Dubai: A campaign that started in Dubai last year against shady massage centres is going to be carried out in other countries, Thailand's Consul-General told Gulf News on Monday.
Authentic Thai spas in the emirate have taken an initiative to set themselves apart from shady massage centres that allegedly offer sleazy services in the guise of a Thai massage.
In March last year, ten authentic Thai massage spas organised to get certification from Thailand’s Public Health Ministry to ensure quality service and authenticity of the massage they provide.
The move came following a Gulf News report about illegal operators that tarnish the reputation of Thai massage by distributing business cards with offensive images to communities touting Thai massage services but actually offering dubious services.
“What was started by Thai business owners in Dubai is now going to be implemented on an international level. The Health Ministry in Thailand has rolled out plans to certify authentic Thai spas in other countries as well,” Thosaporn Moonlasarsathorn, the new Thai Consul-General, told reporters on Monday on his first media briefing since taking up his post late last year.
Six authentic Thai spas have so far applied for certification and will be monitored regularly by officials from the Thai consulate.
Moonlasarsathorn said three massage centres that offer “improper services” have been shut down by Dubai police since they started working on this matter last year. Moonlasarsathorn said he regularly receives tips, mostly from Emiratis concerned about Thailand, about these illegal operations and coordinates with the authorities regarding this.
Socio-economic ties
Meanwhile, Moonlasarsathorn, who has been in the foreign service for 25 years with the UAE his first posting in the Middle East, said his objective is to further strengthen the cooperation between the UAE and Thailand.
“The United Arab Emirates is an important gateway for Thailand and is the country’s number one trading partner in the Middle East. In 2012, the bilateral trade volume between the two countries reached over $18 billion (Dh66.09 billion),” Moonlasarsathorn said.
Automobile spare parts, jewellery, and chemical products are Thailand’s top exports to the UAE.
Strengthening socio-cultural ties between the two countries is also on top of his agenda. Two groups of students were sent to Thailand last year as part of the consulate’s cultural exchange programme. Three groups of students will be sent annually.
From Thailand’s side, a group of 10 Thai Muslims from the southern part of the country will visit the UAE in May to give them a perspective on how modern Muslim countries in the Gulf operate.
An estimated 10,800 Thais live and work in the UAE. Around 3,700 are based in Dubai and the northern emirates and are employed in various fields, ranging from business, petro-chemicals, hospitality and services, airlines to industrial and construction.
