Verchiele’s Ultimate Bangkok Massage Experience / Review (December 2024)

[Verchiele]

First of all: Thanks to veteran members here @vinapu, @macaroni21, @bkkmfj2648, @reader that inspire this trip to begin with. This is the first Bangkok gay-oriented trip for me ever.  I am coming back in June 2025 so will save some of the bars / onsens experience to that part of the trip. This trip is mostly focused towards gay massage experience - variety of it.  I am venturing out to off beaten paths shops - reviewed / non-reviewed shops. 

[B]First, some burning Q&A about massage shops in Bangkok that I answered during my trip[/B]

Q: How does one broadly classify gay massage experience in Bangkok?  

A: All stores involve to some degree of sexual activities. The massage shops can be broadly classified as follow: Pricing (Low to High), and Activities included (Soft only, Soft but hard could be included, or Mandated Hard)

 

Q: About pricing. Why would anyone go to high end stores (1500B+) if one can get the same pleasure from stores charging fraction of the price?

A: Facilities at higher end shop feels a lot more comfortable in terms of cleanliness, private bathroom - even a bathtub with full service included.  However, what is often not talked about here is the quality of the boys.  Boys at lower end shop is doing it for the money at whatever bare minimum.  I noticed that they are more mechanical (you can see in my review below).  Higher end shop boys seems to be enjoying their job because of their pay - much more likely to go above and beyond what is required.  They are less subject to revolving doors phenomena that the shop just hire whoever is available.  Guys at higher end shop, especially in non-freelance model, takes pride on what they do and bank of repeat business. 

 

Q: About activities. Why would anyone go to soft shop / hard optional shop if one can go to shops where hard activity is guaranteed?

A: This is the nuanced that I also had to appreciate. Hard shops which tend to have mandated higher tips - will deliver exactly that. A hard activity (either T/B).  I found that in these shops, by nature, the service do feel more mechanical.  The boys already have earned his/her tips as long as he does the activity. In a softer shop, the boys exercise discretion on what activitiy to deliver to earn his tips. I found that kissing/affection factor is higher in softer shop versus hard oriented shops. I guess you cannot win them all! 

 

Q: What is the best predictor whether the masseure will kiss ?

A: Their sexual orientation is likely the best predictor. Without fail, all the masseur who is gay will kiss a lot more willingly. A top / straight masseur will not kiss. How do you find out their sexual orientation then?  The massage review group on X disclose their orientation or sometimes the shop does too, and you may ask the shop directly when booking. 

 

Q: Negotiation during soft shop session

A: This is to be expected when stated minimum tips is 200B or some other nominal amount.  The boys can/do exercise discretion and will offer extra service. If the boy does not speak English at all, it is possible to use the translate app and be clear on what you are asking in the beginning (B2B, handjob, etc). 

 

In the next post, I will go into more depth on the six shops that I frequented during my trip.  [B]To be continued[/B]. 

 

 

[vinapu]

18 minutes ago, Verchiele said:

In the next post, I will go into more depth on the six shops that I frequented during my trip.  [B]To be continued[/B]. 

 

stop teasing us and roll up your sleeves please.

I agree with everything you pointed out above  but we need to understand that variations of all point taken do and will exist.

Occasionally top level shop may not really shine in the bathroom department while    basic one may surprise how clean it is. One may encounter very clingy and enthusiastic guy in basic shop and very mechanical in upscale one , straight  guy may kiss without prompt etc but all those will be rater exception from rules you listed out above.

Specially on "personal" , so to speak,  level of services chemistry between guy and customer may play some or even predominant role in the total  experience and chemistry is not something we can buy.  

[12is12]

Thx 4 sharing, Verchiele.

Since I'll b in BKK next weekend, I hope u intend 2 share the 'class' of each parlour....

[bkkmfj2648]

@Verchiele Great how to guide for massages in Thailand.

I would add some more additional  terminology that I find to be very useful when negotiating what you want with the massage guys who are in the freelance category and are not tethered to any one massage shop.

As I am almost always looking for non H types of massages, I pay special attention to the terminology that I use. So, I tell them that I am looking for a massage that includes "OUTSIDE" activities.

