Did I **OOPS** Get Ripped Off at Scandic Massage?

[nynakedtop]

Went to Scandic Massage in Boyztown last night... which was Sunday of the current long holiday weekend.

 

Had not really intended to stopping there, was more like wandering the streets seeing what was going on when a young gentleman ("Yoot"?) who was particularly to my liking invited me in. Even though the session with him was not the best, I still have fond thoughts of him and would see him again.... (ahhh, when two tops collide, hehe)

 

But my question is.... when I went in the person doing the $$ asked for 1500, which I thought was high for a massage fee but, hey, I am on holiday, etc., etc.

 

Then I ALSO tipped Yoot, generously...

 

Did I double tip him????

 

What do other persons here think of the place? The set-up is a bit "basic" but I appreciated the quality of the guys and, with some clarification on their pricing scheme, would go back.

 

(BTW: there was one gentleman there who was, shall we say, a bit past his prime, who insisted that he knew me,,, even was able to recite a fact or two about me.... and was a bit too pushy about he and I having some time together.... Sound familiar?)

[fedssocr]

most shops have a printed price list which typically indicates cost for various types of massage and minimum tips. For a regular 1 hr massage I'd say you were certainly overcharged by at least 500 baht. I've always tipped the boy directly.

 

Also, Thais have incredible memories. So perhaps you did meet this guy before. Or maybe he is a "psychic"? :-)

[vinapu]

You weren't  ripped off by Scandic, most likely  you ripped off yourself voluntarily.

 

If was mentioned here many times , including  me in my trip  reports that all three massage places in that soi  / Scandic , Copa and Body Club at Ambiance / are collecting masseur's minimum tip up front. It must say that on the price list which probably you did not bother to look at.

 

But even with that 1500 sounds steep and I wonder how much out of that boy gets. Copa and Body Club are charging 900 and 500 out of that is boy's minimum tip. Fedssocr above may be correct about you being overcharged

 

So when you return there please check price list and don't be shy to ask about boy's minimum tip.

 

Now,  if your choice was very talkative guy with tattoo and a bit of scratchy voice  chances are you landed in hands of Yut, well known specimen to few of us here and with great sense of humor , so if you double tip him , at least  you did a good deed which I sense you noticed already.

 

As for other guy - did you meet him before, as this part is not clear ? Sounds like Jom by the way

 

He could made it up as marketing strategy  or simply could take you for somebody else,  happened to me few times when boy or mamasan welcomed me "I remember you from last year " while in fact we never met.

 

I agree that boys have very good memory and I'm not surprised when year or two later they remember my name , where I'm from,  what I do at home , what I like to drink and of course how much I tipped them.

But it's not universal and can recall at least of two cases when boys we spent really long long  time together like 10-12 hrs did not recall me only half of year later or took me for somebody else.

[nynakedtop]

You weren't  ripped off by Scandic, most likely  you ripped off yourself voluntarily.

 

If was mentioned here many times , including  me in my trip  reports that all three massage places in that soi  / Scandic , Copa and Body Club at Ambiance / are collecting masseur's minimum tip up front. It must say that on the price list which probably you did not bother to look at.

 

But even with that 1500 sounds steep and I wonder how much out of that boy gets. Copa and Body Club are charging 900 and 500 out of that is boy's minimum tip. Fedssocr above may be correct about you being overcharged

 

So when you return there please check price list and don't be shy to ask about boy's minimum tip.

 

Now,  if your choice was very talkative guy with tattoo and a bit of scratchy voice  chances are you landed in hands of Yut, well known specimen to few of us here and with great sense of humor , so if you double tip him , at least  you did a good deed which I sense you noticed already.

 

As for other guy - did you meet him before, as this part is not clear ? Sounds like Jom by the way

 

He could made it up as marketing strategy  or simply could take you for somebody else,  happened to me few times when boy or mamasan welcomed me "I remember you from last year " while in fact we never met.

