Any recommendations for a nice place to get a non-sexual oil massage in the 500 baht range or so?

Thanks!

The Hot Stone Massage Salon just off Loi Kroh in Soi 3 is good. Dutch guy is owner, speaks good English and French. Tel 053274681. Joy and Sue are the two masseuses I know. As the name suggests, they also do an excellent hot stone massage, but that's a little more expensive (around 750b for two hours).

Also on Loi Kroh is "Home" massage - older, larger ladies who really know what they are doing. Me and my wife go and she gets a Thai whilst brittle old me prefers the oil. It's on the left just before the Kampangdin crossroads.

Also, there is a new place in Ratchapakinai Rd opposite La Villa restaurant called Baan Lanna. I have only been once for an hour but had a pleasant (non-sexual!) experience there too.

Cheers,

Pikey.

I've been to the above mentioned Baan Lanna (opposite La Villa) that Pikey mentioned...old style place, scrub your feet in a basin downstairs with warm water and limes, go up a narrow teak staircase to either a communal room for Thai, or private room for oil. I always get a 2 hour Thai there; very excellent massage. Again, as he noted, this is strictly a traditional place. No extras, and highly recommended.

Sinativa Spa Club near the Green Palace Hotel. While considerably more expensive than other venues, great massage and first class service. One hour oil massage will set you back 900 baht.

On massage in Chiang Mai generally, overall it's pretty hit and miss in my experience, particularly oil as opposed to Thai massage (and I mean the genuine article, not the kind that comes with extras). Even in the more expensive spas I've only been averagely satisfied with maybe one in four or so.

Generally speaking they don't ask what degree of pressure you prefer, they don't ask whether you've any problems healthwise that they should know about, previous injuries, whether you have contact lenses, etc etc. They don't ask if you want a purely relaxing session, or a wake-up call (entirely different techniques). At least half seem to have little or no idea of recognised oil massage methods.

On the plus side they usually put a bit more feeling into their efforts than their Western counterparts, again ime. (I trained as a masseur in London, and worked part-time as an independent masseur for a decade, so I've some idea of what it's all about... and I suppose that makes me more choosy...)

The perfect balance of excellent technique and 'feel' for the individual's needs - an instinctive thing - is pretty rare. The one is pretty useless without the other.

A couple of superb masseuses I found in a couple of places disappeared to other establishments and I have been unable to find them again... so any further recommendations, please post!

Any recommendations for a nice place to get a non-sexual oil massage in the 500 baht range or so?

Thanks!

Try Toy for a 2 hour non sexual massage 400B. He will use baby oil. If you want something else eg aroma, you will need to supply yourself. Phone 083 153 4635 for appointment. He will come to your house or appartment. English reasonable.

Try the School for the Blind on the inner moat road opposite and ~ 200m south of Ram Hospital. If one takes the one-way road near and just south of the entrance to Wat Phra Singh, go all the way west to the end where you will reach the canal: it's at the corner on the left(south). Under royal patronage, I believe. I usually go there to be supportive of this venture. The Traditional Massage is grr-reat.