Lin Wei-hui suggests that the craze among Taiwanese for traveling to Southeast Asia is behind the trend. Thai-style massage is often on tour itineraries, which has given Taiwanese a liking for it. And there is also a large population of about 90,000 Thai laborers here. Consequently, quick-witted entrepreneurs went to Thailand to learn what they needed to know and then returned to Taiwan to get a piece of the massage market.
林微惠認為，主要是國人熱衷去東南亞旅遊，行程中又常安排泰式按摩，許多遊客因此上癮；加上台灣泰勞眾多（約 9 萬人），腦筋動得快的業者於是前往泰國取經，並返台搶佔按摩市場。