My Experience at Thai Massage Parlors

Before going on a recent trip to Thailand, a friend warned me to stay away from Thai massage parlors. Thailand has a reputation for "dirty" (sexual) massage, but in my experience, most massage parlors in Thailand are "clean" and not in any way sexually oriented. In fact, although I'm sure they exist, I did not see any massage parlors that offered any type of sensual massage services while I was in Thailand.

Due to the low cost (around $5 for a 1-hour massage), and due to the fact that I have a lot of neck and shoulder problems, I had three massages in just over a week in Thailand. Below is a description of each of my experiences.

First, three friends of mine wanted to go for a Thai massage. One of them had already experienced a foot massage at a Thai massage parlor up the street from the hotel where we stayed. She enjoyed it so much, she wanted to go for another one. Three of us decided to accompany her. My three friends all opted for foot massages, but due to my neck and shoulder pain, I opted for an upper body massage. My three friends all sat in comfortable chairs downstairs, while I was taken upstairs to a small room with a mat on the floor. I was asked to slip into a comfy pair of pajamas. The top had an open back (like a hospital gown) so that oil could be applied to my back.

While my friends relaxed downstairs, the Thai massage practitioner went after my neck, back, feet, legs, and hands with a vengeance. She arched my back, slapped me, hit me with her fists, kneaded my knots with her elbows and knees, snapped my fingers and toes, and folded me up into positions I didn't even know were possible! Fortunately, it was not as painful as it sounds, and she asked on several occasions if the amount of pressure she applied was tolerable.

Even though I asked for an upper body massage, I got what was closer to a full body massage. This is not completely unusual. Even with a foot massage, generally the last ten minutes or so is spent on the upper body, and even with an upper body massage, at least some time will be spent on the lower body as well. But still, I was a bit disappointed that more attention wasn't focused on the parts of my body that really needed help.