Expert offers reality check on masseuses' earnings in Middle East

Nathanicha Thongbai, the founder and chief executive officer of Health and Wellness Management Consultant (HWMC), made the remarks amid the fast growth in the region's wellness and spa tourism markets, creating opportunities for foreign workers such as massage therapists, trainers, and spa experts.

Traditional hotels and resort spas account for 39.7% of total market revenue in the Middle East, according to Stirling Hospitality Advisors, and are expected to see a compounded annual growth rate of 11.5% until 2025.

Meanwhile, it is clear that the growing popularity of medical wellness resorts presents an untapped potential in the region, presenting a niche that investors should consider further.

Nathanicha said that as a management consultant in spa and wellness for over 20 years, her company is currently in charge of several wellness resort projects in the Middle East, which is relatively new to the wellness and spa industry compared to the Asia Pacific and Europe.

Aside from planning management strategies, she is also in charge of recruiting Thai workers for open positions in the region. As a result, she can ensure that the salary will be 20-30% higher than those working in Thailand, but not as high as some people imagine.

She explained that the average starting salary for working in a daycare spa or a spa resort, excluding welfare and benefits, is around 15,400-24,000 baht.

The pay rises in line with their expertise, training, and experience. This means that massage therapists with only 150 hours of training may be paid more, but not as much as other specialists, she pointed out.

According to HWMC, a company will pay between 102,000 and 150,000 baht for a director position, 68,000 to 120,000 baht for a manager, 51,000 to 80,000 baht for a trainer, 40,800 to 60,000 baht for a specialist, 30,600 to 50,000 baht for a senior staff, and 25,000 to 35,000 baht for a staff member.

She noted that the salary is based on the Middle East's average income standards so that workers can live in the area while entrepreneurs can run their businesses there.

“These are affordable prices for both parties," Nathanicha said.

Reacting to some reports of salaries in hundreds of thousands of baht per month for massage therapists, she said these reports are only half true because those highly-paid massage therapists usually work as personal masseuses for wealthy families and even royal families.

That means the position is scarce and highly competitive, and candidates must be exceptional in terms of education, skills, etiquette, manners and appearance.

Meanwhile, personal therapists' working conditions are determined by their employers, which means they must be available at all times. As a result, there are no fixed working hours.

However, working as a personal massage therapist may not pay hundreds of thousands of baht, but the person will be groomed and treated with luxury brandname products instead.

She explained that it is because personal massage therapists can project a positive image of their wealth.

"The average salary base of local people is not that high. In Saudi Arabia, a waiter earns about US$500, or roughly 20,000 baht, a manager earns a little more at $700, and hotel staff earn about 24,000 to 30,000 baht, which is quite close to our country," she said.

She explained that if a person is skilled and knowledgeable in healthcare and wellness, his or her salary is usually higher than the average no matter where they work — even in Thailand.

Those who want to work abroad, particularly in the Middle East, must strictly follow some rules and be aware of and respect local norms. Therefore, Thai workers who want to work there should be well-prepared so that they do not make a mistake and end up in prison unintentionally, she said.