abhisit has a promise in his parties election manifesto to raise it to 270 bt.
And for the bargain hunters, not afraid to venture out into suburbia (you may even try to get there on a free red bus) or pass on tips and gratefully receive tips from others about the tried and tested, there is no equivalent to this site.

-- Ah - BA., los portenos and the birth-place & home of the Tango - Terpsichore.
- My Address Book mentions but three hotels, but possibly other visitors could flesh-out my omissions.

Traveled once to BA several years ago for a short visit. Stayed at a major hotel but had no problem bringing back a friend. Visited three cinemas showing mixed films and a few video arcades that reminded me of Times Square area. Did not go to any saunas. The men can be quite beautiful and some speak some english. Never felt unsafe walking about but it was the only city that I have ever been a pickpocket victim (executed very professionally on a crowded Metro train). I would return.

Love BA, great guys there. But not even close to Thailand in any way.
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I would agree on that. Of all the cities I've had the pleasure of exploring, none would I rate ahead BKK. It makes me overlook the heat (although I am escaping the worst of the humidity for a more temperate clime) and other minor annoyances because it keeps my pulse in gear. It certainly beats any US or euro destination.

One place I'd put at the top of my list of cities to explore would be Bogata. We've got some amazing sex listings from that city. It would seem it is having something like a re-birth in sexual freedom at the same time violence has been greatly reduced.

MEXICO - Puerto Vallarta ...
 

-- At the risk of going 'OFF Topic.' - a practice I deplore usually - I remember the American & Professor Friend of my Enthusiastic & American Friend who has sworn-off the LoS. in favor of PUERTO VALLARTA, for wch. there is a separate thread - qv.;
- But the above having been written, 'One swallow does not a summer make.' - olde & Englisshe proverb.
-- :)

For an American or Canadian, Puerto Vallarta is easier and cheaper to get to (and the climate is more pleasant) than Bangkok, which helps to explain the overabundance of North Americans in the venues there. But for culture, shopping, sheer numbers, and sex, there's no comparison to Bangkok.