Thanks Etaoin! Best response ever. Looking forward to my trip in September.
[QUOTE=Etaoin2003;1710695]Naked backgammon.
No, seriously. It's all very straightforward, regardless of whether you're at an oily (Tulip) or a soapy (Annie's). Full service is assumed. Pricing can be discussed up front. Tipping is optional.
A fishbowl is usually a soapy massage parlor with a fairly large group of woman behind a window. The oily massage places tend to be smaller and focused on straightforward sex rather than playing around in a tub or on an air mattress first, but the end result is similar.
Throughout Thailand there are "legitimate" massage parlors, obviously sex-focused operations, and many in between that are more like what you may have experienced in the US, where you might get a regular massage and then negotiate a happy ending.
Cowboy is a street (Soi), not a massage place. There are no massage places on it, but plenty of bars offering takeout services. The takeout fee is called a "barfine" and is due to the establishment. The fee for services is discussed between you and the provider.[/QUOTE]