Everything You Need to Know About Getting a Thai Massage - Learn Thai from a White Guy (2024)

One of the great things about Thailand is the ease with which high quality and affordable Thai massage is so readily available. If you have decided yourself on taking one, this lesson will make your experience a little easier and enjoyable.

If this is your first time taking a Thai massage, you will usually see a sign like this one showing which services are on offer. Whilst it is common most shops will advertise in English also, at many shops, it’s very likely that your masseuse หมอนวด(maw nuad) will not speak much English.

Contents hide

1 Types of Thai Massage

2 Useful Phrases when getting a Thai Massage

4 How to Say Body Parts in Thai

4.1 Lower Body:

4.2 Upper Body:

5 Happy Endings

6 How Much Does a Thai Massage Cost?

7 How much to Tip for a Thai Massage?

Types of Thai Massage

There are a number of different kinds of Thai massage, but perhaps the 2 most common are the traditional Thai massage and the oil massage.

Traditional Thai Massage can be referred to a number of ways in Thai.

Traditional Thai massage can be a bit rough on the body, and tends to be more painful than the oil, which is usually softer in its delivery, though if you have time maybe try both and see which you prefer.

Oil massage is more relaxing, but Thai massage is great when you need to get in deep and crush out some stiffness.

นวดไทย

Useful Phrases when getting a Thai Massage

Sample Dialogue
When you first enter a massage shop, the conversation might go something like this:

Important Thai Vocabulary/Phrases when Getting a Thai Massage

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(jep) vs ปวด (ppuad) –

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(jep) is used to refer to the sharp pain you feel when you stub your toe, get pricked with something sharp or pinched. ปวด (ppuad) is used to refer to deep aches and soreness. So you might be going to get a massage because some (or all) of your body is ปวด (ppuad). While getting that massage, if the masseuse presses too hard on a sore tendon, you might feel

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(jep).

Types of Pain:

Degree (of pressure during massage)

In addition to a hard or soft instruction, you can also specify if you’d like extra attention or pressure in a certain area. The Thai word “to emphasize” something is เน้น (nen). So, for example if you have overworked your right arm in a Muay Thai class you can ask for the masseuse to concentrate on this area you could say:

How to Say Body Parts in Thai

Here’s a list of body parts in Thai that are going to hurt eventually.

Remember that you can put ปวด (ppuad) in front of any of the body parts below to express that you have soreness or an ache in that area.

  • ปวดหัว (ppuad hua) – headache (ache+head)
  • ปวดเท้า (ppuad thao) – feet/foot ache
    • In spoken Thai, most of the time you don’t need to use any pronouns so saying ปวดเท้า (ppuad thao) to a masseuse (or anybody) means “My feet hurt.” or “My foot hurts.”

Lower Body:

Upper Body:

Happy Endings

At the end of a standard Thai massage, the masseuse will more often than not, ask you to sit up and lock your fingers behind your head. They might tell you to “relax” which isn’t easy. They then will bring one of their legs in front of you and proceed to try to tear your torso off of your body. What they are really trying to do is crack your back. This technique is called ดัดตัว (duht ttua) or you may just hear ดัด (duht).

If you don’t want them to ดัด (duht), you can say ไม่ดัด ครับ/ค่ะ (mai duht khrap/kha). If they ask why ทำไม (tham-mai), you might just say ไม่ชอบ (mai chawp) or “I don’t like (it).”

How Much Does a Thai Massage Cost?

The price of a massage in Thailand varies from place to place. As of 2020, you can expect to pay between 200 and 300 baht per hour for a Thai massage in standard massage shop in the center of cities such as Chiang Mai or Bangkok. Oil massages tend to be more expensive and foot massages are sometimes a little cheaper depending on the shop. Areas that get a lot of tourists can have much higher prices so if you see tour buses and touts all around you, expect to pay more. It’s also possible to go much cheaper. There are definitely places in Chiang Mai and Bangkok where you can get a massage for 150 baht or less .

*Tip: If you are going to be in town for a bit, don’t be afraid to ask your masseuse where they go get massages. Giving massages all day is demanding work and many masseuses will go get massages themselves and they are very likely to be going to go some place much cheaper than what the shop they work at charges.

How much to Tip for a Thai Massage?

Everyone you ask is going to have a different opinion on how much you should be tipping at a massage. The authors of this post generally tip 50-60 baht for 1 hour and 100 baht for 2 hours assuming we are happy with the service. I also asked on the Learn Thai from a White Guy Facebook Page and 80-100 seemed pretty similar to what everyone else was tipping though there were a few people who tip a set amount for the massage.

*Tip: If you ask for a 2 hour massage and the first hour feels like a waste of time, feel free to stop and leave. There’s no obligation to pay for time you weren’t actually getting a massage. It’s also possible to request to switch to another masseuse if there are any available. Massage shops know that some people have a preference like very strong or very soft massages and some workers are better suited to one type or another.

