Shady business? About 30 massage parlours at People's Park Centre allegedly offering 'special' services

People's Park Centre in Chinatown is seeing a surge in the number of massage parlours, with about 30 shops suspected of offering "special" services to male customers, reported Shin Min Daily News on Saturday (Dec 20). 

A parlour owner told the Chinese publication that his business is frequently mistaken as one such shady business, and his female employees have been scorned by customers for not providing sexual services. 

"We had a customer who visited us multiple times and asked our female staff if there were any special services," he said. 

"Once, he claimed that he had won 4D and could pay handsomely for the staff to have sex with him. We feel helpless." 

The informant added that the authorities would conduct anti-vice raids, but the seedy parlours would resume their activities afterwards.

"They (sex workers) are in contact with each other. If one is raided, the others immediately close and leave. There are so many massage parlours here that it's difficult to nab them all at once," he said. 

The man also claimed that the dodgy shops are mostly located on the ground floor and the third storey of the building because of cheaper rent. 

"Many are dressed modestly, but there are definitely private rooms in the shops. Once customers enter, they will propose 'special' services." 

He revealed that some alleged sex workers have lowered their asking price due to competition. 

A Shin Min reporter who visited the shopping centre noticed that most of the suspected massage parlours had one woman at the entrance. They would wave at male passers-by and if anyone stopped, the woman would pull them into the shop. 

The reporter was solicited by the loitering women and purportedly quoted prices from $50 to $150 for "special" services. 

One supposedly held up three fingers and whispered $30 to the reporter when he walked by. 

This is not the first time Shin Min has reported about massage parlours offering "special services" at People's Park Centre, which is a stone's throw away from the State Courts building. 

In February 2024, the Chinese newspaper wrote about provocatively-dressed women in revealing outfits approaching men outside their shops. 

The next month, the police arrested a 58-year-old woman at the shopping centre for allegedly providing sexual services. 

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com