I've been visiting soapy massage parlors in Bangkok for about 12 years now. What most don't know is that the business of body to body massages were not originally designed for the sole pleasure of foreigners like you would see in at go go bars.
Soapies were first created for the pleasures of local well off Thais, businessmen, the elite and government officials. It was only discovered by foreigners who were originally attracted to the go go bars of Patpong, Soi Cowboy and Nana. You would never see local Thais with money cavorting with bar girls in Sukhumvit.
Soapy brothels are not only places for Thai guys to screw prostitutes while their wives are out shopping. Many establishments are also casual restaurants so they can dine with friends, usually in the company of massage girls they've chosen or reserved. It's where business deals are sealed and clients are taken care of afterwards.
Now a lot of the the body massage places I like going to are a little bit out of the way and usually requires a ride on the MRT subway train, by taxi or a combination of both. I actually prefer going to places further away so I won't have a lot of competition when I arrive to pick out a massage girl.
But no matter how I look at it, to me, having a soapy massage experience is kind of like pizza. No matter how bad it is it's still edible. That said, here are my
5 favorite soapy parlors in Bangkok.
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Nataree |
1.
Nataree Massage (Closed) - I like this place because it's unpretentious. It's still a dive when it comes to atmosphere but it's very convenient. Most importantly there are a lot of cute sideline girls.
Today I usually stay away from the fishbowl girls because a lot of them are a bit rough around the edges and older. And if I wanted a lady with those attributes I would've stayed married.
So I always pick a sideliner and on a weekend at night you'll find around 40 to 50 girls to choose from. Sideliners at Nataree price range from 2300THB, 2600THB, 5000THB. I'd stay away from the 5000THB girls because they look under-aged. I could be wrong, but they do not look like they're priced for looks. Girls working in brothels are priced according to age and looks (particularly whiteness of skin).
There are already quite a lot of 18 year old hookers inside Nataree priced at 2300THB and 2600THB. When you get inside you'll immediately be face to face with a lot of sideliner girls.
Getting to Nataree only requires a ride on the MRT subway to Huay Kwang station. When you're there use exit #3. There are plenty of maps inside the station so look for the Emerald Hotel and walk towards it. You should see the establishment after walking past Emmanuel Massage (over-rated). There are two entrances to Nataree so take the first one you see.
Nataree is in the
Huay Kwang/Ratchada area where there are many soapies in close walking distance.
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Utopia |
2.
Utopia Massage - The first time I've ever been to a soapy in Bangkok like Utopia I couldn't believe that brothels could be so opulent. There are Roman styled columns and winding staircases and the area is adorned with marble and carpeted floors.
Because even though prostitution is technically illegal in Thailand, when you take a look at Utopia you really just want to laugh.
Now Utopia is not cheap. And that's for a good reason. A lot of the girls there are lighter skinned and maybe a bit taller and are from the Northern regions of Thailand like Chaing Mai or Chiang Rai. You won't find any short dark skinned Issan girls at Utopia though maybe some have slipped in.
And a soapy of Utopia's quality is geared towards Thai/Asian clientele who prefer their women fair skinned. As I mentioned previously most body massage establishments are primarily for Thai customers with free spending cash.
It's kind of funny to me that whenever I visit Utopia or any other soapy establishment I'm usually dressed in t-shirts, shorts or jeans and wearing a cap with flip-flops. While the locals are decked in casual business wear. Just by looking at the luxury cars parked outside of Utopia you can quite easily see you're sitting among men with money and means. How you dress shouldn't really matter though since there is no dress code at any of the establishments. However, in Asia, the well dressed are treated better so you'll get better attention and service
Utopia charges foreigners a surcharge for at least 500THB to 1000THB extra depending on the lady you choose. To me, it's not the only way to make extra money but also to discourage sex tourists on a budget. And it works. There are many foreigners complaining about the falang surcharge on forums. Though any foreigner with the extra cash to spend is always welcomed!
But be prepared to bring some cash, fishbowl girls start at around 3000THB for 90 minutes. Sideliners range from 3200THB to 3600THB. There are also model classed girls who were supposed former Thai Penthouse models costing from 5000THB to the moon! Okay, not that high. But I've been quoted 8000THB for a recent model. And you only get 1 hour of playtime with the models. Plus all of the prices I mentioned do not have the dreaded surcharge added on top. As I said, make sure you pad your wallet.
Getting to Utopia is easiest by taxi. Here's the address: 69/1-3 Rama 9 Road, Huay Kwang Bangkok so have someone working at the hotel translate it into Thai. The nearest MRT subway train is Phra Ram 9. But it would require at least a 30 minute walk plus more if you are unfamiliar with the territory. I suggest taking a taxi. Here's their phone number: 0-2354-13008
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Amsterdam Massage |
3.
Amsterdam Massage (Closed) - Like Nataree, this popular soapy body massage parlor is right next to a MRT subway station called Phra Ram 9. You can't miss Amsterdam it's the only building on a corner with a neon sign shaped like a windmill.
It used to be a much bigger soapy encompassing 2 buildings but today it's only 1 building. That's because they've closed off the fishbowl section and only supply sideliner girls. Not sure if the fishbowl section is closed off forever. Even the papasan I always refer to isn't sure.
Most of the girls there are taller with fair skin. It's what the local Thais with money like. So what does that mean? It means it's a pricier establishment but the prices are not as crazy as Utopia. And there's no falang surcharge.