The guys then understand that I am looking for non-penetration "outside" activities, listed as S or SS in the LINE massage groups.

These "outside" activities can include:

- handjob

- blowjob - if he is straight he may not offer to blow you but they generally allow you to blow them

- B2B - a form of sliding and humping with one body on top of tbe other

- edging - this one is difficult to obtain, as edging is not well known in Thailand, as it is in other countries. Here in the Philippines, there is a high awareness of SIDE and EDGING activities.

For H activities, then it is commonly referred to as "INSIDE" activities, where the roles are referred to as:

- "receiver" or "gay" - what we refer to as "bottom",

- "attacker" or "man" - what we refer to as "top".

In almost all cases, I found that for the "kissing" activity, it is better to allow it to be spontaneous. I have found that some guys who say that they won't kiss, will kiss if the heat of the moment makes them crazy. And vice versus, if you prenegotiate kissing and then discover that you don't find his breath and/or other attributes about him appealing, that you find yourself not in the mood for kissing.

I hope that these additional vernaculars help.

[12is12]

BKKMFJ, they help a lot, thx!

Could u pls explain about the LINE massage groups?

[siriusBE]

12 hours ago, Verchiele said:

use the translate app

Regarding translator apps... what do you guys recommend? The app should be able to translate voice and not only printed text

[bkkmfj2648]

3 hours ago, 12is12 said:

Could u pls explain about the LINE massage groups?

I wrote an article about these LINE/Twitter massage groups here:

From within the above forum post scroll down to the below section as shown below:

Enjoy

[Raposa]

2 hours ago, siriusBE said:

Regarding translator apps... what do you guys recommend? The app should be able to translate voice and not only printed text

Try Papago. Text, voice and images can be translated.

[Raposa]

16 hours ago, vinapu said:

 

Occasionally top level shop may not really shine in the bathroom department while    basic one may surprise how clean it is. One may encounter very clingy and enthusiastic guy in basic shop and very mechanical in upscale one , straight  guy may kiss without prompt etc but all those will be rater exception from rules you listed out above.

Specially on "personal" , so to speak,  level of services chemistry between guy and customer may play some or even predominant role in the total  experience and chemistry is not something we can buy.  

You write well and very nuanced. Always subtle in your argument and delicate in your perceptions.

However, I think for first timers the most useful advice is to stick to the central shops and not to bother about going further afield for the cheaper shops on your first visit, unless you got a lot of time on your hands and feeling a bit adventurous. The higher end shops close to city centre do give more consistent service with less risk if you don’t have a lot of time.

For those in their twenties and early thirties… Don’t bother about the shops and bars, but explore the clubs and the onsens instead, especially those onsens outside city centre like Zen or Machiya.

[12is12]

Raposa, could u pls name at least a few of these "higher end shops close 2 city center"... ?

[vinapu]

3 minutes ago, 12is12 said:

Raposa, could u pls name at least a few of these "higher end shops close 2 city center"... ?

Not sure what Raposa will say but since I'm still on the thread I will name Senso , Prince and JeySpa.

[vinapu]

20 minutes ago, Raposa said:

You write well and very nuanced. Always subtle in your argument and delicate in your perceptions.
 

Owner of board is American and I don't want to get sued, they are very litigious nation , lol

On serious note, after surviving disappointments in unexpected corners and  finding gems in places  last expected to I tend to stray away from conclusive opinions about venues. 

I agree with what you wrote above  that newcomers will be better served by sticking to city core unless they feel adventurous and venture to see other parts of city blending sightseeing with massage somewhere far.

Sometimes when I do my walks around Silom /Suriwong area passing by multiple shops sporting guys sitting outside   I think one can lodge in say,  Quarter Silom or Nantra, feed himself at Happy Beer or Foodland , have 2 massages  every day , each time with different guy and spend 2 weeks vacation without crossing the street even once 

[Raposa]

9 minutes ago, vinapu said:

Not sure what Raposa will say but since I'm still on the thread I will name Senso , Prince and JeySpa.

I agree these are solid picks. My favourite among them is Jey Spa, where you can pre-book your masseur. At Prince and Senso you choose from a lineup in the shop itself. 

