After writing reviews about massage parlors in Bangkok and Pattaya, I have started to realize that there are differences between them and so I thought it would be interesting to draw a comparison.
What is what?
It seems to me there are a few types of massage parlors in Thailand.
A soapy massage parlor is a place with a lobby and a fishbowl where the women sit and wait for customers. It is usually inside a large building that looks like a hotel. Of course the whole purpose of the place is sex.
An oily massage parlor is a place where you can chose a girl by picking out her picture from a book or viewing a lineup. There is no fishbowl. There is no soapy massage in the room either. It’s just a small room with a shower. You get washed then you get done so obviously these places are all about sex too.
Finally there are the traditional massage parlors. These are the most common. They offer oil massage, Thai massages and usually foot massage too. Some of them are naughty and provide sexual services but it’s almost always between the customers and the women.
To me comparing soapy massage parlors and oily massage parlors is a bit like comparing short time hotels and five star hotels. You pay more for the latter but you get more too. At least in both places you are more or less guaranteed to get laid.
You pay more
You pay more at soapy massage parlors because you are paying for the place. You are also paying a premium for the extensive choice of women and things like live bands and wait staff service. Surely you pay a bit for the hype too.
At soapy massages you pay up front too. That is different from oily massage parlors where you usually pay on the way out, though that does seem to be changing.
At some oily massage parlors and all traditional massage parlors you pay a few hundred Baht for the massage on the way out. Anything extra is between you and the lady you share the room with. So depending on how you are both feeling you have different options at different costs.
You get more, sometimes
The soapy massage parlors are more expensive but you usually get more services. For example most sessions at soapy massage parlors start with mutual bathing. At a few you can even get a nude body to body soap bubble slide. That seems to be disappearing though.
At a lot of soapy massage parlors today you are basically paying for place to let you bang. You walk in, wash down and head straight to the bed.
At the oily massage parlors that has always been the case. They are more about straight forward action with no need to pretend for much else. Sure they will call their services an “oil massage” but they are actually dealing in full service most times.
Which type of massage parlor is better?
It’s all a matter of personal taste. Asian guys definitely prefer the soapy massage parlors. That includes local Thai guys with enough money to spend. Thai guys never go to the oily massage parlors in Bangkok but they do go to massage parlors in towns like Chiang Mai.
It would be hard for anyone to deny that the high end soapy massage parlors like The Lord are incredibly nice. At most someone might complain about the prices which are slightly higher for farang.
Oily massage parlors have their fans. The guys who like straight ahead action or hard core experiences usually go to the oily massage parlors. So do the guys who stay in hotels on Sukhumvit since that is more convenient.
For most people a trip to a soapy massage parlor is actually a trip requiring a car, taxi, bus or train ride. That must keep at least some people away.
