INTIMIDATING abuse and racist stereotypes have been plaguing staff at a Thai massage parlour for ten years.

Gem Bunngam, a trained therapist who owns Gem Traditional Thai Massage in Reindeer Court,  has spoken of the abuse which includes prank calls and men mistaking them for sex workers.

Mrs Bunngam said: "It's racist and it's wrong.

"When I first opened the shop on The Trinity, people would walk past shouting about 'happy endings' and all kinds of things.

"People would ring us to make awful comments too.

"It's criminal really - people just judge you. They see you're a Thai woman, and that's it.

"They'll ask me and my staff, 'what do you do?', and we tell them we massage of course, but then they'll ask, 'do you provide a full service?', and it gets worse from there.

"It's horrendous because it's so intimidating, and makes all of my staff feel uncomfortable."

The massage parlour opened nearly ten years ago in The Trinity and Mrs Bunngam moved the business to Reindeer Court in 2022.

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Mrs Bunngam said: "When we moved here, there used to be all this drinking and shouting outside.

"And because people were drunk, the abuse would get worse.

"We reported an incident of harassment to the police last summer where someone had come into the shop, but the police never found any leads."

Mrs Bunngam said that her and her team have "put everything into the business," and "deserve to be treated better." (Image: Newsquest)

Denise Griffiths, West Mercia Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre's (WMRSASC) head of operations, said: "We are deeply concerned by reports of abuse and inappropriate sexual comments directed towards staff at the local Thai massage parlour.

"Such behaviour is completely unacceptable and creates an environment of fear and discomfort, which no one should have to endure. Everyone has the right to feel safe and respected in their workplace.

"At WMRSASC, we offer confidential support services for anyone who has experienced sexual harassment, abuse, or violence.

"We encourage anyone affected by these issues to reach out to us for support and guidance. Together, we can work towards a community where everyone feels safe and respected."

Mrs Bunngam, who has lived in Worcester since 2006, added: "We are professionals. We've put everything into this business, and deserve to be treated better."