Thai police said that a Japanese tourist who claimed she was raped during a Thai massage 'misunderstood' that it was 'part of the technique'.

The young woman said she visited the Tong Ou massage shop along Khao San Road in Bangkok, Thailand, with her Chinese boyfriend on February 5, but was taken to a separate area where she removed her clothes.

A male Thai worker then entered and gave her a rubdown with oil but allegedly inserted his finger into her vagina during the service.

Responding to the incident, Police Colonel Sanong Saengmanee, the superintendent of Chana Songkhram police station, said that the tourist had 'misunderstood the massage technique'.

Speaking on Thursday, the investigating officer said the incident was due to a 'mutual misunderstanding'.

He said: 'In light of the misunderstanding surrounding the massage gesture, I have emphasised the importance of staff members clearly communicating and ensuring that customers understand how they will be touched during the massage.

'The tourist misunderstood the massage technique. What happened was part of the normal massage technique.

'I have contacted the complainant and provided an explanation regarding the situation. The woman expressed satisfaction with the proposed solution and no longer had any doubts regarding the incident.'

Police Colonel Sanong Saengmanee was joined by Paramait Vithayaruksun from the Move Forward Party when he contacted the alleged victim. The pair also spoke with local massage shop owners to 'improve the standard of services' and ' implement cautionary measures'.

The superintendent of Chana Songkhram police station conducted a meeting with local massage business operators and to discuss the improvement of service standards.

He said that CCTV at the massage shop at the centre of the case 'had been deleted' so there was no evidence of the alleged assault.

The response came after the alleged victim left Thailand and wrote online that she had been sexually assaulted during the massage.

She said: 'The moment I entered, I was removed from my boyfriend and attempted to be raped by the clerk. I yelled and the worker suddenly started pretending that they couldn't speak English.'

The shocked customer said she called the police following the massage but they failed to arrive. She then walked to the nearby Chana Songkhram Police Station around 500 metres away from the parlor to file a report.

She added: 'The female store manager even smirked and asked me to demonstrate how I was assaulted. There was even a surveillance camera image of the finger being put in the vagina but it was treated as part of the massage service.'

The Japanese woman spoke of the alleged ordeal three months after the incident because she claims the Thai police allegedly failed to act on her complaint.

Writing online, the woman said: 'The idea that if something goes wrong, you should call the police only works in the developed world. Even if you are raped or killed, you are responsible for yourself.

'I will never forget what happened there. Thailand is such a wonderful country, and I hope that things will change so that future travelers can have a safer and more enjoyable time.'

She said that on the day of the incident, she waited for two hours but police did not arrive at the scene so she was forced to take the masseur to the station herself.

She further claimed that officers did not question the masseur in her presence and that he began shouting at her after being interrogated. The shop owner also allegedly defended the employee.