Ho Chi Minh City - Massage Parlors

[Johndao]

Thank you for clarifying. This is completely unexpected and peculiar to Vietnam. I haven't heard of such practice (mandatory tip = service fee) anywhere else. I thought the HotToc extra BJ fee (the 100k tip) was because the ticket only covers the massage and not sexual services (similar to Thailand where oil massage is 300 baht, and special services are on top of that). For the regular massage or a haircut, I thought no tip was required (but that 20-50k was appreciated).

AH45 certainly knows much more about Vietnam than I do. However, it would still be interesting to hear other opinions from old hands on the tipping issue. Is it really mandatory to tip same amount as service and when?

I don't agree at all that the tip should be equal to the service as a general or rule of thumb. There are cases where the tip is, or appears the same or about as same as the service, but this is more by coincidence than any rule or standard.

For example, going for a haircut, no tip is expected although it may be nice to give 10k Dong to the washer and or cutter in some places. No tip is necessary for taxi service although a few thousand Dong to round out the fare is ok. Same with restaurants.

Regarding the incident at hand, IMO (no humble) 150k Dong for a foot massage is a rip-off. At those rates managers must or should be paying staff. Foot massage is very low overhead. They need only a small room, chairs hard next to one another, no privacy needed, usually no upstairs. For the workers the work is clean (feet washed) and safe with little chance of disease and low to 0 disgust factor. Basically any 150k foot massage place is just a tourist rip-off joint and the staff at that place proved it by their actions.

Most Blow and Go's charge 200k nowadays and many figure this is 100k and 100k so maybe that's where the idea of this rule or standard comes from. The first times I went to these places it was 30k for the house and 50k to the girl (1999). This moved to 40k and 60k for 100k even by 2001. In 2005 it was 70k for the house and 80k for the girl for 150k total. Only recently have places been asking a flat 200k including all. At brothels it is 100k for the room and 500k for the girl for FS.

Many non-sex massage places charge $15 or $20 or more for massage (male and female) is spa-like surroundings. Certainly it is not necessary to tip an equal amount.

JD

[Kodanana]

Recently I've been to the few Hot Toc places at DBP (Dien Bien Phu).

Bennys asked for 150k ticket + 100 tip for the quick blowie, and were adamant on the price. Having done the same earlier for 200k total, and knowing the service would be no better I refused.

Benny was asking 120K entry fee + 100K tips as usual last week, this applied for Vnmese, so I guest they getting from you the extra DONG but if you're insist on 120K, they will have to accept, drinks also remain at 20K.

[MutantChicken]

Recently I've been to the few Hot Toc places at DBP (Dien Bien Phu).

Bennys asked for 150k ticket + 100 tip for the quick blowie, and were adamant on the price. Having done the same earlier for 200k total, and knowing the service would be no better I refused.

Second place, same story. 150k + 100 tip. I did this too a month previously for 200k. Did they really increase the prices for everyone, or are they just trying it on?

Finaly, in the third place, I was quoted 250k, but when I started walking away, they called me back and accepted 200k. The girl was super pretty, but the place upstairs was so damn dark I couldn't see the massage table let alone her face. Why, oh, why do the Viets always turn an event that could be a memorable moment of joy into a worst-we-can-come-up-with sperm letoff? It's *same* work for the girl and would take the same time if they actually made the customer somewhat comfortable and unconstrained by stupid rules. Does the darkness and pants-around-ankles make it legal or what?

The feeling I get from the Viet scene is increasingly "it's cheap, but no matter how little you pay, they'll make every effort to deliver far less".

I'm afraid this is what happens when too many foreigners go to a place from what I'm told those places on dbp also are frequneted by local men and the price there is still 200k, just as how I went to the nude bng in d7, that was spoken about here the owner there had the gall to tell me that the price is now 300k for foreigners and 200k for locals after being told that there was a overall price increase since tet but I disputed that since I told them my local friends was charge 200k just the other day. I'm viet kieu and was silly enuff to speak english with another vk firned so that serves me right. Over all I would suggest a boycott of all dual pricing establishments as tehre are planty that offer similar service for 200k or less

[Alwayshard45]

. I thought the HotToc extra BJ fee (the 100k tip) was because the ticket only covers the massage and not sexual services. For the regular massage or a haircut, I thought no tip was required (but that 20-50k was appreciated).

