# Where Prostitution Is Legal (Or Looked-the-other-way at), How Much Does A "Visit" Cost? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 2, 2015, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-prostitution-is-legal-or-looked-the-other-way-at-how-much-does-a-visit-cost/714007 "2015-03-02T13:39:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-prostitution-is-legal-or-looked-the-other-way-at-how-much-does-a-visit-cost/714007/21 "2015-03-03T05:04:11Z")
Melbourne has legal licensed brothels. Cost for 30 minutes ranges from $120 in the burbs to $250 in one of the upmarket places. Places like Gotham City, the Boardroom of Melbourne and The California Club have their own websites that list rates if anyone wants to look them up. I’m not linking to them from work. Escorts can go from $200 per hour to thousands for the high grade private ones. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-prostitution-is-legal-or-looked-the-other-way-at-how-much-does-a-visit-cost/714007/22 "2015-03-03T11:34:21Z")
> [@MikeSouth](#): > > enjoy a beautiful laid back country that may be the freeist country on earth …as long as you don’t badmouth the King… ETA I see this has been addressed, but bears repeating. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-prostitution-is-legal-or-looked-the-other-way-at-how-much-does-a-visit-cost/714007/23 "2015-03-03T15:26:34Z")
This is a fascinating thread, thanks for all the reports, guys! Still no reports from Seoul or Tokyo, unfortunately. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-prostitution-is-legal-or-looked-the-other-way-at-how-much-does-a-visit-cost/714007/24 "2015-03-03T15:33:36Z")
> [@Habeed](#): > > … > In the USA, the rates are $200-$350. The variance depends on location inside the USA, mainly. The thing is, in many USA cities it may cost you $350, even $400 in expensive cities, to bang the same girl you could have gotten for $100 in other countries. > > This difference means there’s a nice easy to calculate mathematical “tipping point” where you get more, uh, bang for your buck to travel. It’s a simple y = mx + b equation. > y = total cost > m = cost per encounter > b = fixed travel costs for the visit > … > \*standards : most men find optimal a light skinned woman who is skinny. 110-130 lbs. Blond or brunette. 18-25 years old. If your tastes are different, adjust your estimates accordingly. Another advantage that you only get in some cities is the transaction actually being legal. Yes, I know that many cities don’t consider prostitution a priority crime and will rarely make arrests or prosecute - but there can be advantages to keeping it all legal, e.g. if you have a Security Clearance and need to take a polygraph verifying that you haven’t committed any sexual offenses. Also, with legalization, you have recourse to the courts if things go badly, e.g. you bought an hour in bed but she would only kiss you for five minutes. The court might not be able to force her into bed with you, but could probably get you your money back. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-prostitution-is-legal-or-looked-the-other-way-at-how-much-does-a-visit-cost/714007/25 "2015-03-03T16:08:01Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Still no reports from Seoul or Tokyo, unfortunately. I don’t know about Seoul, but Tokyo is much more expensive than Thailand. Lots of Thai ladies in the profession try to sneak into Japan on tourist visas to work there, attracted by the higher pay. I’ve strolled through Tokyo’s [Golden Gai](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinjuku_Golden_Gai) red-light area and saw quite a few Thai restaurants in those few blocks, more so than in any other area of Tokyo or maybe even the rest of Japan that I visited. Catering to some of the Thai staff possibly. And the working girls in Thailand often prefer Japanese customers, as the Japanese are famous for overpaying and, um, shall we say, not taking too long or being, um, very massive. (In fact, the local ladies commonly refer to their Japanese customers as 333s, for “three inches, three minutes, 3000 baht.” Really.) Japanese men were quite the rage a few years ago even among Thai ladies who were not in the profession, until some highly publicized incidents of murder involving Japanese men and Thai ladies. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Goob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@Mr.Goob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Goob)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-prostitution-is-legal-or-looked-the-other-way-at-how-much-does-a-visit-cost/714007/26 "2015-03-03T16:41:42Z")
Sam, your last sentence could go either way. Who killed whom? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-prostitution-is-legal-or-looked-the-other-way-at-how-much-does-a-visit-cost/714007/27 "2015-03-03T16:46:31Z")
A string of incidents in which Japanese men brutally murdered their Thai girlfriends. That turned a lot of Thais off the Japanese. But there are still a lot of ladies in the profession who try to attract them. You can often tell too, because they’ll wear their hair and makeup in sort of a manga style. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-prostitution-is-legal-or-looked-the-other-way-at-how-much-does-a-visit-cost/714007/28 "2015-03-03T17:19:13Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > But in general, a decent freelancer on the street will go with you short-time (2-3 hours) for 1500-200 baht ($46-$62 at the current rate of exchange) … And of course, I left off a zero there. That should read “1500-2000 baht” for short time. You probably figured that out already. (Still $46-62 though.) ---
**Author:** ![polar\_bear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@polar\_bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/polar_bear)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-prostitution-is-legal-or-looked-the-other-way-at-how-much-does-a-visit-cost/714007/29 "2015-03-03T20:02:14Z")
Japanase and Asian men are also very popular amongst the girls in Germany, for the same reason as mentioned by Siam Sam. When a busload of them enters a club, you often see the girls swarming them immediately. It’s kind of funny to see. ---
