Bangkok massage : Thai massage guide
Visitors to Wat Pho can enjoy a massage at the skilled hands of the practitioners there for 250 baht an hour, or 350 for a massage using herbal medicines and hot compresses. Visitors to Bangkok can also take some of the ancient techniques of Thai massage home with them by enrolling in a 10- to 15-day massage course at Wat Pho, which costs about 4,500 baht.
Thai massage is one of the skills that makes the country famous and it isn’t because of sleaze either. In fact, there are many qualified Thai massage practictioners across the city who have been properly trained in this ancient art that derives from Ayurvedic medicine and has been passed down through the generations. Most famously it is taught by the monks at Wat Pho and is considered a very healthy and rejuvenating treatment.
Of course, many visitors to Bangkok imagine a trip to a massage shop as something entirely more discreet and dirty, and if that’s what you are after we recommend you read our page on body massage.
For the rest of us, receiving a Thai massage in Bangkok is one of those activities that ought to be top of your list, and it’s a great way to soothe the aches and pains and relieve the stress of a busy day hitting the pavements in Bangkok. It’s surprisingly cheap and during a one or two hour session you will be gently kneaded, stretched, contorted and ‘re-aligned’, leaving you a relaxed and rejuvenated.
Massage is an integral part of life in Bangkok as it is through the rest of Thailand. Within Thai families it is a common practice for family members to massage one another, especially young people massaging their elders as a sign of respect and affection. Often individual family members pass down techniques in massage that have survived through the generations.
Not surprisingly then, there are hundreds of Bangkok massage shops dotted throughout the city offering a full range of massage services at excellent prices. Massage services can be found in small shops throughout the city and in the lobbies of many hotels. Prices for an hour of traditional Thai massage can range anywhere from Bt150 per hour and up. It’s cheaper if you visit an out-of-the-way shop and only have a basic massage. It’s far more expensive in hotels, luxury spas and if you choose extras such as using herbs etc.
There are actually several different massage types and techniques.
Thai massage: which involves vigorously treating more than 100 areas of the body, using hand pressure and the masseuse’s own body to apply forces that aim to work pressure points, and re-align energy lines in the body. Ideally, this process takes at least two hours and can be a little uncomfortable at times, but leaves you feeling very relaxed.
Oil Massage: is gentler than Thai massage and involves deep muscle tissue treatment using specially blended therapeutic oils. Of course it leaves you a little oily afterwards, requiring a shower to freshen up, but can be a very sensual experience.Foot massage: works the internal organs of the body through manipulation of pressure points on the soles of your feet in much the same way as reflexology. This is another skill that has been passed down through the ages and can be quite effective in producing a mild detox effect on the body.
Massage techniques are derived from ancient Ayurvedic practices
Visitors to Wat Pho can enjoy a massage at the skilled hands of the practitioners there for 250 baht an hour, or 350 for a massage using herbal medicines and hot compresses. Visitors to Bangkok can also take some of the ancient techniques of Thai massage home with them by enrolling in a 10- to 15-day massage course at Wat Pho, which costs about 4,500 baht.
Those looking for a good massage should keep an eye out for massage shops run by blind people in Bangkok, as many blind people study and become quite adept at providing Thai massage services
No comments:
Post a Comment