Oddly, my close Vietnamese female friend (middle class, no connection to tourist industry) pays zero in tips in any situation (restaurants, taxis, hotel etc.). First time I asked there about tips, she literally said "Tip? What does that word mean?" (BTW, what's the Vietnamese word for it?). Of course, she doesn't visit sex establishments.

Also, on two occasions I had a hot toc BJ for 150-160k (paid in advance to the girl directly once, to mamasan the other time). Afterward both times a girl went away quickly and didn't wait around for any extra money (let alone ask). WTF is going on.

At the BnGs, the price for entry is 100k and the other 100k is for the girl for doing whatever it is she did for you. Even if you just give 200k to the house, the girl will get her cut at some point. (I have no idea when, assumable the same day).

For the massage and haircut tips, it depends on where you go. If its the barber outside on the street, then of course no tip is required or expected. However, if you go into a beauty salon the tip for the barber is not expected but greatly appriciated. Tip depends on the price of the haircut, but 20-50k is good enough. However at the Beauty salon parlors with hot girls in short skirts / dresses the tips that I was referring to were to go to the girl who helped you, not the barber. Those girls expect 150-200k VND.

As far as other times to tip. Taxi's no you are not required to leave a tip, but leaving small change (a few thousands) is the general norm. Example, the fair is 47, 000 vnd, leaving 50, 000 VND. However, if you have a driver for a long period of time or you ask them to wait for you for an extended period of time, then yes a tip is expected. Hotels, never tip. Restaurants. You're not required, and never expected to leave a tip when you're eating food on the street or small store front type of restaurant. However, the "Nha Hang Hai San" (expensive seafood places) , or restaurants with girls running around in shorts skirts, you are expected to leave a small tip. Around 5% is acceptable. Now days at the larger chain or western restaruants they charge you the 5% gratuity in the bill when you get it, even if you're going alone. Like how its done in the US for larger parties of 8 or more people. Example, Hard Rock Cafe.

Other services such as motorbike repair, if its minor and done in just a few hours or less, no tip is expected. However, if it takes a couple of days or heavy work to be done a tip ranging from 20k-100k is a good idea. Especially if you are living here because you will most likely need to return in the future for something and the mechanic is your bike's best friend. Haha.

Like I stated earlier, the girls don't wait around because they get the money from the mamasan later. No need to collect from you. They go back and clean up and continue eating their lunch or whatever.

Maybe I'm just an idiot and paying too much for things I shouldn't. I would have no idea. But this what I've come up with over the years through my various Vietnamese friends. Its been a long process. I remember when I first came here I was tipping the cabbie like a dollar (15, 000 vnd) for each fare and same to the motorbike parking guys even though the parking was free. Haha.

[Crocodilexp]

Again the rule of thumb in Vietnam, for everyone not just tourists and expats, is that the tip for such services as massage, haircuts (hot toc. Legit places) , BnGs, nail maintenance, etc. The tip is equal to the house fee.

Thank you for clarifying. This is completely unexpected and peculiar to Vietnam. I haven't heard of such practice (mandatory tip = service fee) anywhere else. I thought the HotToc extra BJ fee (the 100k tip) was because the ticket only covers the massage and not sexual services (similar to Thailand where oil massage is 300 baht, and special services are on top of that). For the regular massage or a haircut, I thought no tip was required (but that 20-50k was appreciated).

Oddly, my close Vietnamese female friend (middle class, no connection to tourist industry) pays zero in tips in any situation (restaurants, taxis, hotel etc.). First time I asked there about tips, she literally said "Tip? What does that word mean?" (BTW, what's the Vietnamese word for it?). Of course, she doesn't visit sex establishments.

I once had a haircut for 20k (normal barber, a guy) and he didn't show in any way he was expecting a tip. Also, on two occasions I had a hot toc BJ for 150-160k (paid in advance to the girl directly once, to mamasan the other time). Afterward both times a girl went away quickly and didn't wait around for any extra money (let alone ask). WTF is going on?

