In the party district of Nana, massage parlours had a tough time finding customers with masseurs lining the streets in the hope of attracting customers into near-empty shops.

“It’s because foreign tourists are not allowed into the country yet,” said Mr Nirun Thongkuntong, a masseur at Cha Cha Massage.

Although the government has allowed some businesses, including massage parlours and spas, to reopen from Monday, international travellers are still barred from entering the country.

The border closure from April 4, which makes an exception for repatriation and cargo flights, will last until the end of this month.

By sunset, a few local customers were seen inside Cha Cha Massage.

“I just had to come out. I haven’t had a massage in months,” said a 50-year-old housewife who wanted to be known only as Bee. She took her housekeeper out for their first foot massage since partial lockdown measures were imposed on March 18. She would normally get a massage once a week.

“I respected the rules so I did not call a home service,” she added, referring to a loophole where massage therapists were not legally barred from taking their business to a customer’s home.

Customers have to now register before a massage, either by writing down their names and phone numbers or scanning the government’s QR code with their phones.

Because of social distancing measures, the massage parlours are allowed only half their capacity with chairs placed 1.5m apart.

In Nana, customers had their temperature checked before being allowed in, a practice adopted by other businesses in the city.

The massage therapists wore masks and face shields to protect themselves.

At Charawi massage parlour, the owner put up partitions, made from PVC pipes and plastic sheets, between chairs and beds.

The parlour, which would usually have an army of more than 100 masseurs, recalled fewer than 10 in the first week of its reopening.

Charawi’s owner Pitak Yotha said it has had around five customers a day since Monday.

It was bursting at the seams pre-pandemic, with hundreds of customers looking for a massage, many belonging to group tours from China and other parts of Asia.

“It’s not worth it for me to reopen. The earnings won’t cover rent, electricity and water bills.

“But I’m doing this to help the staff earn something,” said Mr Pitak, who has been operating the business there since April 2017.

For months, he led a group of massage parlour owners to petition the government to lift the closure order, arguing that many owners had been denied the government’s low-interest loans. He said the 15,000 baht (S$665) cash handout the government gave to workers who lost their jobs, including masseurs, was also not enough.

“Thai massage is now part of Unesco’s intangible world heritage list.

“I’m hoping the government will pay more attention to us and help massage parlour operators and masseurs,” he added.

Thai massage was added to the Unesco list in December last year.

Massage parlours are among venues allowed to reopen this week as part of phase three of the easing of lockdown measures, which kicked in on May 3 after Thailand mostly registered fewer than 10 cases a day from late April.

MAKING A LOSS

It’s not worth it for me to reopen. The earnings won’t cover rent, electricity and water bills… But I’m doing this to help the staff earn something.

MR PITAK YOTHA , owner of Charawi massage parlour.

Other businesses that were allowed to reopen from Monday included cinemas, theatres, zoos, gyms and some sports venues for training purposes such as football pitches, and volleyball and basketball courts.

However, like massage parlours, demand has yet to pick up in those venues.

According to Thailand’s Public Health Ministry, there are over 150,000 massage therapists and nearly 10,000 massage parlours registered with the ministry across the country.

However, Mr Pitak said the actual number of masseurs may be double the official figure as many have not registered themselves with the government.

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