‘Come inside first’: Women in revealing outfits seen soliciting men outside massage parlours near Kampong Glam
Several massage parlours at North Bridge Road — near Kampong Glam — have been accused of soliciting male customers at night.
Shin Min Daily News received a tip-off from a reader who claimed that several massage parlours along North Bridge Road have women standing outside their premises at night and approaching men who walk past.
The women are reportedly clad in revealing attire, the Chinese language daily reported on Aug 30.
At one of the shops, curtains were also used to cover the entrance and exterior, making it difficult for passers-by to look inside.
The reader claimed the women had been standing outside the shops for a long time and suspected they were involved in soliciting customers for services beyond legitimate massage treatments.
Reporters visited the area in late August and observed three neighbouring massage parlours in the same row of shophouses.
There were also one or two women in revealing outfits standing outside each unit, while others remained inside.
There appeared to be at least seven to eight women across the three premises who were seen waving at men who passed by — particularly those who were alone.
One woman waved at the reporter and smiled before asking if the reporter wanted a massage.
When the reporter asked whether “special services” were available, the woman replied that they should “come inside first” and tried to lead the reporter into the shop.
When asked about the price, she again said to go inside first instead of providing a figure.
Concerns over area’s reputation
Shin Min also visited several legitimate massage businesses nearby, whose operators declined to comment on the massage parlours suspected of offering illegal services.
One operator simply said: “There are more massage shops now, so naturally there is more competition.”
These massage parlours are located near the Kampong Glam area, which sees regular foot traffic from tourists.
The area is also frequented by families, with adults and children occasionally seen walking past the shops.
A shop worker in the vicinity claimed that the three outlets were not the only massage parlours in the area suspected of offering such services.
The worker said there were several others elsewhere nearby which had allegedly been operating for years.
Even after occasional enforcement raids, the businesses would allegedly return.
“Most of these women come from Vietnam,” the shop worker claimed.
The worker suggested that the area’s heavy tourist footfall made it an attractive location to work, even if there was a risk of getting shut down.
The worker added that if the situation continued, it could affect the image of the area, particularly given the number of tourists passing through.
Stomp has contacted the police for comment.
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