Massage is a Must in Thailand

Devlin blissed out after a Thai massage 

Don't even think about it. Just do it. 

Massages in Thailand should be a part of every traveller's itinerary, preferably every other day (or even daily, if you're up for it). Plan your budget to include it. We've been getting one almost every day since we arrived, and it is just so wonderful. 

One reason to get massages here: they are very, very inexpensive when compared to US rates. A Thai massage generally costs 200 baht ($5.70) for an hour massage. A massage in the States is usually $60/hour. Therefore, in Thailand a traveller can afford 10 massages for the price of one back home. 

And it is so, so worth it. 

On our first trip to Thailand, we didn't indulge in this luxury enough. We waited, hemmed and hawed, and were nervous. Admittedly, Thai massages are very intense - they are both a pressure-point and deep tissue massage combined with many other things. I'm not an expert in describing it, but it can be really intense - almost painful. The trick is to find a good place, and a good masseuse, and then go back again, and again.

This time in Chiang Mai, here was our method. We walked down the street and asked each massage place if they could give us both an hour Thai massage. The first three places were already busy - come back in an hour, they said. It was already 8pm by then, and we were tired. Waiting an hour wasn't an option.

So we chose a direction and kept walking, looking for massage places as we went. There are an incredible number of them. Throw a stone in a Thai city, and chances are you'll hit either a restaurant, guest house, or a massage place. 

May in Pai, showing us the massage oil

Eventually, we saw a sign for massage pointing down an alleyway. We'd walked a ways already, so we said what the heck, and went in. They were friendly people (good sign #1). Our massages were great, and we went back every night to visit our favorite masseuses: Yaa and Aaa (both women) and Devlin also had a massage from Mung (a young man who is Burmese). 

Yaa told us that most massage people in Chiang Mai are freelancers. If a massage place needs someone, they call a freelancer, and that person will hop on their motorbike from home or wherever, and head over to the place. It makes perfect sense - don't wait for the customer to come to you, go wherever there is a person waiting. Central Chiang Mai isn't that big, so they can reach places quickly - in the amount of time it takes the customer to get their feet washed and to change into massage clothes.

Massages are also a great way to pick up a little Thai. Most of the massage people like to talk, and they are especially inclined to talk if their customers make funny noises while being massaged, like Devlin does. (He groans a lot, which they find hilarious.) We've learned the words for pain, no pain, tight, very good, and goodnight - and more words that we forgot.

I'll do another post about massage etiquette and what to expect from a first massage, but for now, here are our two current favorites for massage in Chiang Mai and in Pai. 

Silver Hands Massage in Chiang Mai

In Chiang Mai, in the NE section of the Old City, go to Silver Hands Massage. Their phone # is 081-7643159, open 10am-12pm daily (although, they were closed when we showed up at 11am on a Monday). They're guaranteed to be open in the evening. 

In Pai, we love Natee Relax Massage, at 51/1 Moo 4 Wiangtai. I had an oil pressure point massage and Devlin had a Thai pressure point massage. Our massage people were May and Fon. 

Don't hesitate, just do it! You'll thank us later. =)