AH45 certainly knows much more about Vietnam than I do. However, it would still be interesting to hear other opinions from old hands on the tipping issue. Is it really mandatory to tip same amount as service and when?

Learning the local language always helps, that's good advice. But Vietnamese is so damn ambiguous and they're not particularly patient. Frankly, I gave up when they gave me fish instead of chicken. English is safer for me.

[Alwayshard45]

For the reference, I had a 90 min foot massage for 60k ticket + 80k tip in HCMC in D5. That's what they asked for. At Pham Ngu Lao, they advertise 1h for about $7 (140k) , so outside in non-tourist areas it should be less. Therefore. 250k for a foot massage is way out of line (even 200k is quite generous). In Thailand it's 200 baht (140k dong) , and living costs are much higher.

Again the rule of thumb in Vietnam, for everyone not just tourists and expats, is that the tip for such services as massage, haircuts (hot toc. Legit places) , BnGs, nail maintenance, etc. The tip is equal to the house fee. You go to the beauty salons on Bui Thi Xuan and get a haircut, shampoo, and massage. The house fee would be about 150-200k. The girl is EXPECTING that as a tip, weather you are a local or a tourist. If you don't want to tip that much, go to a regular barber for 15, 000vnd, get your ears lowered and the tip is the same again. So 30k VND total. Of course I don't think anyone should be physically assaulted for under tipping, especially if someone just didn't know. But at the same time, the people here do work hard for their money and are on limited incomes.

Needless to say, Vietnamese are so blatantly out for money (for minimum service) that I can understand Cambo swinging the pendulum the other way this time. If this were Thailand or Laos, I'd be up in arms against underpaying, since they honestly try to please and usually don't fuss too much about tips (although it means to them just as much as it is for the Viets).

For a lot of the guys here I understand Vietnam is just a travel spot while in Asia. But let me tell you guys something. Learning even just a little bit of the language weather you are just visiting or living here, will increase your happiness 7-fold. I'm fairly fluent in the language, reading / writing / speaking / listening, and since I've improved my language skills, I can tell you from personal experience that my experiences in VN have become more pleasant and with less confusion, especially in regards to money.

Recently I've been to the few Hot Toc places at DBP (Dien Bien Phu).

Bennys asked for 150k ticket + 100 tip for the quick blowie, and were adamant on the price. Having done the same earlier for 200k total, and knowing the service would be no better I refused.

Second place, same story. 150k + 100 tip. I did this too a month previously for 200k. Did they really increase the prices for everyone, or are they just trying it on?

The feeling I get from the Viet scene is increasingly "it's cheap, but no matter how little you pay, they'll make every effort to deliver far less".

If one place on DBP is raising the price, then they will all be doing it. Sounds like they are increasing the price based on the current raise in inflation. Sucks for those living here and getting paid in VND instead of USD / EUR. I haven't been out to DBP's BnGs for a while so I couldn't tell you if that is the standard price now or not, but sounds like it is.

[Crocodilexp]

Recently I've been to the few Hot Toc places at DBP (Dien Bien Phu).

Bennys asked for 150k ticket + 100 tip for the quick blowie, and were adamant on the price. Having done the same earlier for 200k total, and knowing the service would be no better I refused.

Second place, same story. 150k + 100 tip. I did this too a month previously for 200k. Did they really increase the prices for everyone, or are they just trying it on?

Finaly, in the third place, I was quoted 250k, but when I started walking away, they called me back and accepted 200k. The girl was super pretty, but the place upstairs was so damn dark I couldn't see the massage table let alone her face. Why, oh, why do the Viets always turn an event that could be a memorable moment of joy into a worst-we-can-come-up-with sperm letoff? It's *same* work for the girl and would take the same time if they actually made the customer somewhat comfortable and unconstrained by stupid rules. Does the darkness and pants-around-ankles make it legal or what?

The feeling I get from the Viet scene is increasingly "it's cheap, but no matter how little you pay, they'll make every effort to deliver far less".