[vinapu]

2 minutes ago, Raposa said:

My favourite among them is Jey Spa, where you can pre-book your masseur

indeed but if you walk in they usually have 2-3 guys on duty, all of suitable quality

[12is12]

Is it at all politely possible to book (pre or walk-in) also according 2 endowment?

[Raposa]

1 minute ago, 12is12 said:

Is it at all politely possible to book (pre or walk-in) also according 2 endowment?

At Senso you can ask the papasan which one is big and he will recommend one for you with his laser pen.

[thaiophilus]

1 hour ago, vinapu said:

I think one can lodge in say,  Quarter Silom or Nantra, feed himself at Happy Beer or Foodland , have 2 massages  every day , each time with different guy and spend 2 weeks vacation without crossing the street even once 

You ought to turn that into a Google map or similar, just for @Olddaddy !

[jason1975]

1 hour ago, vinapu said:

Sometimes when I do my walks around Silom /Suriwong area passing by multiple shops sporting guys sitting outside   I think one can lodge in say,  Quarter Silom or Nantra, feed himself at Happy Beer or Foodland , have 2 massages  every day , each time with different guy and spend 2 weeks vacation without crossing the street even once 

At night, one can visit boy bar and bring boy back long time.

[vinapu]

3 minutes ago, thaiophilus said:

You ought to turn that into a Google map or similar, just for @Olddaddy !

don't fell into Olddaddy's trap, he was making fun of us

[vinapu]

1 minute ago, jason1975 said:

At night, one can visit boy bar and bring boy back long time.

and again,  without crossing the street

[reader]

First question to ask yourself is am I going primarily for the massage or the afters. If it's for the former, the more upscale venues may be well worth the additional cost. But if you're chasing the afters, you can easily find satisfaction in the more pedestrian shops. Being ready to make the first move saves time and informs the masseur of your reason for being there.

What I particularly  like about Phoenix Massage is that they make that assumption as soon as you open the door.

[Raposa]

1 hour ago, reader said:

First question to ask yourself is am I going primarily for the massage or the afters. If it's for the former, the more upscale venues may be well worth the additional cost. But if you're chasing the afters, you can easily find satisfaction in the more pedestrian shops. Being ready to make the first move saves time and informs the masseur of your reason for being there.

What I particularly  like about Phoenix Massage is that they make that assumption as soon as you open the door.

A highly relevant question to ask, but you don’t go to Jey, Senso or Prince for the massages. Those upscale places have to go. Last time I went to Senso I asked papasan whether any of the boys were good at massage, and he replied that most of them were average.

Instead the super soft shops like Kino-saki spa or Ssense are the places for good massage and some afters if you want. 2 hour massages will cost you 1400 (excluding tips) in those places, but massage quality is high. 

[reader]

20 minutes ago, Raposa said:

A highly relevant question to ask, but you don’t go to Jey, Senso or Prince for the massages. Those upscale places have to go. Last time I went to Senso I asked papasan whether any of the boys were good at massage, and he replied that most of them were average.

Instead the super soft shops like Kino-saki spa or Ssense are the places for good massage and some afters if you want. 2 hour massages will cost you 1400 (excluding tips) in those places, but massage quality is high. 

Thanks for feedback on those shops. Since I come for long trips (7-8 weeks), I have to watch my cash outlay per massage so upscale shops aren't good match for me. Having said they, have to tip hat to papasan at Senso for honesty.

[12is12]

1 minute ago, reader said:

Thanks for feedback on those shops. Since I come for long trips (7-8 weeks), I have to watch my cash outlay per massage so upscale shops aren't good match for me. Having said they, have to tip hat to papasan at Senso for honesty.

How does one negotiate the tip in advance?

Is there some kind of trade-off btw explicitness and politeness? Or shpuld the client b as graphic as possible? 

[reader]

6 minutes ago, 12is12 said:

How does one negotiate the tip in advance?

Is there some kind of trade-off btw explicitness and politeness? Or shpuld the client b as graphic as possible? 

Don't think your next trip will be your first rodeo so I'd just follow what you've learned from previous visits. Experience is best teacher.