SBS exposes hidden sex work culture of Australia's Thai massage parlours
Wednesday 4 October, 2017
Media Release
Full SBS Radio online story here and tonight on The Feed, 7.30pm on SBS VICELAND
The reputation of happy endings' services in massage parlours has often raised questions and findings reveal that parlours offering sexual services are not difficult to find in Australia, given the promise of an easy and quick' income.
Mark Cummins, SBS Content Manager of Audio and Language Content, said: SBS Thai Radio has received many concerned reports from the Thai community in Australia regarding this issue. The community's trust in SBS has helped to shed light on an industry where new migrants who've learned traditional massage skills fall into sex work tempted by the promise of higher income.
Joy* a Thai masseuse in her 30's is living in Australia on a student visa, reveals that when she first started working in Australia, she would provide only legitimate massages, which usually pay half the total client fee, around $40 per hour.
However, the temptation of increased earnings changed her mind - with extra' services ranging between $20-$150, being negotiated directly with the masseuse and paid for in cash, an average weekly income can grow to $1,500-$1,700 cash for five days work.
She said: The first time I offered a hand job', I was scared and panicked because I had never done it before. I asked myself why do I have to do this?' But at the same time, I told myself, it's ok, for money, for money.
Ann*, a massage parlour owner from Melbourne, who says she is trying to run a legitimate business, explains the three types of disguised massage shops in Australia: Out in the open' advertise openly about recruiting staff and talk to their clients about available sexual services; One eye close' pretend these sexual services are not available yet allow their staff to offer them; and Hidden' massage parlours declare there are no sexual services, yet individual staff might offer them secretly.
While the owners of disguised massage parlours do not earn any cash payments for extras', Joy adds that they benefit from increased bookings brought in by masseurs who offer sexual services.
In all Australian states, except from South Australia, it's not illegal to sell sex. Brothels are subject to regulation but massage parlours offering hidden' operate outside of this.
Dr Helen Pringle, Senior Lecturer of the School of Social Sciences at the University of New South Wales, says that many massage parlours are bordering on being brothels and that the lack of distinction, results in many workers being unclear about what they are signing up for.
A lot of workers in that grey area feel pressured to provide extra services in that way - the employer doesn't like to have an upset customer it's not even coercion so much as an expectation that if that request is made, that request will be fulfilled, she said.
Many in the industry fear that speaking out will lead to complications as a result of more police and regulation checks and while many break their visa conditions regarding rights to work and stay in Australia, others fear being stigmatised from working in the sex industry.
Victoria Police's Sex Industry Coordination Unit (SICU) Senior Sergeant, Richard Farrelly, told SBS Radio that there are many disguised massage businesses in Australia but that they are difficult to police.
He said: There are very few barriers to entry it will depend on the council if a permit is required and whether a qualification of staff is required The nature of the industry is a pop up' industry, [which] can open one day and close down the next.
CEO of Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP), Cameron Cox claims that some councils hold hostile and restrictive views towards premises offering sexual services, even when they are legitimate businesses.
When asked if she is a victim of sexual slavery, Joy tells SBS Thai Radio that she and other workers agree to offer extras' at their own free will due to the ability to earn a high income. However, she also reveals that no business has required or encouraged her to get STI checks and that not all supply condoms, although this is a mandatory requirement for management.
Cameron Cox affirms Joy's denial of sex slavery but concedes that there are other issues, adding that many massage parlours, where unauthorised sexual services are available, try to avoid providing condoms to their workers.
Condoms are used by councils as evidence that sex work is going on in the premises. So if full-service sex is going on in the premises [they] might be very reluctant to have condoms on the premises, which is not good for the health and safety of the workers at all.
Although massage workers are hesitant to ask for help, Senior Sergeant, Richard Farrelly says that massage workers can be vulnerable, with investigations revealing that there are some places providing unsafe sexual practices.
He urges workers who fear for their personal safety to contact the police, despite their immigration and visa concerns, stating that: We are more concerned about the person's welfare and catching the offender than we are about contacting immigration.
Even though Joy's life in Australia is lucrative, she admits that it's risky, but hopes that the income will mean a better future for her and her family when she returns to Thailand.
Happy Endings premieres on The Feed tonight at 7.30pm on SBS VICELAND (free-to-air channel 32).
The full story is available online at the SBS Radio Thai website.
*Names have been modified to maintain confidentiality.
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
28/11/2025
Nadia Fall attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Brides at the Egyptian Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Donyale West/...
28/11/2025
It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...
28/11/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 ...
28/11/2025
The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...
28/11/2025
Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....
28/11/2025
The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....
28/11/2025
The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...
28/11/2025
We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...
28/11/2025
DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...
28/11/2025
The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...
28/11/2025
Friday 28 November 2025
Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey...
28/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds t...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Marks a Grand...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
NALIP Unveils Fifth Cohort of Director Incubator
Social Impact
26 November 2025
United States
Link copied to clipboard
The National Assoc...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
SBS exposes hidden sex work culture of Australia's Thai massage parlours
