Not All Massages are Created Equal | Thailand

Several years ago I began to realize the health benefits of massage. A holistic approach including a healthy diet, gentle exercise like yoga, reduced stress and a good massage have been much more beneficial than medicines for my past struggles with chronic pain and fatigue.

Being in Thailand has been the perfect place to enjoy fresh fruits & vegetables as well as outdoor yoga, a calm, stress free environment and cheap massages. You can get a great massage in Thailand for as cheap as 180 baht ($5.47) per hour. They’re everywhere – on the streets, in the market, and in all the hotels.

My favorite type of massage in Thailand is a Thai massage. It is much more active than what you might think of as a typical massage with a lot of movement and stretching. There is no oil applied so you are fully clothed and they usually provide very comfortable loose fitting fisherman’s pants and shirts before you head to a mat on the floor. Traditional Thai massage incorporates acupressure, reflexology and some yoga type moves. They use their feet, elbows, knees, and hands to work out deep muscle tension & stretching for joint mobility giving great relief for headaches, arthritis, back pain and other conditions. If you are not flexible, the stretching can feel a little intense, but I find it to be very relaxing.

Massages are cheap in Thailand and available everywhere, but beware, not all are what is promised. Back at Kad Klang Wiang Plaza where our two favorite restaurants were located in Chiang Mai there was a wonderful open air massage center. Pranom Health Massage has received the certificate of excellence from TripAdvisor and always has a waiting list for a reason. The massages there are cheap (only 180 baht – $5.52 for an hour) and professional. They also had a Thailand government certification for health spas. This is something new and the only place we saw it, but Trip Advisor is a great place to check reviews before you trust just anyone to give you a massage. We learned the hard way.

Our favorite place in Chiang Mai for an excellent Thai massage at a great price!

The pain in my elbow started a couple of days after a horrible massage at beach hut 19 in Ao Nang. The ladies were not professional right from the start. Looking back, I just don’t think they were very well trained. Thai people are much more flexible than us westerners, but most masseuses are careful not too take things too far. Not these ladies, they were very rough. Why didn’t we stop them? Good question – lesson learned.

It led to a little excitement and new experiences. Not necessarily anything I’d care to experience again, but all’s well that ends well, right?

The pain from my shoulder radiated down my arm through my elbow and into my fingers. I thought it would go away, but once my elbow took on the shape and size of a golf ball, decided some type intervention might be needed.

Even though we were staying in the very remote Railay beach area (only accessible by boat), there was a clinic within walking distance of our hotel. If you overlook the trash we walked past to get there and the little ants crawling across the desk while I spoke with the doctor, it really was a pretty nice place.

Actually, the staff there was wonderful, spoke English, took all my vitals, did a procedure to remove the fluid from my elbow (in a sterile environment with no ants), and gave me 4 prescriptions for antibiotics, anti-inflammation, and pain – all for 5400 Baht ($166.93).

Luckily we had a comfortable, air-conditioned room with room service. Plus, my son Cody had told if I added Hotspot to my laptop, we could get Netflix.  So the next 3 days were spent healing with a “House of Cards Season 3” marathon.

Way to go Claire!!!

Lesson learned – speak up when needed instead of always worrying about hurting someone’s feelings – you’d think I’d have gotten that one down by now. No more massages unless they have good credentials and reviews on TripAdvisor. We had such wonderful massages at Pranon Health in Chiang Mai we just weren’t prepared for the unprofessionalism we experienced at the beach huts in Southern Thailand.

After a few days, I was almost back to normal and off to more adventures!

Interesting sign at the bottom of the climb. Glad we didn’t end up back at the First Aid clinic!

We took a few days off from massages, but finished up with some of the best we experienced in all of Thailand at Elements Boutique in Koh Samui. The spa was beautiful and the staff was amazing.

We did pay a little more here because they were spa prices, but still only 1,500 baht ($46) for a 2 hour massage with an amazing, well trained staff.

You often see Thai people giving each other a massage while sitting in markets or on park benches. It’s an art that’s been handed down for generations so we decided to learn a few basic of how to give a Thai massage while at the Elements Boutique. We left the 3 hour class covered in sweat with sore hands and arms. Wow – what hard work! It gave us such an appreciation for what these girls do every day.

Thank you girls for restoring my faith in the benefits of massage – what a perfect way to finish our time in Thailand!