 

I agree that boys have very good memory and I'm not surprised when year or two later they remember my name , where I'm from,  what I do at home , what I like to drink and of course how much I tipped them.

But it's not universal and can recall at least of two cases when boys we spent really long long  time together like 10-12 hrs did not recall me only half of year later or took me for somebody else.

I totally honor everything that you have written here and I tried to somehow inject humor in my rather unfortunate choice of a title by implying that it could have been my own OOPS that led to what happened.

 

I know I should have been more vigilant in asking about the price up front but.... whatever.... 

 

The guy I was with was Yut.... from Khon Kaen...  a real charmer and a great masseur. I just hope that I have not artificially raised expectations for compensation going forward, hehe.

 

As for that "other" guy -- of a certain age -- well, he knew the specifics of my profession.... I guess we must of met but I have zero recollection of him. Zero!

[aussie_]

It should be called Scam-dic.They catch many people, especially Asian tourists thinking it is a normal priced massage place. They get charged 1500 baht, usually up front and then a big tip is expected if they want extras or not.

[nynakedtop]

It should be called Scam-dic.They catch many people, especially Asian tourists thinking it is a normal priced massage place. They get charged 1500 baht, usually up front and then a big tip is expected if they want extras or not.

Yikes that's harsh but I also have no reason to believe it's not true.

 

Interested to hear from other members on this-- wow.

[nynakedtop]

Postscript

 

To me, Arena in Bangkok is the gold standard for a good massage place. They are transparent about pricing, have a good selection of guys, and I can get a really good massage with fun at the end. No hustle no hassle.

 

Is that too much to expect here in pattaya??

[williewillie]

Yut has been around for many years. Very personable but fairly mediocre in the bed. One

Farang I know insists he topped Yut regularly.

 

The ‘old’ boy has been dying his white hair for years. He was a ‘superstar ‘ at the turn

of the century (2001) at the long closed City Boys. He was very well built with a handsome

face and addicted to the mirrors, rarely taking his eyes off his own reflection. One wealthy

American farang topped the lad regularly even thou he protested, the money ruled. He must

be about 50 y.o. now and looks the worse for wear, just like most of us .

 

I was also quoted 1500b. and told it includes tip for happy ending. If one wants penetration,

an additional tip will be asked for. Best to negotiate in advance. The Scandic boys are all

available to come to your room for a price. Some very hot men at Scandic.

[Vessey]

My No. 1 favourite boy, Vit, works at Scandic so I am a frequent visitor.

 

Yes its a basic 1,500 baht entry charge for 'massage and sex with boy' as whoever is acting as receptionist usually says. Vit tells me that he gets half of that, with the shop keeping the other half.

 

So it is intended as an 'all-in' charge so to speak; you pay at the desk and don't have to pay your boy any more.

 

In practice, as I not only adore VIt, but adore what he does to me, I invariably privately tip him another 500 baht. When I first started doing that it certainly wasn't expected (although the little bugger probably expects it now LOL). No idea if others do that for their lads or not. 

 

 

As an aside, seeing Vit outside Scandic, thinking him unbelievably sexy, and being led nervously inside by him and up to the massage rooms for 'massage and sex with boy', provided me with my first ever gay experience in Pattaya.

 

Several years later, having left a semen trail though Boyztown, Sunee and Jomtien, I can safely say that it's all Vit's fault! LOL

 

And I still find him unbelievably sexy  

[brall3]

Face it, these guys are con artists; as most people throughout the world in the prostitution industry.

 

At the Copa, the sigh the guy held stated 400 for the room and 500 for the message. After paying the clerk at the Copa the 900, the guy then stated 1000 for his services, thereby making the entire session 1,900. BEFORE paying the front desk clerk at the Copa, I repeatedly asked the guy about the 500/400 prices. Smiling and encouragingly, the guy said 900 for everything. Again, AFTER I paid the 900 to the hotel clerk, the guy mentioned the additional 1000 as his tip. I asked for my 900 back and left. I have paid this price, 1900 and more for massages/fun, but I knew the cost beforehand, not afterwards.