[Crocodilexp]

had a foot massage yesterday, ticket 150. 000, was good, tipped the girl 50. 000 which she immediately pushed back in my hand, gave me a big smile and followed me downstairs, oh boy, I knew what was going to come. The cashier; ohh, she no salary here, you have to tipp per 100. 000

For the reference, I had a 90 min foot massage for 60k ticket + 80k tip in HCMC in D5. That's what they asked for. At Pham Ngu Lao, they advertise 1h for about $7 (140k) , so outside in non-tourist areas it should be less. Therefore. 250k for a foot massage is way out of line (even 200k is quite generous). In Thailand it's 200 baht (140k dong) , and living costs are much higher.

Needless to say, Vietnamese are so blatantly out for money (for minimum service) that I can understand Cambo swinging the pendulum the other way this time. If this were Thailand or Laos, I'd be up in arms against underpaying, since they honestly try to please and usually don't fuss too much about tips (although it means to them just as much as it is for the Viets).

Kick in the back is completely unwarranted. Post the name of the place, so people can avoid it.

[Mik Hcmc]

Just to counter the report, had a foot massage yesterday, ticket 150. 000, was good, tipped the girl 50. 000 which she immediately pushed back in my hand, gave me a big smile and followed me downstairs, oh boy, I knew what was going to come. The cashier; ohh, she no salary here, you have to tipp per 100. 000 bla bla bla, told her this was not going to happen and just paid her the 150. 000, after I turned and was straightforward kicked in the back. Believe it or not, as the massage girl was some 80 kilos lighter then myself, decided not to hit her, but.

Geez, how much of a Cheap Charlie can you be? Your food / drink bill when you go out is probably more than what most locals earn in 1 month.

Massages are already cheap here, these girls work very hard for their money, You should try massaging someone for any more than 10min's and see how tired your hands get. Just because she didn't do the 5 knuckle shuffle on your old fella doesn't mean you should be insulting her with your tip. She refused the tip because it was insulting, Same way you would refuse being underpaid from a client / customer.

With bull5hit like that tip your paying, she should have kicked you in the nuts.

[Alwayshard45]

Unusual but delightful experience today. I was in the upper D1 area today and decided to swing by on the of the BnGs on NPK...

Yes, it is a different shop. Actually, is the shop RIGHT next door to the place I went to before and was shunned from. haha. It's like night and day between these two places for me.

I gave the area of the location on NPK. There are 3 shops on this street that offer this type of service, well actually 2 because one of them is actually just a HJ-only type of place for some reason. Well from what I've experienced at least. As far as the exact number of the shop, I don't know, I haven't been there since my last report which was last year. What I can say is that when you drive down NPK from Dinh Tien Hoang, you will come to a T-intersection (there is no stop light or sign). At this point on the street on the right hand side you will see the 3 shops as described earlier. From my earlier post you will see that its the shop on the LEFT hand side of the 3 shops.

. To over six years experience in Saigon.

You already have been asked by another member to pricesely submit. Exactly- the location of this place where these extraordinary things happened to you.

But anyway, now we now this all is not true, just read alwayshard 45 his report. Whether you want to believe it is up to you. The board is not here to put each other down but to help one another. So come with this location Alwayshard.

I believe I was only asked 1 time to provide more information as to where this location was, by JD, and I responded with adequate information. He had no complaints to the description of the location.

If you've been here six years, how is it that you don't understand giving a girl at a massage place 50, 000vnd for an hour foot massage is not acceptable. There is a standard fee for services. The tip is the equivalent of the entry fee. Yes, you CAN get away with a LITTLE bit less, like give 150k tip if the house fee is 200k, but giving a girl 50, 000 with an entry fee of 150, 000 is generally not acceptable.

Just to counter the report, had a foot massage yesterday, ticket 150. 000, was good, tipped the girl 50. 000 which she immediately pushed back in my hand, gave me a big smile and followed me downstairs, oh boy, I knew what was going to come. The cashier; ohh, she no salary here, you have to tipp per 100. 000 bla bla bla, told her this was not going to happen and just paid her the 150. 000, after I turned and was straightforward kicked in the back. Believe it or not, as the massage girl was some 80 kilos lighter then myself, decided not to hit her, but.

