Back in 2015 I wrote a post about the lost bars of Phnom Penh that seemed to elicit a lot of recollections. Since that post was made several more well known bars closed there doors. Another post on those bars is now due. First I’ll report on the lost massage parlors of Phnom Penh.
Cambodia like Thailand is filled with massage parlors of all kinds. There is no possible way for one person to keep track of the comings and goings of every single massage parlor in the country. I can however report on closures and disappearances of some of the most significant massage parlors offering sexual services in Cambodia’s capital city.
Panda Massage
Panda Massage which is not to be confused with Panda Mart was a longtime favorite of many Westerners who either lived in or visited Phnom Penh. Located on Street 240 not far from the infamous Golden Sorya Mall the place had a staff made up of several Khmer and Vietnamese women who offered full body massages and more.
Panda Massage looked a lot like a house. That’s probably because it operated inside of a converted residence just like many other businesses in the city do.
There were always some small dogs in the Panda Massage lobby. Usually they were off to the left of the entrance where they were either tied up with a leash or penned up in a cage. They barked at nearly everyone who came in and out of the place. That may be because they wanted attention. Judging by the massive amount of dog urine that could always be found flowing under their feet they weren’t getting much of that.
Massages at Panda took place in converted rooms with high ceilings. Things were relatively clean even if the lobby was not. Each room had a solid massage table and some of the women were actually quite good at doing body rubs. Most of the women at Panda offered handjobs but a few offered more than that. It wasn’t uncommon for customers to purchase sex at Panda and the women on staff who offered full service even carried their own condoms.
Panda offered legitimate services too. At least some western women went there for massages and apparently their rub downs didn’t come with happy endings.
Panda Massage was open until at least 2016 and possibly later than that. The building is still there but the massage parlor is not. I don’t know what it is being used for today. The parts of the building that used to have Panda Massage signs have been painted over and the front remains locked up except when a security guard goes in or out.
Paradis
I reported on Paradis a few months ago. When that report was published Paradis was already on its last legs. Once a thriving karaoke and massage establishment on Street 136, Paradis ended up as a half-assed attempt at a mainstream massage shop. When that didn’t work it closed up for good.
At the moment there are several for sale signs hanging out front of Paradis. I don’t know who will buy the place but I don’t imagine the new owner will operate another adult oriented business in the building. Another coffee shop or perhaps even a guest house is probably more likely.
53 Massage
Located in an old dingy building with the door set back from the street 53 Massage was a busy little shop on Street 113. There was a parking area under the awning in the front so that customers could pull their motorbikes in away from prying eyes.
The front of the shop was marked by signage in Khmer and English that also displayed the prices. A one hour massage in a room with a fan was $3 USD. The same massage in a room with an air conditioner was $5.
In reality the rooms were all terrible looking. The “fan rooms” were actually small booths carved out of a larger room upstairs. The air conditioner rooms were private bed rooms with filthy blown out beds in them.
A handful of women hung out in the living room turned lobby at 53 Massage when they weren’t servicing clients. When a customer showed up they would join them in the room of their choice upstairs.
A male manager was usually around too. He organized things and took payment at the end unless customers simply handed all the money over to their masseuse.
There may have been some legitimate massages going on at 53 Massage but it seems pretty unlikely. The Khmer women in their early twenties who worked at the place offered sex to customers for a small fee almost immediately after sessions began. They mostly serviced locals but foreigners from around the world also patronized the place. The usual tip customers paid for sex was around ten dollars. That did not include the room fee.
Several of the women regularly offered full service without a condom. That could not have been good for them or the customers used their services.
53 Massage was open for years. At some point it seemed to change ownership. The building fell further into disrepair towards the end. Then one day it was gone.
The closure of 53 Massage was no great loss to anyone. There are still countless massage parlors in the city that operate on the same model. It is mentioned here as it was a good example of this type of place and reporting on a closed shop doesn’t put anyone at risk.
A couple of mew massage parlors recently sprung up on St. 136, at a stone’s throw from the hostess bars. Or perhaps they were always there, but I didn’t take notice of them until halfway through 2017.
The proximity to the bars, the usual “$3” sign, and the infamous “helloooo” calling every time I pass by, suggest that more than a rub down is on offer. I don’t know because I haven’t tried them yet. They don’t seem to have many customers and I wonder how long they will last. Cheers.
There was a time when the usual places charged 5000 Riel. Now the prices have gone up a lot. At least one place in the area you mention was in the local news recently when a guy had $100 stolen from his pants. He called out the thief and she tried to give the money back but he wasn’t satisfied. So he came back with a cop and had her arrested. Cheers.
Ha! These two comments reminded me of a time back in 2016 when a Cambodian girl on the street convinced me to go for a $3 massage. Four more girls wound up following us inside, at which point she told me its actually $3 per girl. I said I only wanted one girl, until she told me it would still cost me $15. So I settled for a massage from all five of them, and part way through, they emptied all the money in my wallet during negotiations for a blow job. So I was out about $40 or $50 bucks but i did still get a blow job and a handy from like three of the girls. Left with no hard feelings.
Thanks for the entertaining report. There are now plenty of those kinds of massage shops around the riverside. And many similar stories come out of them! Cheers.
I had a similar experience in Siem Reap, minus the stealing part.
I picked one girl, and next thing I know a bunch of women gang up on me and they all try to give me a massage at the same time!
I can’t remember if or how much I paid, but I remember getting royally pissed and I leaving in a hurry.
Interesting. This made be the mode of operations of a certain kind of operator. Thanks for the report. Cheers.
It’s not much different than the bars. Sometimes you’ll be buying drinks for a girl or two and they’ll suddenly introduce a “sister” (almost always uglier) and beg you to buy drinks for her too. Say yes and you’ll look like a fool, say no and you’ll look like an asshole. You can’t win! When that happens I usually just leave.
I understand the girls are broke and all, but as I get older I have less and less patience for these cheap tactics. They could still make an honest buck without being deceitful. Or maybe they couldn’t, but it doesn’t have to be my problem.
I’d be more inclined to give them money if they asked for it upfront instead of insulting my intelligence. But that’s just me. Obviously other guys are indulging their requests, or these would have stopped long ago.
Are there similar places in Siem Reap?
There are several massage parlors in Siem Reap. Cheers.
Do you have any reports on them?
I haven’t reported on Siem Reap. Cheers.
Back in the day there used to be an awesome massage place to go at the Sakura Hotel. Fishbowl, attractive girls, and all the services you wanted. Sadly in 2009 it was sold to a Swedish man who tried to change the place’s reputation and ended up killing the hotel altogether.
Been hunting ever since for a place nearly as good with no success. Closest I’ve found is the Mean Haur Hotel, but still doesn’t quite compare.
Thanks for the comment. Cheers.
There are similar massage salons all over the city in the form of or in the sane building of a fitness /sport center. The one I used to go for the past 10 years was very close to Royal Guest house . I got offered HJ about 7 out of 10 times in an AC private room with a bathroom for 6 to 10 usd an hour. Tip was added to the final bill similar to the Vietnamese hotel spa. Unfortunately it closed down last year.
Even a legitimate massage will sometimes offer HJ or more in Phnom Pehn in my experience. ( about 3 out of 10 times) It depends on how you connect with the masseuse and can be more fun when this happens. Cheers.
That’s true. It depends on the women. But sometimes it can also depend on the situation. I have almost always been offered a happy ending at the many 24 hour massage parlors on Sothearos Boulevard. The one time I wasn’t was during a four handed massage in the middle of the night. That’s probably exactly when most people would expect it. Cheers.