Thai Body Massage and Koh Phangan Pet Therapy

Thailand is widely known for its traditional body massage, and massage centers and schools can be seen everywhere in Thailand. Koh Phangan is not an exception, so if you would like to make the most of your stay on the island, you can take an advantage of the traditional Thai body massage.

In Haad Rin, “Chakra” is the most popular and well-advertised massage center. I tried to swim against the flow and experience some other places in Haad Rin; my conclusion: “Chakra” obviously deserves its reputation. Chakra employees are not only professional – they are also polite. In other massage centers I happened to be treated by massagers who talked and laughed (at me?) with their colleagues during (and probably long after) the treatment. Suprisingly, Chakra massagers never talk to each other while giving you massage.

I love this place for the high standard professionalism of its employees, but also for its attitude towards animals. Thought the Cats show can only be seen in Broadway? Wrong, “Chakra” has a special Thai version of the play. The massage center’s owners have eight cats, which also enjoy the pleasures of a good treatment as the regular customers do. The cats (usually clean, well kept and nurtured) are allowed to lie at the treatment mattresses, and if some lost customer happens to come in - the massager drives the cat out and put a clean sheet on the mattress. Don’t expect the cat to go away too far and too soon though – it will stay there and walk around the room till the end of the treatment. My sister and I called this massage “the Koh Phangan pet therapy”.

Keep in mind that if you are the perfectionist kind then “the Koh Phangan pet therapy” may not serve you well – you should better try one of the Western-style spas in one of the high standard spa resorts in Koh Phangan.

A Thai massage treatment usually lasts around one to two hours. The quicker and the less expensive one is a foot massage (about 200 baht), but there is also a Thai Traditional herb massage; Oil massage; Swedish massage (about 250 - 300 baht) and a combination of all the above (up to 500 baht).

Useful Information

Chakra Traditional Thai Massage
Haad Rin, Sunset Side, tel. 077-375401

Sanctuary Wellness Center
Haad Thian, tel. 01-2713614