Who doesn’t love getting a massage? I almost never get them when I am home because they are expensive. Not wanting to miss a chance I signed up for two different ones when choosing excursions for TBEX. It was great to see two totally different kinds of Thai massage experiences.
My first one was inside Wat Pho which houses the worlds largest reclining Buddha. The back drop are these gorgeous temples with vibrant colors and intricate designs. The inside of the traditional massage school is no frills.
Thai massages are not like any I have ever had. You do not remove your clothes and usually there are little to no oils or lotions involved. It is more of a bending, stretching, pulling then a relaxing experience. It is to stretch you and make you limber. The masseuse was tiny and spoke no English but she was powerful. There were several points I did not think I could take anymore. Thai massages can be a bit painful.
Afterwards I was given some water and sent back out into the world.
On my last day in Bangkok and my birthday I went to my second massage. This time it was at an upscale hotel and was quite a different experience then the first.
The RarinJinda Wellness Spa was sleek and beautiful. The masseuses were young and pretty. They served us fruit to start and gave us water before washing our feet and preparing us for massage. We were given matching light blue pants and shirt and brought into a small room that over looked Bangkok. We were on the 8th floor of the hotel. I could see people swimming in pools and the traffic down below.
It was 91 degrees outside, the humidity thick but inside it was quiet, cool and peaceful. They played music and began. It was not as rough of a massage as the first one. However it was not easy like a Swedish massage. Their was still plenty of pain but at least this time I expected it.
For nearly two hours I had my body stretched and played with. It was a mix of pain and pleasure. They played calming music and lit incense. The room was perfect and clean.
Afterwards I was lead into a room with couches and served coffee and sticky rice with mangos.
The spa has a little shop to buy some essential oils and lotions.
The night before I may have drank too much in celebration of my
birthday. A day at the spa was just the fix for that.
I would like to thank Wat Pho Traditional Massage School for introducing me to the art of Thai massages and the wonderful temples. The reclining Buddha is worth the visit alone.
I would also like to thank RarinJinda Wellness Spa for taking such good care of me. The facilities are beautiful and the staff is very accommodating.
Great post. Too many people in this world don’t even know what an authentic Thai massage is. One person I gave a massage to first tried to take off their clothes. They were surprised when I said to keep them on. A lot of people also are uncomfortable getting a massage in a big room with other people, but that’s the way most Thai massages are done. The simple truth is they are essential to good health, and everyone should be getting them. That’s why they’re called massage THERAPY!