Bangkok is full of Thai massage parlours, but many of them offer other than therapeutic massage services. So how to find a genuine traditional Thai massage in Bangkok?
Traditional Thai massage (or Nuad Phaen Boran) is a healing art and a spiritual practice, and has little to do with the services that are offered in many of the cheap massage parlours in Bangkok. Thai massage was traditionally practiced in temples and hospitals, and many Thais use it regularly to treat medical problems and to maintain good health.
Traditional Thai massage is part of the traditional Thai system medicine. The massage uses stretching, similar to yoga stretches, and works on acupressure points and energy lines called “sen” that are believed to run through the body like the meridians in Chinese medicine. Unlike the treatments in many of Bangkok’s cheap “massage parlours”, traditional Thai massage is always done with the receiver fully clothed. When arriving at a traditional Thai massage clinic, you can expect to be handed a pair of loose pants and a long-sleeved shirt or a t-shirt to change into for the massage.
Aside from “massage parlours” that offer prostitution, Bangkok is also filled with beauty shops that offer 20-minute massages for incredibly low prices. But to get a genuine, traditional Thai massage one has to do a little bit of searching.
Wat Po Traditional Massage School
Some of the big hotels and spas in Bangkok can have good Thai massage therapists that offer therapeutic massages. But the most respected and possibly the best place in Bangkok to get a Thai massage has for long been Wat Po, the temple of the Reclining Buddha. Wat Po is the home of Thai massage in Bangkok and there are old marble tablets on the walls of the temple that illustrate the theory behind Thai massage. The Wat Po Thai traditional medical and massage school has been operating in the temple since the 1950’s, and it offers courses in Thai massage and gives massage treatments. Both are very popular with Westerners.
Traditionally a Thai massage treatment used to last three hours; today’s busy people can get one- or two-hour massages in Wat Po. The price for a one-hour massage is around THB400 (US$12.00) and for a two-hour massage THB600 (US$18.00), more expensive than at many beauty and massage parlours but a fraction of the cost of the treatment in the West. The Wat Po massage school is open for massage treatments every day, but is very popular, so be prepared to wait for a while if you haven’t booked a treatment in advance.
Top 3 Bangkok hotels offering Thai massage treatments
- Hotel Lebua at State Tower – 5-star hotel on Silom Road
- Baiyoke Sky Hotel – 4-star hotel near Siam Square
- Siam City Hotel Bangkok - 5-star hotel near Siam Square
Photo of Wat Po massage school, Bangkok, Thailand, by Santheo
Topic: Tips and Ideas |
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About the author
Satu was born in Finland, but moved to London in 1996 and lived there for 10 years working as a journalist. She has spent the last couple of years mostly in India, practicing yoga and travelling.
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