 

By the way, the Copa hotel clerk was a total unfriendly ass! I did not incur such expensive travel costs for this type of treatment! Thank goodness for other places offering more transparent, honest and friendly services.

 

Wasn't it an American from Oklahoma who said "there is one born every minute"? I'm not sure.

[nynakedtop]

Well, thinking that the initial 1500 was just the "cover charge" it is little wonder why Yut (or who ever) is so eager for my return!!

[Gaybutton]

I do things a little differently.  First, if I want a legitimate, traditional Thai massage by well trained masseurs, I go to a massage shop where the masseurs are all blind.  They do excellent massages, are well trained, and the prices are reasonable.

 

If I want the "other kind" of massage, the last place I would go would be any of the massage shops.  Not me.  I much prefer to find a boy who advertises himself on the hook-up apps as a massage boy.  Most likely he's had little or no training at all, but when I'm looking on the hook-up apps for a massage, that's not exactly my priority. 

3 guesses what is . . .

 

On the apps I can negotiate the price with the boy, make it clear what I want and what I expect, and what time I want him to come.  That's right - he comes to me.  I don't have to go out to a massage shop, pay those kinds of prices, and can't be certain I'm going to get what I want.  If the boy agrees to the price and what I want, we've got a deal. 

 

Sometimes it turns out that the boys advertising themselves as massage boys actually work in the massage shops.  If they try to get me to come to them, rather than the other way around, forget it.  If they want to come to me, fine.  I can wait for their non-working hours.

[hanan]

The boy massage shops around Tukcom and Jomtien complex are more reasonably priced. I don't like the businessmodel of the Boyztown massageshops since it takes away much of the incentive for the boy to provide good service.

[nynakedtop]

The boy massage shops around Tukcom and Jomtien complex are more reasonably priced. I don't like the businessmodel of the Boyztown massageshops since it takes away much of the incentive for the boy to provide good service.

Is there one in particular you would recommend for someone (me) who like hunks more than twinks?

 

Thanks!

[reader]

I read with interest about your massage--and other--experiences so far this trip. You certainly have my sympathy having just returned from nearly a month in Bangkok where I had only one miscue (the guy fell asleep before the massage even began so he's the only one who suffered a financial loss).

 

A few things that may improve your batting average:

 

(1) If a shop requires payment in advance, go elsewhere.

 

(2) If something seems askew, it probably is. Ask questions before opening wallet.

 

(3) Always keep in mind caveat emptor: let the buyer beware.

 

During my last trip I visited seven massage shops (all in BKK) and had a total of 24 massages, 21 of which occurred at four of the shops. My method seems no different than most of us practice when settling on our favorite restaurants. When we find ones we like we tend to give them repeat business. It doesn't keep me from trying new ones but I do a little research in advance and this forum is ground zero for that.

 

As for the Viet guys (three from the same massage shop and two offs elsewhere), I went 5 for 5 on the positive side of ledger.

 

 

 

 

[DivineMadman]

To me, Arena in Bangkok is the gold standard for a good massage place. They are transparent about pricing, have a good selection of guys, and I can get a really good massage with fun at the end. No hustle no hassle.

 

Actually, Arena is only semi-transparent.  The stated minimum tip is expressly just for shower, naked massage and hand job.  Anything more is to be negotiated with the masseur.

[ChristianPFC]

The boys at Scandic Massage are certainly cute, and a while ago I inquired about priced. But when I learnt of 1500 THB all inclusive, payable in advance, I lost interest.

 

First, when it gets to happy ending the boy might still ask for more.

 

Second, I don't like the idea of minimum tip. During massage (one hour oil massage in all cases quoted below) I see how it goes, and if I get aroused and if the masseur agrees, I proceed to happy ending and tip accordingly (average 800 THB), and if not do just massage, and tip accordingly (average 300 THB).

