Traditional Thai Massage – 60 Minutes
The classic: a full 60-minute traditional Thai massage in a private room at a garden spa in the old town, with free hotel pick-up included.
- Duration
- 60 minutes
- Max group
- 2 pax
Traditional Thai massage is not a gentle oil rub. It is a structured sequence of pressure along the body's energy lines combined with assisted stretching — closer to being expertly folded than being stroked — and after a week of temple stairs, night markets and hill-tribe treks it is the single most restorative hour you can buy in Chiang Mai.
You are treated at a small garden spa in the heart of the old town, a few minutes from Chiang Mai Gate: a cozy, home-like property of old wood and greenery rather than a hotel spa floor. Treatments take place in private rooms on warm massage beds, and the therapists work in the authentic northern Thai tradition, drawing on techniques that have been taught here for generations.
The hour progresses from the feet upwards: thumb and palm pressure along the legs, hips and back, then shoulders, arms and neck, finished with the stretches Thai massage is famous for. Nothing happens without your say-so — tell your therapist at the start whether you want firm or gentle pressure and speak up during the treatment if you want it changed. You stay fully clothed in the loose cotton spa clothing provided; no oil is used.
At 450 THB for a full hour this is exceptional value, which is why it is the spa's best-seller. Free hotel pick-up around the old town area is included, herbal tea is served before or after your treatment, and the natural Thai herbal products used are the spa's own — the house coffee scrub won a national award for its soothing and brightening properties in 2017.
- A full 60 minutes of authentic traditional Thai massage
- The spa's best-selling treatment
- Private treatment room with a warm massage bed
- Cozy garden setting in the heart of the old town, minutes from Chiang Mai Gate
- Firm or gentle pressure — you set it and can change it mid-treatment
- Performed fully clothed in the loose spa clothing provided; no oil
- Free hotel pick-up around the old town area
- Herbal welcome tea and natural Thai herbal products
What's included
- ✓ Free hotel pick-up within the old town area (confirm at booking)
- ✓ Private treatment room with a warm massage bed
- ✓ Herbal welcome tea
- ✓ Natural Thai herbal products
- ✓ Loose spa clothing and towels where required
- ✓ Shower facilities
- ✓ 60-minute traditional Thai massage by a trained therapist
- Hotel pick-up from outside the old town area (ask us to check)
- Gratuities (voluntary; 50–100 THB is customary in Thai spas)
- Retail spa products
- Food and alcoholic drinks
- Travel insurance
- 0:00
Arrival and welcome tea
Arrive at the garden spa (or be collected from your hotel). Herbal welcome tea, a short consultation about pressure, problem areas and anything your therapist should avoid.
- 0:10
Change and settle
Change into the loose cotton spa clothing provided and settle onto a warm massage bed in a private room.
- 0:15
Traditional Thai massage (60 minutes)
Thumb and palm pressure along the energy lines from feet to shoulders, followed by the assisted stretches that define Thai massage.
- 1:15
Rest and tea
Sit for a few minutes with tea before you head back into the day. Free drop-off around the old town area if you were collected.
It can be intense — the pressure is deep and the stretches are real — but it should never actually hurt. Tell your therapist at the start whether you want firm or gentle work, and say something immediately if anything is too much. They adjust readily.
No. Traditional Thai massage is performed fully clothed in the loose cotton spa clothing provided, and no oil is used.
If the problem is deep muscular tension, consider the 90-minute Thai massage with hot herbal compress, which adds heat to loosen the muscles first, or the deep tissue massage with herbal balm. For general stiffness after a long flight or a trek, this classic hour is exactly right.
Yes — free pick-up around the old town area is advertised on the brochure. Give us your hotel name when you book and we will confirm the arrangement and the collection time. If you are staying outside the old town, tell us and we will check.
Yes, we recommend booking at least 24 hours ahead, and more in high season (November to February) when the good spas in Chiang Mai fill up in the evenings.
Yes — private rooms are available, including couples' rooms. Say so when you book so the right room is held for you.
Bring almost nothing. Loose spa clothing, towels and everything else needed is provided, and there are showers on site. Comfortable clothes to change back into afterwards are the only real recommendation.
Never expected, but it is customary in Thai spa culture and always appreciated. Fifty to a hundred baht for a therapist you were happy with is normal.