And you want the members of this board to believe your rediculous story? In Vietnam, where they are all soooo sick for money? Not in 1000 years from now pal.

I find it harder to believe that a girl, probably 40 kgs would kick you in the back over a tip. But then again you did only offer her $2. 40 USD for an hour of her time. I can see her being angry and maybe saying bad things in VNese, but I don't understand why she would kick you. Unless you had promised her a certain amount and then was going back on your word.

You say you seem to always have troubles in VN over money because they are all so money-crazed. Let me say this, I've been in VN for much longer than most people here, and in all my time I've had very little major problems over money in VN. Yes a few here and there and over small amounts. But in general, I don't have problems here. You have the right to your own opinion, believe or not, the other members who have been active in this forum for longer than January can vouch for the legitimacy of my reports. I try to be a contributing member of this forum and allow others to enjoy the same good experiences as me as well avoid the I've had problems.

Good luck to you when you arrive in Vietnam.

[Muse Fan]

Cambo: Sorry to hear about your bad experience and getting kicked in the back. Nobody deserves that, but a general rule of thumb in VN is that your tip for standard service at the massage places without extras is the price of the entry fee. 200k ticket + 200k tip. I believe thats standard, but I could be wrong. Better luck to you in the future.

I've been reading the vietnam threads a lot lately because I plan on moving there by the end of March. I have every intention of visiting places and posting as much info as possible. Of course, being the new guy on the block that I'm going to be, please bear with me because I might begin with posts from places already covered (benny's, my tien, etc.) , but that's because I want to get my feet wet first (and dick) in places where I might know what to expect. You know. Baby steps.

Cambo: sucks to get kicked, by ANYONE. Totally uncalled for. I hope that didn't happen to you at Benny's. Could you post exactly what place it was? I don't want to show up and get kicked on the way out. If you 'did' mention it, I didn't catch it.

[Alwayshard45]

I was also trying to figure out the same thing.

I think he meant to not believe what Alwayshard said about the 2 gals looking as if they weren't interested in the tip. I base that off of his bad experience with Cambo refers to in his post.

Simply put, I think Cambo says not to believe AH's post because he just doesn't see that happening.

. After I turned and was straightforward kicked in the back. Believe it or not, as the massage girl was some 80 kilos lighter then myself, decided not to hit her, but.

And you want the members of this board to believe your rediculous story? In Vietnam, where they are all soooo sick for money? Not in 1000 years from now pal.

I also thought the same thing as to what he was referring to, but I wasn't sure. Didn't want to jump to conclusions. Anyways, if you refer to any of my posts, everything I have written about has been factual and not exaggerated. If you don't believe that's fine with me.

I also want to make it clear, I didn't walk out of there without tipping. I did leave a tip for all participants, all I stated was that only one of the girls stuck around to receive the tip for the group. They all share it. If you give 100k total for 5 girls when you walk out. They will divide it up 20k each. Of course you couldn't walk away with such a small amount. Tips at these places can be given to the girls directly or to the mamasan who in turn will pay out to the girls. So for the girls to walkaway without receiving their tip directly from me is not unusual. What is unusual is their general attitude towards the amount of the tip. They were very casual, no negotiation or asking for an absurd amount of money.

Cambo: Sorry to hear about your bad experience and getting kicked in the back. Nobody deserves that, but a general rule of thumb in VN is that your tip for standard service at the massage places without extras is the price of the entry fee. 200k ticket + 200k tip. I believe thats standard, but I could be wrong. Better luck to you in the future.