 

Two cases to illustrate my point.

 

I had massage around Tuk-Com where happy ending is to be expected. My masseur stayed fully dressed throughout, and towards the, when I was lying on my back, and while being out of the reach of my hands, asked me if I want a happy ending. No thanks, I can do that alone better and cheaper.

 

I had massage in "I'm fine" near BTS Saphan Khwai. I met the boy the day before at a food stall and came back and asked for him. Massage was good, but no hint of happy ending. So I left it at that, give him more time, and come back again and ask if more is possible.

[brall3]

Reader, you had 24 massage adventures in less than a month's time? WOW! You are my hero.

[Guest]

A few things that may improve your batting average:

 

(1) If a shop requires payment in advance, go elsewhere .

Good advice

[reader]

Reader, you had 24 massage adventures in less than a month's time?

 

  9   0-massage days

13   1-massage days

  4   2-massage days

  1   3-massage days

 

24 massages in 27 days*

 

Not difficult.

 

*didn't count day one because I didn't arrive at hotel until after midnight so no massage opportunity

[nynakedtop]

Just to follow up...

 

Last night I "voted with my feet" and passed by Scandic.

 

Businesses (not just Thai) need to think about developing repeat loyal customers instead of simply maximizing cash spent at a one-time visit.

[vinapu]

Just to follow up...

 

Last night I "voted with my feet" and passed by Scandic.

 

 

and where did you go ? apologies if I'm too nosy.

 

 

And thank you for starting this great thread, I read all responses with great interest since I'm frequent  user of all three massage places in this soi.

 

Somehow early on I got an idea about their business model, likely by reading their price list and did not run into double tipping problem unless  I wanted to. Even if I know now, always when engaging boy in one of those places I always ask directly 'how much of that fee goes to the boy" and look for confirmation from boy himself. At Copa few times actually guy from reception asked boy about charge and I paid 400 only as it was understood by all that boy will get  his tip from me in the room.

 

Like williewillie stated boys are available to be taken off , including long time but in that case it's better to be clear with boy in advance what we expect.

Few years ago I took one of Scandic boys long time because I was impressed with his massage performance  but   to my disappointment he turned out to be useless as long time companion , wanted only sleep without being disturbed and still in the morning wanted his agreed tip so nynakedtop is not only one with disappointment from Scandic .

 

But at end of day such things are expected to happen from time to time even with boys previously tested. I'm glad that I had mostly good experiences with Boyztown massage boys and with Copa boys Kao and  Ko excellent ones, repeated quite  a few times and Dom  there whom I engaged long time  in Jun is one of best looking boys I ever greeted morning with.

[vinapu]

Is there one in particular you would recommend for someone (me) who like hunks more than twinks?

 

 

Try Royal House massage in small soi to the left of Tukcom / the same soi Baan Dok Mai hotel stands on the corner / , 

usually they have few hunks on duty

[nynakedtop]

Try Royal House massage in small soi to the left of Tukcom / the same soi Baan Dok Mai hotel stands on the corner / , 

usually they have few hunks on duty

 

i went back to winner bar (something like that?) on sunnee and found the guy that i had spent many weeks with during my last trip still working there - he was happy to see me, i was happy to see him!

 

actually i tried to go to royal house sunday around 5pm.... could not even tell if it was open, so i got scared and did some shopping at tuckcom instead - my mistake????

[vinapu]

i went back to winner bar (something like that?) on sunnee and found the guy that i had spent many weeks with during my last trip still working there - he was happy to see me, i was happy to see him!

 

actually i tried to go to royal house sunday around 5pm.... could not even tell if it was open, so i got scared and did some shopping at tuckcom instead - my mistake????

Winners is not exactly hunks kingdom but never hurts to change treat from time to time. If you boy is #10 I'm not surprised at all .

 

You should enter Royal House , quite often it looks deserted with nobody outside but this is how they operate I guess. If you prefer shopping therapy to massage one -that's your privilege