5 great places to get a traditional thai massage in Bangkok

While tourists flock here to see the giant Buddha in the temple, Wat Pho is just as renowned for its massage school, in operation since 1962, and offering both massage courses and treatments. You can have the advanced students massage you in an open-air pavilion for a pittance, in what are heavenly surroundings. 

The blind rely on touch, so it’s not surprising that Perception consistently gets touted for giving some of the best massages in town. The masseurs and masseuses here are all blind or visually impaired, and most have been trained in the art of touch for many years. 

A signature organic oil massage with herbal compresses weighs in at 1250 baht for 80 minutes here, and the suave townhouse setting with a rooftop bar rivals high end hotel rubdown spots, making it great value for some upmarket pampering at common-folk prices. 

With a wide menu of traditional massages, body masks and scrubs, and even ‘four hands’ rubdowns, it’s hard to choose here, and not only is the spa menu extensive, the prices are good for a place that uses high quality oils and gives attentive service. Massages start at 500 baht an hour, and you can get 2-hour package promotions daily. 

Thai traditional medicine is similar to Chinese and Indian medicine in that it is holistic, seeking to treat the cause of an ailment as opposed to the symptoms. At this old-school clinic you can have treatments with hot herbal compresses and herbal steam baths, followed by traditional massage.