**Author:** ![Hector\_St\_Clare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@Hector\_St\_Clare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hector_St_Clare)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-prostitution-is-legal-or-looked-the-other-way-at-how-much-does-a-visit-cost/714007/30 "2015-03-03T20:41:13Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Try insulting the President of the United States in Washington… then try insulting the King of Thailand in Bangkok. Let me know how it works out for you. On the other hand, you can freely insult President Obama (or if the Republicans win next year, future President Cruz) on the streets of Bangkok. Or for that matter, in Minsk or Havana. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-prostitution-is-legal-or-looked-the-other-way-at-how-much-does-a-visit-cost/714007/31 "2015-03-03T21:03:16Z")
…for NZ, just google for escorts or massage parlours: most places have their pricing on their website. I obviously won’t link to any here. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-prostitution-is-legal-or-looked-the-other-way-at-how-much-does-a-visit-cost/714007/32 "2015-03-03T23:00:49Z")
> [@Hector\_St\_Clare](#): > > On the other hand, you can freely insult President Obama (or if the Republicans win next year, future President Cruz) on the streets of Bangkok. Or for that matter, in Minsk or Havana. You miss my point; hardly anyone minds insults to _another_ country’s head of state. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-prostitution-is-legal-or-looked-the-other-way-at-how-much-does-a-visit-cost/714007/33 "2015-03-03T23:38:55Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > You miss my point; hardly anyone minds insults to _another_ country’s head of state. …That’s the joke. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-prostitution-is-legal-or-looked-the-other-way-at-how-much-does-a-visit-cost/714007/35 "2017-07-07T11:07:53Z")
Missed this thread the first go around. Prostitution is illegal in Japan, but that is defined only as actual penetration. There are plenty of hand job/bj establishments. When I was first in Japan there were many establishments called “soap land” which involved the girl providing a bath for the client. Actual intercourse was supposed to be out, but it would happen of course. There were a very few hostess bars where you could pay the barfine and take the girl out. As this was quite risky for the establishment, it was quite expensive. My friends and I happened on one. We weren’t interested but asked about pricing. Around $800 for a night, IIRC. Burner cell phones and the Internet changed all that. Brokers for college girls, freelance workers and reportedly bored house wife’s could have a Net presence without a legal establishment which keeps the cops off. There are also “encounter coffee shops” where freelancers can go and meet customers directly. Prices are likely all over the place, but likely $150 to $200. ---
**Author:** ![Foggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foggy/32/1082_2.png) [@Foggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foggy)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-prostitution-is-legal-or-looked-the-other-way-at-how-much-does-a-visit-cost/714007/36 "2017-07-07T13:58:33Z")
Have they adopted “Surge Pricing”? > [@polar\_bear](#): > > There are a multitude of different options, depending on what your want. Let’s see… I’ll have the grande, with 3 extra pumps, whipped cream and extra nuts. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-prostitution-is-legal-or-looked-the-other-way-at-how-much-does-a-visit-cost/714007/37 "2017-07-07T14:27:01Z")
Here’s a menu from 2013: [Sinful’s Menu of Pleasure](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/01/24/article-2267429-17209765000005DC-286_964x1198.jpg) Interesting article from a newspaper [Photographer captures daily life inside the lonely legal brothels of rural Nevada | Daily Mail Online](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2267429/Photographer-captures-daily-life-inside-lonely-legal-brothels-rural-Nevada.html) ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-prostitution-is-legal-or-looked-the-other-way-at-how-much-does-a-visit-cost/714007/38 "2017-07-07T15:39:18Z")
> [@Foggy](#): > > Have they adopted “Surge Pricing”? > > Let’s see… I’ll have the grande, with 3 extra pumps, whipped cream and extra nuts. > > 😃 My order would be for one without extra nuts :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-prostitution-is-legal-or-looked-the-other-way-at-how-much-does-a-visit-cost/714007/39 "2017-07-07T16:27:15Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > Here’s a menu from 2013: [Sinful’s Menu of Pleasure](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/01/24/article-2267429-17209765000005DC-286_964x1198.jpg) > > Interesting article from a newspaper [Photographer captures daily life inside the lonely legal brothels of rural Nevada | Daily Mail Online](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2267429/Photographer-captures-daily-life-inside-lonely-legal-brothels-rural-Nevada.html) I find it really strange that the prices are listed, mostly in the 1000s of dollars, but the menu looks like a page ripped out of a Denny’s menu :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-prostitution-is-legal-or-looked-the-other-way-at-how-much-does-a-visit-cost/714007/40 "2017-07-07T16:56:39Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > My order would be for one without extra nuts :eek: Depends on if you’re using “nut” as a noun or verb, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-prostitution-is-legal-or-looked-the-other-way-at-how-much-does-a-visit-cost/714007/41 "2017-07-07T18:31:08Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > I find it really strange that the prices are listed, mostly in the 1000s of dollars, but the menu looks like a page ripped out of a Denny’s menu :eek: Doesn’t seem that inappropriate given that you can get [slammed](https://www.dennys.com/food/slams/) at Denny’s. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-prostitution-is-legal-or-looked-the-other-way-at-how-much-does-a-visit-cost/714007.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-prostitution-is-legal-or-looked-the-other-way-at-how-much-does-a-visit-cost/714007.md?page=3)