How much do you tip for massages? Please let us know in the comments (type, cost and tip) and we’ll update this post if we get any interesting data.

Everything You Need to Know About Getting a Thai Massage - Learn Thai from a White Guy (2024)

FAQs

Do I takeoff my clothes for Thai massage? ›

And unlike other massages, which have you remove most of your clothes, with Thai massage, you can leave your clothes on.

What happens in Thai full body massage? ›

Traditional Thai Massage

It involves a combination of stretching, acupressure, and yoga-like poses. You'll remain fully clothed during the session, and your therapist will use their hands, elbows, knees, and feet to apply pressure and stretch your muscles.

What do I need to know before a Thai massage? ›

Wear some comfortable clothes and flat footwear. If you don't have time to change clothes after work, at least wear smaller heels. Don't forget to wrap up long hair, its especially important if you are going to take oil massage, so it won`t touch aroma oils. Every massage starts with feet cleaning, so don't be shy.

What kind of person should avoid Thai foot massage? ›

Even at the lowest intensity, Thai massage can sometimes cause further injury to the body. People who have cancer, are pregnant, or are recovering from surgery should not undergo a Thai massage. The physical intensity of this massage technique could lead to health complications or worsen preexisting injuries.

Do I take off all my clothes for a massage? ›

For example, if you're getting a Swedish massage, you will usually be asked to remove most of your clothing. This allows the massage therapist to use long, gliding strokes to reduce muscle tension and improve circulation. For a fast, seated-at-desk massage, however, you don't need to take off any clothing.

Do you wear a bra for a Thai massage? ›

Some examples of suitable clothes are yoga pants, leggings, sweatpants, t-shirts, tank tops, sports bras, and underwear. You can also bring a change of clothes if you prefer to change after the massage. You should avoid wearing any jewellery, accessories, or makeup during the massage.

Does Thai massage include buttocks? ›

The massage itself begins with you laying down on the ground and ends sitting up. Beginning with your feet, slowing working up, ending with the skull. This style of massage includes therapy over your arms, hands & feet, neck & back, stomach, buttocks, and the area around the breasts.

Can you touch a Thai massage? ›

Here touching with lots of physical contact is totally accepted without anyone feeling uneasy about it. But the very second the massage is over, don't even think of hugging or touching the therapist in any way! This would be considered very inappropriate.

How intense is Thai massage? ›

“Thai massages are certainly not gentle, and it is important to note that oftentimes, they can feel unpleasant. But as soon as you tell your therapist that you are feeling any pain, they will decrease the pressure right away,” Pittayakorn says.

Do you wear clothes for Thai oil massage? ›

You will remain fully clothed, so wear something loose or stretchy, and comfortable (no jeans or dresses, please!).

What should I expect at my first Thai massage? ›

The massage therapist will set up the poses while you lie still. They will then pull and push different limbs for stretching and releasing muscles. The massage therapist will be pulling, pushing, kneading, and even walking on you at different points.

What not to do before a Thai massage? ›

What Not to do before a Thai Massage
  1. Don't Drink Alcohol or Over Caffeinate. Alcohol and caffeine both dehydrate our bodies, as does Thai massage. ...
  2. Don't Eat a Large Meal. ...
  3. Don't Run a Marathon. ...
  4. Don't Take Pain Medication. ...
  5. Don't Apply Lotion or Oil. ...
  6. Don't Have a Half-Empty Bladder!

What body parts should not be massaged? ›

These are areas of the body where deep, sustained pressure should be avoided because of the structures that lie beneath. Those areas are the anterior and posterior triangles of the neck, suprasternal notch, sternum, axilla, spinal column, umbilical area, inguinal triangle, popliteal fossa, and the antecubital fossa.

Is Thai massage done with clothes on? ›

Because clothes are worn during a Thai massage, what you wear for your treatment is actually an important consideration. First and foremost, you should wear loose, comfortable clothes that doesn't restrict any movements, like you would for an active athletic activity.

Who shouldn't get a massage? ›

There are some conditions that are contraindicated locally.
  • Cuts or open wounds.
  • Bruises.
  • Varicose veins.
  • Broken bones.
  • Burns.
  • Some skin conditions.

Do you remove clothes for full body massage? ›

While some massage types are more effective when the client is unclothed, therapists are skilled in accommodating various levels of undress. For those who prefer not to be completely unclothed, options like wearing loose-fitting clothing or only undressing to a level of personal comfort are available.

Do you take your shirt off for a chair massage? ›

You do not need to remove any clothing, as skin-to-skin contact is not essential - just ensure that you feel comfortable on the chair prior to the treatment. The therapist will then use a mixture of acupressure techniques across your back, shoulders, arms, hands, neck and head.

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