IntroductionMany researchers have suggested that commercial sex work in Thailand has gone into massage establishments. The paper explores how the experience of receiving massage in Thailand differs by four types of establishment (street front, massage schools, spas, and high-end resorts) and whether or not unsolicited sexual services are offered. First, we look at the history of massage, then the nature of sex work in Thailand, and finally Thai massage.Massage therapy is an ancient healing art. The first references to massage appeared 2000 B.C. Forms of massage therapy, bodywork, or somatic therapy were part of the ancient civilizations of Greece, Rome, China, Japan, and India (Field, Diego, & Hernandez-Reif, 2007). In 1850, two physicians introduced massage in the United States; however, it was not until the mid-1980's that massage emerged as a popular healing modality. Athletes were among the first, in the United States, to appreciate the healing benefits of massage therapy (Ayers & Kronenfeld, 2010).There are more than 80 types of massage therapy. Massage typically involves the application of various techniques to the muscular structure and soft tissues of the body. Types of massage include Swedish, deep tissue, trigger point, Shiatsu, and Thai massage to name a few. Therapists use their hands, fingers, forearms, elbows, and feet to manipulate the soft tissue of the body. Massage therapy helps treat chronic disease, neurological disorders, injuries, and alleviates tension and stress in the human body. Given that 80-90% of disease is thought to be stress related, the benefits of massage are notable in any wellness program (Ayers & Kronenfeld, 2010; Smith, Sullivan & Baxter, 2009). Still, a 2002 survey of American's who used Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) revealed that only 5% reported that they received a massage in the past year (Field et al, 2007).While the benefits of touch have been widely documented, few individuals receive touch in their adult lives (Lund, 2000; Sharpe, Williams, Granner & Hussey, 2007; Donoyama, Munakata & Shibasaki, 2010). The growth of massage therapy, as a legitimate healing modality, has been adversely affected by an association between touch and sex (Wahnschafft, 1982; Nicholls & Cheek, 2006).There is a lingering wonder about nonsexual therapeutic touch. Around the world, perhaps this problem is most apparent in Thailand.Commercial Sex WorkA critical issue facing Thai massage therapists is the link many place between massage and the selling of sexual services. For example, Rojanapithayakorn (2006) maintains that sex work in Thailand was establishment based, or in direct sex establishments, like brothels and inexpensive hotels (see Farley 2009). However, since the onset of the AIDS epidemic, Tharawan et al. (2003) argue that sex workers moved into non-establishment (or indirect sex establishments) spaces such as bars, nightclubs, cafes or restaurants, and massage parlors (emphasis ours). In indirect sex establishments, clients negotiate for sexual services that will take place at another location. In Thailand, many associate massage with sex (Wahnschafft, 1982; Cohen, 1988; Taylor, 2005).As Taylor (2005) notes commercial sex work is a lucrative business in Thailand fueled by poverty, especially in Thailand's northern rural provinces, as well as economic disparities between Thailand and other Asian nations. Women and girls from poor provinces, oftentimes with the active support of their families, opt for sex work as a way to economically contribute to their families. Further, the benefit of being a good daughter, bringing in money for the good of the family, outweighs the stigma of sex work (Taylor, 2005; Wawer, Podhista, Pramualratana & McNamara, 1996; Peracca, Knodel, & Saengtienchai, 1998). The history of bonded labor, where Thai families are economically indentured to another, also drives Thai daughters into sex work to pay off debt (Giri, 2012). …