Lessons from a Thai massage enthusiast

Having lived in Thailand for over seven years, I've gotten a ton of massages, and more importantly, I've learned a lot about getting massages in Thailand. Through a lot of trial and error I've learned how to increase my chances of getting a great therapeutic massage.

In this second section of my four-part series about massages in Thailand, I will share everything I've learned regarding what to expect with a massage in Thailand and I'll share how I set myself up for a great massage experience. You may also want to learn about the different types of traditional massage in Thailand, how to avoid a bad massage in Thailand, and some reputable massage shops you can visit.

This article is about LEGITIMATE family-friendly massages. If you’re looking for something else, this article is not for you.

Since this is about legitimate Thai therapeutic massage for health and wellness only, I will refer to the masseuse as a massage therapist from here on out.

What to expect with a traditional massage in Thailand

Thai massages are supposed to hurt a bit

It’s usually the good kind of hurt though. This is a therapeutic massage, not a relaxing massage. If you are pain-averse, be careful with traditional Thai massage. You can always ask for lighter pressure, but if it's too light, you may not feel the benefits.  You know your own tolerance, so please ask them to ease up if they put you in a lot of pain.

Essentially you should distinctly feel the tight/sore parts of your body, but not be in unbearable pain. The more massages you get, the more relaxed your muscles will become, and hopefully the less painful your massages will be. It may be a bit uncomfortable during the massage, but you should feel relaxed afterward.

Some people find Thai oil massage to be a more pleasant experience, but it really depends on who is giving the massage. I like firm pressure, but I’ve definitely had strong oil massages where I had to ask the massage therapist to ease up.

Price doesn’t indicate quality  

You might find the most wonderful massage of your life at 200 baht per hour and have an awful one at 800 baht per hour.  Price does, however, tend to indicate the atmosphere of the massage establishment.  No-frills massage shops have lower prices. High end spas with private rooms and fancy decorations will charge a premium.

If you don’t mind going to a really local shop, you will save money and may still get an amazing massage. High end hotel spas do usually employ good therapists, but it's not always a guarantee, so don't splurge thinking you'll get a better massage.  

They may walk on your back or your hamstrings

I’m not sure if they are supposed to do this, but especially if they are of smaller stature, they sometimes will. It’s normal for the therapist to use their feet while giving a Thai massage, especially to help with stretching, but I’m not so sure about walking on clients. Some of the massage chains forbid their massage therapists from walking on clients' backs. If you don’t want them walking on your back, make sure to specify in advance.

They may work on muscles in sensitive areas

Expect the massage therapist to work on areas of your body that may be unfamiliar in western style massages. For example, the therapist could dig into your glutes if your muscles are tight. And when stretching your inner thigh, it’s possible that they might get close to some more sensitive areas.  This is normal here with medical massage and they will still be respectful. 

If you are a woman, a female massage therapist doing oil massage might end up massaging around your breasts while massaging your chest.  This is just done to massage your pectoral muscles, but if you are uncomfortable with this, please make it clear before your massage begins and ask them not to massage your chest. If you opt for an oil massage, you also may be given a stomach massage. This concept was unfamiliar to me the first time.

Don't necessarily expect full privacy

For traditional Thai massage, it's quite common at more local places to just have a bunch of mats on the floor without any dividers or privacy curtains. Everyone is wearing clothes in these situations. For oil massage, at many places you may only be separated from your neighbors by a privacy curtain. If you want a private room for your massage, you may have to opt for a nicer spa.

You may get a male massage therapist

Because Thailand has a certain unfortunate reputation, you might think that all massage therapists are women. But there are plenty of men who are really skilled massage therapists. They go through the same training and government certifications and are just as qualified to work on you. If you're a woman, some shops might ask you if you're ok with a male therapist, but not all will ask.

Swedish or western deep tissue massage is difficult to find

And if you do find it, you will be charged western prices.  If you are just visiting, you probably won't care.  If you live here, it can be a little bit frustrating. 

Don't expect your therapist to speak English

Some people have the mistaken idea that everyone in Thailand speaks English. That's not true. Not speaking the same language won't affect the quality of your massage. Most massage therapists will understand "stronger" or "less", or if you just start crying "owwww" they will let up. However it's good to know how to ask them to ease up or add more pressure.

If you want them to ease up and go softer, you can say "bao bao". If you want them to use more pressure, you can say "knock knock".

Tipping is personal preference, but appreciated

Tipping is not required for massages in Thailand. That said, I tend to tip around 10%, but depending on cost and quality, I may tip 20% or more.  If you don’t come from a tipping culture, not tipping is acceptable.  But personally if someone does a really good job and I’m paying them only 300 baht to give me a massage, I can afford a decent tip to show my appreciation. Keep in mind the massage therapist is not seeing all of that 300 baht, since the shop or spa takes a cut. That's why I almost always tip my massage therapist and I always recommend that my guests leave a tip if they get a good massage. Massage therapists should never ask for tips though. If you're in a touristy area, they might try asking though.

