Bangkok Spas

Bangkok Spas

Venues offering traditional massage are quite common in Bangkok—you can even pamper yourself while sightseeing at Wat Po. The staff at your hotel can recommend reputable therapists. If you have the time, pull out all the stops with a two-hour massage. Spa treatments at top hotels tend to fill up at least a day in advance, so plan ahead.

The treatments at Being Spa (88 Sukhumvit Soi 51, Sukhumvit. 02/258-7906. Skytrain: Thong Lo) take place in a Thai-style house. Among the inventive treatments are a coffee-bean body scrub and detoxifying algae and green-tea body wraps.

COMO Shambhala (Metropolitan Hotel, 27 S. Sathorn, Silom. 02/625-3355. Subway: Lumphini; Skytrain: Sala Daeng) is the ultimate urban escape. The Metropolitan Bath starts with an invigorating salt scrub, followed by a bath and relaxing massage. Relax with some of their delicious ginger lemongrass tea.

A relaxing massage with deliciously warm oils is available at the Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok (155 Ratchadamri Rd., Siam Square. 02/250-1000. Skytrain: Ratchadamri). You can even get a poolside massage if you like. The new I. Sawan Spa (Grand Hyatt Erawan, 494 Ratchadamri Rd., Pratunam. 02/254-6310. Skytrain: Ratchadamri) offers massage rooms and other facilities that are among the city's most cutting-edge, relaxing, and beautiful. Day passes cost B500, not including any treatments. There are also "residential spa cottages," suites clustered around a courtyard adjacent to the spa with their own treatment spaces; reasonably priced spa packages are available. The small Jivita Spa House (57/155 Silom Terrace Bldg., Saladaeng Soi 2, Silom. 02/635-5422. Subway: Silom) is an oasis of calm and regeneration. There is a variety of treatments here, but the most unusual is the Japanese Healing Stone (using crystals, not stones).

A gentle massage in genteel surroundings is what you'll get at Oriental Spa (Oriental Hotel, 48 Oriental Ave., Silom. 02/236-0400 Ext. 7440. Skytrain: Saphan Taksin). Amid the wood-panel sophistication you can treat yourself to facials, wraps, and massage. The Oriental's "Ayurvedic Penthouse" is a major addition to the Bangkok spa scene, with Ayurvedic massage treatments, that focus on holistic treatment. You'll sit for a quick quiz of sorts, which tells the masseuse how to treat your body based on your lifestyle.

A more low-key, inexpensive, but excellent option for traditional Thai massage is Ruen Nuad (Soi Convent, Silom. 02/632-2662). A 90-minute massage will cost B700. Be aware that the place closes by 8 pm (actually a sign that it's legitimate and not a front for nefarious activities like many massage parlors). The Conrad Hotel's Seasons Spa (Conrad Hotel, All Seasons Place, 87 Wittayu, [Wireless Rd.], Sukhumvit. 02/690-9999. Skytrain: Ploenchit) has 11 treatment rooms with views that are among the city's finest.