He was, of course, shocked...shocked. It was apparently  well concealed secret.

From The Thaiger

The Minister of Public Health (MOPH) plans to clean up traditional Thai massage shops after 75% were found to secretly offer sex services. The Health Minister, Somsak Thepsutin, stated he aims to clean up the seedy side of the industry and promote Thai massage as a soft power.

The President of the Charawi Association for the Preservation of Thai Massage, Phithak Yotha, urged the MOPH to investigate foreigners working illegally in Thailand’s wellness industry. He also requested the ministry simplify massage therapist registration and encourage Thai massage as a soft power.

Minister Somsak agreed with Phithak’s suggestions, stating they align with the government’s measures to promote Thai massage.

Somsak disclosed that the Department of Health Service Support will improve Thai massage therapists’ skills and certify those able to treat musculoskeletal issues as Grade A therapists. Massage service costs will also be standardised.

Somsak then highlighted the illegal sex services secretly offered in some Thai traditional massage shops, which could negatively impact Thai massage. The minister stated that all massage parlours in Thailand must be free of sexual services.

Somsak threatened to close down all shops secretly operating as brothels. He hopes to clean up all massage parlours within two months before the next fiscal year begins.

The Director of the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, Taweesin Visanuyothin, reported that only 25% of massage parlours in Thailand operate legally, while the remaining 75% illegally offer sexual services.

Charawi Association President Phithak urged the MOPH to investigate those illegal massage shops, which can be found almost everywhere, especially in Bangkok’s Sukhumvit and Thong Lo areas.

Phithak stated that some illegal parlours use the word “massage” to disguise prostitution, even when it was clear they only offer sexual services. He cited an example of a parlour advertising massage with promotional models known in Thailand as “Massage with Pretties.”

In a related report, a massage shop in Chiang Mai was raided for illegally providing sex services. The shop was also found to be paying bribes to various government departments to cover up the illegal prostitution.

Hopefully, this effort will improves the massage skills of the masseurs in those 75% illegal shop too.

I was never offered sexual services in massage shop, I'm too impatient to wait for an offer and make move first. 

Rubbing out the rubbing outs rubs me as double negative, rub’n’tugs as per usual.

 

7 hours ago, reader said:

He was, of course, shocked...shocked. It was apparently  well concealed secret.

From The Thaiger

The Minister of Public Health (MOPH) plans to clean up traditional Thai massage shops after 75% were found to secretly offer sex services.

 

 

I am shocked too. Shocked that 75% offer such services only secretly....... Presumably on this calculation the other 25% are offering sex services publicly.

This definitely proves that the Thai Minister of Public Health needs to get out more.  Maybe a 4-hand foam massage on Suk Soi 2 would alter his perception of the problem.

12 hours ago, reader said:

clean up traditional Thai massage shops after 75% were found to secretly offer sex services

Thankfully I don't go to traditional Thai massage shops for sex (they are for proper and good quality massages) but I do go to the other 25% non traditional Thai massage shops that do offer sex (yeah a basic rub down and then some raunchy sex). I'm also shocked that he found out what happens in the 75% of traditional massage shops, somebody must have "leaked" it to him 

For them to be able to come out with the statistic, a significant effort on data gathering mustve happened. Wish i was there to contribute to the statistic, at least on male masseurs lol

Given the countless thousands of massage shops across Thailand, with Thai as well as farang customers, this smacks of unrealistic public posturing by politicians rather than any credible attempt to change ingrained popular culture. 

Aside from the more 'obvious' extras massage shops, I have found that even the middle aged ladies working in the more 'respectable' massage shops will often offer to 'take care' of any visible 'problems' that 'pop-up' during the course a regular oil massage 🤣.

Massage "shops"? I seldom went inside one....if I fancied one of the available guys sitting outside, I'd "off" him to my hotel, to ensure a decent shower, a comfortable bed and walls that weren't paper thin. In my innocence, I thought that this was  the usual practice in our community.  Wasn't it?

1 hour ago, Vessey said:

Given the countless thousands of massage shops across Thailand, with Thai as well as farang customers, this smacks of unrealistic public posturing by politicians rather than any credible attempt to change ingrained popular culture. 

It might be posturing, it can also be a genuine wish to restore credibility to nuad Thai, different ministers have different interests. The tourism minister would not be happy about a too efficient crackdown and would likely oppose any measures. Local police are not too interested either as it makes them a lot of money. All in all too many people make too much money on illicit workers in this and other industries for an MOH to really be able to push this.

15 hours ago, spoon said:

For them to be able to come out with the statistic, a significant effort on data gathering mustve happened. Wish i was there to contribute to the statistic, at least on male masseurs lol

remember that 82.43 % of statistics are made on the spot

2 hours ago, vinapu said:

remember that 82.43 % of statistics are made on the spot

The data gathering can be as quick as visiting 4 random "legal" massage place and being offered sex services in 3 of them. Thats 75% lol.

4 hours ago, spoon said:

The data gathering can be as quick as visiting 4 random "legal" massage place and being offered sex services in 3 of them. Thats 75% lol.

only 75% because one of them did not have room / masseur available at the moment

On 8/3/2024 at 9:58 AM, Raposa said:

It might be posturing, it can also be a genuine wish to restore credibility to nuad Thai, different ministers have different interests. The tourism minister would not be happy about a too efficient crackdown and would likely oppose any measures. Local police are not too interested either as it makes them a lot of money. All in all too many people make too much money on illicit workers in this and other industries for an MOH to really be able to push this.

'Stone in the water' announcement?

On 8/4/2024 at 3:41 AM, vinapu said:

remember that 82.43 % of statistics are made on the spot

At TAT they certainly are. They must have a 'random number generator.

Have received a second-hand report that police (which branch uncertain) took two Lao guys away from a shop o Surawong a few days ago. No other details and may be simply a coincidence.

 

Happens often here in Pattaya.  The immigration police come through the Jomtien Complex and do some controls on the different guys.  If they know they are coming (someone leaked it) then they scatter away.  Sometimes they take a few of them away and either one of 2 things happen:

• they return after a little while but with their wallets now lighter,
• they are deported.

It is so sad for these situations because both of the above scenarios are expensive to the guys and it being low season - it is even harder to survive.

But at least the police are happy and smiling.....😡