I went for my first Thai massage today. Wow! What an experience. I assume most of you know how a massage is in a spa in the states. You go into a nice dark room, where you undress down to your comfort level, you get under the blanket, then the masseuse gives you a great massage and after the hour you feel like a big puddle of goop because you are so relaxed. This experience in the states at a nice spa will run you around $130ish with a tip.

Thai massage is NOTHING like that or anything I have ever experienced before.

First you must find a Thai message parlor that has women in matching professional attire. I walk in and ask for a Thai massage. The lady at the counter says “2 hour”. I say “ummm no I don’t think I need two hours. Can I have one hour?” I receive a nod and a hand gesture pointing me to a door to follow this very small, maybe 5’2″ Thai woman. I walk into a long dark hallway with curtains drawn in some stalls and some open “rooms”. As I am directed to a stall, where I will be given the massage, I see a mat on the floor, a pillow, and a blanket. First, I must take my shoes off before I enter. My masseuse speaks no English, she gestures to a hanger to hang my clothes on. She draws the shade and I’m left alone to figure out what to do next. I look around and see a set of pajamas, clearly not like a massage at home, and I put them on. I lay down and she enters the stall to begin the process.

She throws a heavy blanket over me and I think lady it’s freakin 95 degrees outside and you want to throw a blanket on me!? For the next hour, this small woman twists my body into a pretzel by using her feet, arms, and hands that are so strong they could easily crush a watermelon, to administer the massage. It is actually really painful, I can hear others wince in pain in the stalls around me. All I can think is, I just paid money for this torture and thank God I didn’t opt for the two hour! She works on one leg and finally when she is done causing me physical harm she lays my leg down and gives it a good hit and that leg is so relaxed I could not move it. Thai massage is also not for the prudes. She is pressing on my muscles and comes very close to areas that the massage in the states would not allow. My comfort level has been reached! She then moves my leg up over my head and her head is again in my comfort zone and then I realize why everyone is wearing pajamas…. yikes… As the massage continues she is literally climbing all over me, when I lay on my stomach there was one point where I am pretty sure she did this yoga move on my back that really made me think, thank God I got the little one I couldn’t imagine a big woman doing this to me it might break my back.

The massage is over and I hop up to get dressed, this is a different feeling then the massage at home, I actually feel great and energized! So great in fact I decided to go next door for a pedicure.

My two hours of pampering, well sort of pampering, cost $23 USD and two hours of alone time, which is priceless.

It was perfect and I will be going back for another Thai massage.