It’s not just us who are afraid; the embassy is also concerned about being deceived by us, the masseuses.
Thai masseuses that used to work oversea.
This is another person who is currently working at a massage parlor in Phuket, but she has extensive experience working abroad. Her experiences are somewhat similar to another person I interviewed, but there are some interesting points that stand out.
- She had worked in Malaysia, Hong Kong, Russia, South Korea, and Bahrain. Before becoming a masseuse, she worked in hotels, starting with massage services at a hotel spa before moving to a regular massage parlor. Her first international job was in Malaysia because a friend invited her, citing better pay. However, looking back and calculating, she realized the income was roughly the same as working in Thailand.
- She didn’t go through the Department of Labour for overseas work; Russia was the only country where she obtained a work visa through them. In Malaysia, there was a visa that allowed her to work, but it seemed like the massage parlor had an arrangement with the immigration police. She traveled by car through the southern border of Thailand and paid a bribe of 500 Baht to cross.
- A friend she worked with in Malaysia moved to Russia and seemed to be living well, which lured her into the idea. The friend introduced her to an agent, but she had to handle the visa process herself. The agent only found her a place to work, guaranteeing $800 per month, with a commission of 20,000 Baht, not including airfare.
- In Russia, the massage parlor transferred her salary directly to her Thai bank account, so she lived on the tips customers gave her. The parlor gave her one day off per week. She sent 30% of her earnings home to support her parents.
- Later, she had the opportunity to work in Bahrain, entering the country on a tourist visa. The parlor provided accommodation and transportation between the house and the shop. However, upon arrival, the agreement was not as expected. They made her sign a contract and took her passport. She soon discovered that customers had the right to choose their masseuse and that additional services were available, commonly known as “happy endings.” The person who recommended the job told her it was up to her whether she wanted to offer these services, as the parlor didn’t force anyone, but customers would choose their masseuse. If a customer didn’t choose you, you wouldn’t earn any money, and your salary would be deducted according to the contract you initially signed.
- After working for only two days, she decided to escape and seek help from the embassy. She packed her bags and persuaded a friend to run away with her to the embassy. When they arrived, the embassy didn’t believe them at first because they had all their belongings, unlike typical escapees. It took some time before the embassy accepted their situation and offered assistance.
- The process was that the embassy asked whether she wanted local police assistance or help from the embassy. She chose the embassy’s help. The embassy provided shelter, confiscated their phones and means of contact, and only reached out when the process was complete. After waiting for about two weeks, the embassy coordinated with the local police to recover their passports and cover their travel expenses back to Thailand.
- After returning, she chose to work in South Korea, again through an agent and on a tourist visa. This time, the agency altered her information to pass immigration checks. The agent’s fee was 50,000 Baht, deducted from her first month’s salary. This was the longest she worked in a foreign country because the pay was the best. It was a job where, if you could endure and avoid getting caught, you could significantly improve your family’s financial situation, sending large sums of money back home. However, the work had to be done illegally because the South Korean government reserves this profession for Korean nationals, especially those who are visually impaired. The condition was that you always needed to have cash on hand in case you were caught and had to cover your own repatriation costs.
- Eventually, she was caught in a police raid at the massage parlor. The parlor had a hidden room for masseuses to hide in case of inspections, but this time it seemed the police already knew about it. She was detained for 13 days, awaiting her turn, and had to use her own money to buy a ticket back home. She was issued a deportation document indicating that she was blacklisted from both Thailand and South Korea, meaning that certain countries cooperating with South Korea would not allow her to work or enter the country.