How cheap but excellent US$5 Thai massages at a no-frills temple in Chiang Mai attract locals and tourists alike
- Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand, is dotted with temples, and one of them, Wat Pan Whaen, is known for offering amazing, and very reasonable, massages
- Many of the highly skilled therapists have worked in the no-frills massage room for decades, and the US$5 massage has won many fans, both Thai and foreign
On a pleasantly cool January morning in Thailand’s northern capital, Chiang Mai, early risers jog beside the city moat, past fruit vendors selling fresh produce; plump red strawberries from the surrounding hills are a popular purchase at this time of year.
There’s a flurry of activity at the temples as well.
In the courtyard at Wat Pan Whaen, young monks sweep fallen leaves into neat piles and, after they’ve mopped the entrance steps, two women place offerings of incense sticks, bananas and lotus flowers next to a golden statue.
Each offers the Buddha a respectful wai, palms placed together, fingertips touching noses, and makes a silent wish for a rewarding day.
A few minutes later, the first customers pull up in a tuk tuk, as Thais call auto rickshaws. Wat Pan Whaen is one of Chiang Mai’s 300 temples, but it’s also a massage centre attracting Thais and tourists seeking relief from their aches and pains.
The temple is a no-frills kind of place, but definitely shouldn’t be confused with the less than wholesome massage parlours that many people associate with Thailand. There is one main room but no dividing curtains between the 14 beds. Waiting times are usually long because of a combination of low prices and highly skilled therapists, most of whom have pressed the flesh here for years.
