Another strange first for me in Thailand

[Ranger]

No, not a 3-way with a bargirl and a katoey, although I know Old Hippie would love that so he could debate what is and is not gay .

 

Yesterday, a stranger paid for my foot massage. I was perhaps half way though it, when I took a phone call that lasted perhaps 30 seconds. He loudly fussed "Oh! You disturbed my relaxing time!" I at first thought he was joking, but then said "Oh, you are serious. Then I am sorry" He then says "It's just so fucking rude. Turn the damn thing off, just like in the cinema!" Again, I said I was sorry in a sincere way. "Just remember it for next time!"

 

I thought I should say to him "Hey, I didn't bitch about you 'disturbing my relaxing time' when you were making real lame attempts to pick up your massage girl or going on and on to the other customer about your great bar "I promise you a good time!" "Free barfine?" "No, we don't have any ladies in the bar!" Hmmm....bar in Thailand + no ladies =fun??? Anyway, the 10 second window for the snappy or witty comeback had passed (As per a Seinfeld episode), so I didn't say a word.

 

So he finishes his massage and announces to the cashier that he is paying for my massage as well. I of course protest. He instists saying "Sorry I was an asshole before" and I tell him I accept the apology but don't want him to pay for my massage. He further insists and says that "we are friends now and you can buy me a drink sometime". OK, I don't argue anymore and he actually does pay for my massage.

 

On the way out the door, his girl ask for a tip as he doesn't appear to be offering one. "I tip you tomorrow" and off he goes. The girl is decidely unhappy, so I tell her that since he paid for my massage that I will tip her. I gave both girls 100B, so I sort of paid for my "free" massage anyway.

 

So, was I horribly rude taking a phone call (perhaps I could have had the phone on vibrate) and does anyone here not tip for a traditional or foot massage (not talking about one with extras)? The only time I haven't tipped is when I called it off half way through a 2 hour traditional Thai massage as the girl was so bad and couldn't be bothered it seemed.

 

Ranger

[Dumsoda]

Ranger,

T.H.F.H....tell him f*** him.

 

Rude...in LOS.....gotta be joking....ever been to a movie....or worse still on one of the long haul (overnight )Bus trips...just when you get to sleep some f*****g "loony tunes" ring tone starts screaming at 4876 decibals.......

 

Maybe the poor bastard had a girl answer her phone during his 3 minute ST...55555....and he blew it...(so to speak)...

 

As for the tip....guess you can see how popular (read profitable) his bar is....if he couldn't come up with a tip after paying for your massage....Hey big spender..

 

Personally, always tip the girls in the "straight" places, especially if I take a foot massage. I know what my feet smell like after a few hours of walking / heat....and it aint pretty when the Nikes come off....they deserve every baht they get, which is usually half the cost of the massage. (200 on a 2 hour 400baht massage)

 

Chock dee Dumsoda :beer:

[Nervous_Dog]

Sounds like the bloke had a lot on his mind, wouldn;t be surprised if 20 minutes later he realizd he forrgot to tip then went back!

 

A rule though I always set phone to vibrate in massage places, less disterbing, and more fun

 

DOG

[-.-.-]

I would think that he was pissed off at something else and then rather embarrassed that he took it out on you.

 

Far better he made the effort to apologise, although somewhat crudely, than to just walk away.

 

Not nice to not tip his girl though.

[liquidflux]

Disturbed his relaxing time, that's some funny shit! Like you can truly relax when there's 5 other bastards in the same room getting their feet done, some thai soap opera is blasting on the tv and the cashier is yakking with the girls waiting for a customer about what to eat!

 

I usually tip 50 baht for a foot massage.

[Neo]

I think it is unrealistic to expect a peaceful massage and it really isn't related to farangs per se. You just gotta block out the mobiles ringing, people yacking, masseuses using prickly oil on people that permeates the place in a pungent wasabi-like smell, and some customers snoring loudly their whole session. If that sort of stuff gets to you, then better to arrange having one come to your room. Not that I agree that's the way it should be, it's just the way it is. Not a lot of consideration for the fellow man goes on.

[Ranger]

I would think that he was pissed off at something else and then rather embarrassed that he took it out on you.

 

Yeah, that's the way I took it, although I wondered a bit if he was trying to further chastise me by insisting on paying and making me lose face? I had a guy yell at me once for taking a call in an internet cafe, so I now step outside to take calls. Kind of hard to step outside in the middle of a massage though.

 

Ranger

[The_Munchmaster]

Ranger said:Yesterday, a stranger paid for my foot massage.

 

All this talk of foot massages reminded me of that classic conversation between Jules and Vincent at the beginning of Pulp Fiction:

 

Jules - "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa...stop right there. Eatin' a bitch out, and givin' a bitch a foot massage ain't even the same fuckin' thing."

 

Vincent - "It's not. It's the same ballpark."

 

Jules - "Ain't no fuckin' ballpark neither. Now look, maybe your method of massage differs from mine, but, you know, touchin' his wife's feet and stickin' your tongue in her Holiest of Holies, ain't the same fuckin' ballpark, it ain't the same league, it ain't even the same fuckin' sport. Look, foot massages don't mean shit."

[asiafun]

While taking a call in a public massage place can be considered slightly impolite and having it on vibrate would have been the proper thing to do, there was absolutely no call for him to behave like that.

 

About the bar, one thing I have learned about bars in Asia, If you aint got holes in it, It will just be a hole.

[Old Hippie]

"...No, not a 3-way with a bargirl and a katoey, although I know Old Hippie would love that so he could debate what is and is not gay ..."

 

 

well, as long as one guy is wearing a dress, it is not gay...unless it is you, then that might be gay...depends on the dress...Nervous Dog, Gummi and I did this last trip, with a Katoey, and a few BGs, and a small Chang, on Soi Cowboy, and as non of us is gay, then I have to say, it is not gay...unless a steam room is involved, then it might be gay...