So I just had a legitimate full body massage at a Thai place. This was my first and, while it wasn't "happy", it was very nice.
I think a nice entry point for the new hobbyist would be a nice relaxing massage that definitely makes me "happy". Are the backpage ads for these any safer LE-wise? I'm just going for a massage, not a FS session. I know the Forum's universal advice on backpage.... I am curious if the consensus is different for just a massage. Thanks!... you should check out the Massage section of BP, not Body Rubs. Massage-only places and therapists tend to advertise in the Massage section, although some FBSM providers place ads there.
But also do a web search for your area for "massage therapy" (also try "massage therapist") and you'll probably find lots of hits depending on how big your city is. I've had a couple of legit massages recently, one from a Thai therapist and one from a Laotian therapist. Both were fantastic. Neither one advertises in BP. I found one through a Google search and another was a referral from a friend.
To stay out of trouble when you go to a place that turns out to offer more than just massage, always insist on draping and decline any offers to massage "down there.
Lots of massage places that operate as store front businesses advertise on backpage. The ones that advertise in the body rubs section tend to be more, um, "happy" than the ones that advertise in the therapeutic massage section.
As to your question about being safe LE-wise, think about it, is LE going to open up a store front massage place, run it continuously for several years, then put up a BP ad, and stage some fake Chinese girl massage therapist in there who is really an undercover cop, who will give you a nice relaxing massage for an hour, before making you happy, then after an hour of getting a nice relaxing massage from this cop, they storm in and bust you? That's highly unlikely.
The only people who get busted at those places (if anybody) are the people who run those places. Not the customers. It would take an undercover cop posing as a customer to do that. Sometimes they just get busted for stupid things, like not having the proper business licenses. Which obviously isn't of any concern to you, as a real paying customer. So that is the deal with how you are safe, as a customer, LE-wise, in my opinion. If you are talking about taking risks in general by going to these places, maybe your only risk would be to your pocket book, if you went to one that charges too much.