My Thai Massage

Yesterday, I decided, would be the day I would use the gift certificate a friend had given me for a 2 hour Thai massage in a private room at what I've heard is one of the best places to get a massage. I've been exercising a lot this week and my hamstrings were sore along with a few other muscles and I thought a massage would help. So, Saturday morning after an hour of bootcamp and then an hour of pilates I headed to the spa. I checked in and was asked to wait in the lovely reception area until it was time. I took a nice cold glass of water to enjoy while I waited and sat back comfortably until my name was called.

When it was my time, a nice woman in her 50s led me through the hallways, darkened for ambiance and showed me to the room. Normally when I get massages I'm laying on a mattress along side others with only a curtain hanging between us. This time, I would be in my own, private room. The room was simple and I was a bit perplexed that it came equipped with a television. I changed into the clothes I was given and the lovely woman returned. She began by asking if I wanted the TV on. No thanks, I responded. She then asked me where I hurt. I explained that the backs of my legs were sore from exercise, thinking she would go easy on them...not the case! She then began what started out feeling so good, spending about 40 minutes massaging each leg as I lay on my back and side and we chatted in Thai and she laughed when she bent my legs releasing a loud popping sound (I get the popping legs from my mother). She wanted to know about my family in America and if I was married and had children. She was amazed when I told her my age insisting I had to be 10 years younger and she giggled hearing that I have no husband and no children...not even a boyfriend! She asked if I like Thailand and Thai people and Thai food. She wanted to know about life in America and how much money I earn. I find this question difficult as I know there is a huge discrepancy between what I make and what Thai's make. I choose to tell her how much money I have the company give me in cash monthly rather than the full amount I get paid that is placed into my account. She then tells me that she makes about 10,000THB (approximately $330) monthly which she says is about 50THB ($1.50) per hour. The conversation was fun and challenging as I don't spend much time speaking Thai. I was grateful she was so patient with me and that she spoke so slowly.

She then asked me to turned on my stomach and what had begun as relaxing and slowly moved to minorly painful became torture! She started working on the backs of my legs where I was most sore. I was under the false assumption that she would be careful in the areas I had pointed out but she was determined to loosen up the muscles and scare the pain out of them. She began with the use of her fingers, then her arms and then her knees to kneed the fat lined muscle. It all culminated into the moment where she stood on my thighs and used her toes and heals to dig into the sore meat of my thighs. I winced in pain and she laughed. "You hurt," she said. "Yes", I responded. "I hurt a lot-mak mak!". But she didn't let up. I found it difficult to relax the hamstrings because every time I did the pain only worsened as the weight of her small frame (which no longer felt small) sank deep into the core of where I hurt most. Finally, just when I could bear it no more she stepped off and moved to another part of my aching body. Ending the experience sweetly with a head massage and some chiropractic upper body twists. At the end of my 2 hours she left me to get dressed. As I stood up my hamstrings and calf muscles ached so I took a few minutes to stretch them. And then, as if everything had been wonderful, she then lead me out and I thanked her with a tip.

So, if you learn anything from this experience let it be not to get a Thai massage on sore muscles! They may be luringly inexpensive (450THB/$14...or free for me in this case) but if you get the right woman, who knows how to give a great massage, what would normally feel amazing, could end up feeling a lot like torture!