Sideliners in Amsterdam Massage cost about 2600THB to 3000THB. They do have model categories too, though not Penthouse types as in Utopia. Amsterdam's models are taller and lighter skinned. Not necessarily prettier. As I mentioned before, Thai men value skin color over looks. And if the skin is light and the girl is attractive is just an added bonus. And a model at Amsterdam was quoted at 4500THB.
To get to Amsterdam Massage take the MRT subway to Phra Ram 9 station. Take exit #1 and walk towards
Grand Mercure Fortune Hotel, which is guest friendly so you can invite girls to your room with no joiner fee required. Here's the phone number: 0-2642-0801 — 9
4.
Poseidon - Perhaps one of the most well known soapies since way back when these types of establishments became popular with foreign tourists. The closest MRT stop to Poseidon is called
Sutthisan station and be sure to get out from
Exit #4 because it'll put you closer to the massage parlor.
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Poseidon Massage |
By taxi just say soi Poseidon and any taxi driver should not have a problem in locating it. A metered ride from Sukhumvit/Asoke intersection to Poseidon should cost about 60THB to 70THB and as of writing drivers do not receive a commission for taking you there. Though this establishment does include the dreaded 'falange' surcharge. Though my foreign Asian buddies are able to skirt the surcharge which is a significant savings considering it cost 1000THB extra if a Johnny foreigner chooses a model.
This massage parlor used to have a lot of soapy girls but today the numbers have dwindled a bit. However, since Poseidon is still heavily visited by locals because they are well known for the ladies in the model category.
And standard soapy girls prices range from 2200THB to 2600THB for 2 hours depending on quality such as age and looks. Though in general you will find fair skinned girls in their soapies. The soapy section is located on the second floor up a winding stair case.
Sideline girls and models are found on the 3rd floor. Sideliners cost around 2800THB to 3000THB for 1.5 hours. The price range for the famous Poseidon model girls ranges from 3000THB to 6000THB (60 minutes). You'll mostly see sideliners on the 2nd floor because model girls are typically booked up and depending on the girls popularity don't be surprised if you have to wait a full week. Is it worth it? I don't think so.
If you have that type of patience there is a photo book with pictures of the models for you to choose and make a reservation.
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Catherine Massage - Looks haunted but it's not... at least I think... |
5.
Catherine's Massage - Of all the soapies on this list Catherine's is the furthest one out but still in Bangkok. It's not in walking distance of any MRT stations either. So the only way to get there is by taxi.
From the outside it looks a little worst for wear and compared to a lot of other places unpretentious. But the rooms inside are in good condition. It's a big place and looks like a restaurant until you see the small fishbowl on the right side when you enter the building.
All of the girls are in the fishbowl so there are no sideliners. However, prices at Catherine's Massage are not expensive. Girls sitting on the right side are 1800THB for 90 minutes. Girls on the left are 2100THB. To me there are not a whole lot of attractive girls on either side. No falang surcharge too.
I always choose girls in the 2100THB price range for better looks. But if I can't find anyone I like I'll pick the best one I see on the right side. After all I'm not going to go all the way out there for nothing.
Catherine's is mainly visited by local Thais because most foreign visitors either don't dare to venture out too far or just find that the closer establishments can already fulfill their needs.
So if you're staying at a hotel in central Bangkok, for example Pratunam or Sukhumvit, you should take a taxi to Catherines and here's the address: 341 Rama 9 Road, Soi 11 and get someone from your hotel to translate it. The address should be easy for the taxi driver to find. Once the driver turns into Soi 11, Catherines is about 200 meters down. You can't miss it, it's directly after the Royal Pacific Hotel on the right side. Here is Catherine Massage phone number: 0-2719-66724
I've listed the phone numbers of all the soapies but there's a really good chance the person picking up on the other end only speaks Thai. You can have someone at the hotel you're staying at call to get better directions so they can write it down for you to give to the taxi driver. As of writing, none of the massage parlors I recommend above do not pay taxi drivers commissions. So you won't be charged extra.
Now you know my 5 favorite soapy massage parlors in Bangkok. And my favorites are not set in stone. Sometimes I shuffle around different establishments whenever there is a big shift in the line up.
Sometimes my favorite working girls are not available anymore and may have been picked up by a wealthy sponsor/sugar daddy to fill a mistress quota. Or some girls have managed to save enough money to start their own businesses.
And there are a lot of soapy massage parlors in Bangkok and I'll drop by one to check it out and it may become my new favorite place to visit. So check back often and I'll report more on soapy parlors I recommend.
Just a reminder, most establishments open around 2pm and close at midnight. I recommend visiting a soapy starting around 7pm. You can get to one at 6pm but most of the ladies are probably still home sleeping or getting ready to go to work.
You can make bookings or reservations for massage girls so if see someone you like and want to set up an appointment just speak to the Papasan or Mamasan.
Finally tipping is not necessary. But if you choose to you may. Usually if I had a great time I would tip 300THB. And I particularly tip girls that I choose regularly or plan to choose regularly so that the next time I'll get special treatment.
One final tip is to get to know a Papasan or Mamasan. Most of them know a fair amount of English. If they see you often and remember you they will offer better info on which girls to choose or tell you who's new to the scene. And I do tip my Papasan and Mamasans 100THB. Not all the time though of course.
*** Update for 2016! - I made a new top 5 soapy list so check it out here! ***