Don't bother asking to concentrate on certain areas

I had some issues with my ankle and when I first moved to Thailand, and I tried to communicate it to the therapists, so they would spend extra time on the area.

Here’s what happened with many different massage therapists:

• Most of the time they just ignored me, or didn’t understand me at all, and continued with the same massage they give to everyone.  
• A couple of times they just avoided the area altogether, misunderstanding what I was asking them to do
• I ended up with bruises because they over-focused on the area

If you can find a really excellent massage therapist to see regularly, you can definitely ask them to concentrate on problem areas and they will help you work out the knots over time. But at any random massage shop, don't bother.

Do ask to avoid any injured areas

If you have an injury or problem in any area that would be exacerbated by massage, absolutely communicate to them not to massage that area. They are generally good with avoiding areas at the client's request

How to have great massages in Thailand

Massage is very subjective

What I like and look for in a massage might be totally different from what you like. I might love someone’s massage technique while my friend hates it.  I like very firm massage with a lot of pressure. If my friend likes a light massage, I probably shouldn’t recommend someone who uses a lot of pressure. So when asking for recommendations, it’s best to describe the kind of massage you like as well. If you can get a recommendation from someone who has similar preferences, the likelihood of getting a great massage will increase.

Longer is better

Don’t rush yourself through a Thai massage.  They can work out more of the knots with more time. Massages of up to two hours are quite common.  My preferred length when I don’t know the massage therapist is 90 minutes. However if I know and like the massage therapist, I usually opt for a 2-hour massage.  My longest massage session was 2.5 hours, and consisted of a 1-hour foot massage followed by a 90 minute Thai massage. Massages are inexpensive in Thailand, take your time and get a nice long massage.

Massage quality depends on the therapist, not the shop

Even government licensed therapists vary in quality. This is why it’s hard to rate any specific massage shop or spa.  Of course, if I get a very bad massage, I won't go back. But some places may have a few great massage therapists and some other average massage therapists. I don't rely on online reviews too much unless there are a lot of negative reviews. It’s best to just try a shop out for yourself . When choosing a shop, you can reduce your chances of getting a bad massage by following my tips in the next article. In general as long as I get an ok massage, I might give a massage shop 2-3 tries with different therapists to see if they have a great therapist.

Find an amazing freelancer through recommendations

Freelancers will come directly to your home for your massage, but normally you'll need to find them by recommendation / word-of-mouth. This is great if you're living in Thailand. If they are good enough to independently keep a roster of clients, they are probably a great massage therapist.

I get regular massages in my home from two different therapists. One speaks great English but works outside of Thailand for part of the year, and the other doesn't speak English but works here year round. They both have all the government certifications and go for regular continuing education training sessions. Another benefit of finding a freelance massage therapist is they don't have to share their fee with a shop or spa.

If you have a great massage, get the name of the therapist

If you've just had a truly amazing therapeutic massage that you'd want to repeat, it's imperative that you get the name of your therapist. This tip is really important, because it’s possible that you might go back again and the next therapist won’t be so good.  This has happened to me a few too many times, so now I always ask the therapist's name if I really liked my massage.  

I once went somewhere and had the most amazing head and neck massage, but I didn’t ask the therapist's name. I went back later and had a massage with someone else. That massage was fine but disappointing in comparison. If I knew the first massage therapist's name, I could have called and booked with them. If you go to a really large massage chain, like Body Tune, they will often have numbers assigned to their staff. The therapist will provide you with their number so it's easy to request them next time.

The best massage therapists often leave, have a backup

An excellent Thai massage therapist can make a lot more money working abroad than they can in Thailand. I've lost really amazing massage therapists to Hungary, Croatia, and Korea. Kudos to them for being great at their job and having the opportunity to work abroad. If you're living here and get regular massages, get a recommendation from them before they leave. They probably know other good massage therapists. It's still good to have a backup massage therapist in case they can't recommend anyone.

In some instances they may just leave one local massage shop for another. If you've built a solid relationship with them, try to get their Line contact so you can follow them if they switch shops.

If you're visiting Bangkok, try a massage at Wat Pho

I've always had very good or great massages inside Wat Pho (Wat Phra Chetuphon), the temple of the reclining Buddha. As far as I am aware, they employ students going through their professional medical massage courses, so they are all trained to the same standard as the original school for Thai medical massage. Of course there are no guarantees that every therapist will be good, but I've been impressed thus far. I've accompanied friends to this touristy temple just so I can get a massage. Unfortunately there is a fee for foreigners to enter the temple, so I recommend it for visitors who haven't been.

Next up, learn tips for avoiding a bad massage in Thailand