[Camboblowshooter]

i was also trying to figure out the same thing.

i think he meant to not believe what alwayshard said about the 2 gals looking as if they weren't interested in the tip. i base that off of his bad experience with cambo refers to in his post.

simply put, i think cambo says not to believe ah's post because he just doesn't see that happening.

please note: this is just what i gathered from reading and i'm not necessarilly saying that's exactly what cambo meant. i could be completely wrong.

quote originally posted by alwayshard45 view post.

unusual but delightful experience today. i was in the upper d1 area today and decided to swing by on the of the bngs on npk. everything started out normally, came into the shop (no pun intended) , walked upstairs and went through the usual motions. the girl however, after getting the necessary wet-wipes, completely undressed. keep in mind i have never seen this girl before. she cleaned me up and started with some foreplay, standard stuff, she kept wanting to do more foreplay. i was playing with her clit for quiet some time and she then laid next to me while i fingered her and sucked on her huge tits. we probably were there for about 20 minutes, as she must of been having a nice time and didn't want to stop. several other customers had come and gone.

then the crazy comes. i peeked up for a moment as i felt a shadow or presence over me and noticed two other girls standing there watching. quiet a surprise. not sure why, but it felt a little embarrassing. i have seen one of the girls before but that was a few months ago. at that time i thought there was nothing special so i have never bothered to ask for her again. the two girls started laughing and my girl and i were kinda like "wtf?" but didn't say anything. they started to ask me questions like how am i doing and how much time do i have. finally they came out with it and asked if i wanted them to join the fun. i was quiet surprised at the offer. we all talked about it for awhile (never talked about money). we moved upstairs to a different room that was empty and locked the door. i ended up staying there for almost 2 hours with all 3 of them.

after all the fun was finished and it was time to go, i asked how much they wanted. i really didn't care, i had a good time, but i was expecting some astronomical amount. they replied with "anything is fine". two of the girls left and didn't even stay around for their tip. their attitude was just so casual, as if money didn't matter. it was quiet strange, but nice to see. i got their info and i will definitely go back again to see these girls, when i have enough energy.

this is actually the story i was referring to, it is contradictory.totally- to over six years experience in saigon. its mostly the same crap all the time all kinds of fake silly reason to get; tips; , first and foremost it is; no salary; . blablablabla, and then a story like this comes, where hoars suddenly don't want money! in vietnam!

you already have been asked by another member to pricesely submit.exactly- the location of this place where these extraordinary things happened to you. as i will be back in saigon within the next three weeks, i would love to check it out, so please let the board know, and when i was wrong in my remarks.after finding this out on the spot whenever you submit the location- i will be the first to do the right thing here. believe me.

if i had not have to be in saigon for particular reasons, would never ever go there, it is a fucking stinking rat hole, because i am sick and tired of the same old crap wherever you enter there, is it for sex, foot massage, too have your arse wiped or whatever, its almost always trouble for money. most can not stick to what they agree upon.

but anyway, now we now this all is not true, just read alwayshard 45 his report. whether you want to believe it is up to you. the board is not here to put eachother down but to help one another. so come with this location alwayshard.

[Alwayshard45]

I decided to give Hello, Spa a second chance even though there have been several posts about unsatisfactory visits. Got a great looking girl, early 20s, firm body and nice large tits. The girl is from is from the mountains but has very nice light skin. The massage was above standard, she has great strength and yet a nice soft touch as well. Afterwards, was asked if I wanted to full service and I agreed. But then she said we had to move to another room upstairs. I thought it was a bit odd, but maybe thats done because the room I was currently in is a shared room. But the after going upstairs the room as also another shared room. Not sure why the switch. Anyways, excellent body and skills, but no BJ was available. A little disappointed about that.

At these spots it seems impossible to get a BJ. Its either all or nothing. Not sure what the deal is, I guess they just want to ensure getting the larger tip rather than take less.

Overall nice experience, would see her specifically again. About the place in general. The girls there mostly seem to be older, like 30s. Some were ok and some other not my cup of tea. There are a few diamonds in the rough though, like the one that I had. I didn't have my camera so no pics. Sorry guys.

[Muse Fan]

Not quiet sure what you are referring too here. You don't believe your own story or something someone else posted?

I was also trying to figure out the same thing.

I think he meant to not believe what Alwayshard said about the 2 gals looking as if they weren't interested in the tip. I base that off of his bad experience with Cambo refers to in his post.

Simply put, I think Cambo says not to believe AH's post because he just doesn't see that happening.

PLEASE NOTE: This is just what I gathered from reading and I'm not necessarilly saying that's exactly what Cambo meant. I could be completely wrong.