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?

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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.

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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. :-)

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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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-- 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.
--

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"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.

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

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Oh! I thought he was Scottish!

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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.

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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.

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Holland is a third rate banana Queendom.

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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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