Vietnam: The Story of a Massage Boy

 [ THE FOLLOWING is a guest blog post contributed to Eating Saigon! by M.R. Danial ]

 More info about Gay Saigon here: https://www.eatingsaigon.com/gay-saigon/

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Vietnam: The Story of a Massage Boy

This is a true story of a massage boy in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The real name is protected for security reason.

When I lived in backpacker area of Pham Ngu Lao in Saigon, I always walking and pass-by a group of young men sitting on bicycles every nights around 8.00pm to 1.00am daily. They will consistently ask if I need any massage services from them. As usual, I will politely deny their offer with reason, my body easily to get tickles when get touch. One fine night, when I can’t sleep, I go out for a walk again to the lane and have a long talk with one of them.

Background Check

Tuan is a very well built 26 years old Vietnamese guy with a strong characteristic, fair skin tone plus a very flawless northern people’s outlook. Originally from Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam and he came to Ho Chi Minh City on 2010 to change is life. His father is working in a vegetable farm located nearby to Noi Bai International Airport, Hanoi and his mother passed away since he was a teenager. Tuan has two older brothers and a younger brother and they are helping the father at the vegetable farm.
In Hanoi, Tuan worked as a construction worker to build house or office with salary around USD150 per month. The good thing for him when living in Hanoi is he doesn’t have to pay any house rental because he lived with family and normally he will have food at home daily.
Coming to Saigon, Tuan shared a room with a friend from Hanoi in Go Vap District, 30 minutes from city centre with rental USD50 per month. He has some difficulties to find job because he didn’t have any tertiary education besides pointless high school certificate. He works in a garment factory in Go Vap District, 4 hours a day and get paid VND40,000 per hour. I used to suggest him to work in restaurant or stars hotel, but his limited ability to converse in English stopped his intention.

I am a Massage Boy

The involvement as a massage boy started just for fun when he followed some new friends who say that doing massage can make extra income. High cost of living in Ho Chi Minh City makes Tuan agree to follow his friend’s extra job and he wish to earn a side income and support his life. Every night around 8pm, Tuan will borrow his housemate’s motorbike to backpacker area to start his night job. After parking his motorbike at underground parking at 23/9 Park, he will get his bicycle which is monthly rented from a friend and start cycling at backpacker’s triangle of De Tham, Pham Ngu Lao and Bui Vien street to search for customers. Other than cycling at backpacker area, sometimes Tuan will change his route to nearby streets such as Bui Thi Xuan and Ly Tu Trong street to seek for new customers.

According to Tuan, most of his customers are straight men and sometimes he will get gay customers who are ready to spend for massage and sex services as well. At first, he feel difficult to be wit men, but now he feel good to be bisexual. When cycling, their target is to pitch any single Asian traveller or white tourist to offer their massage service. If you are gay, they can easily detect your existence and they will approach you too. The clue is, if they find out that u glazing at them, it’s a buying signal from you for them. So, the best is, don’t stare if you are not interested.
However, be a massage boy is not an easy job. Sometimes, they didn’t get any customers for many nights and when it is a raining day, no business for them. The massage mostly will be done in their customer’s hotel room or at any by-hour hotel with price around USD25 per massage service. This is not including tips around USD5 or depends on what is your earlier agreement.

WARNING!!!

Tuan shared about some warnings when hiring a massage boy. Generally, there is nothing wrong if you want to get any massage services from men or women. Normally hotel receptionist will ask for your visitor’s (massage boy’s) Identification Card before letting them to access to your room. Some hotel reception also will call you first before releasing your guest identification card when they want to  leave.  Some boys are stealer. You need to be very careful with your gadgets and money. It will be good if you can keep everything in safety box because sometimes, the stealer will do their stealing operation when you go to take shower after the massage done.
Besides, many massage boy are also taking drugs such as cocaine or marijuana with possible of having HIV+ infection due to less awareness about safe sex and HIV prevention precautions.

Until now, Tuan and his group of friends are still gathered at 23/9 Park or opposite the Allez Boo Bar to hunt for their customers. In the meantime, Tuan  do have his own dream to open his own coffee shop and have a better source of income.

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For more articles by M.R. Danial, click http://microscopasia.blogspot.com

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