We are staying at the Peninsula. Could anyone suggest place nearby for clean massage? Would be going with my 16 year old daughter. No funny business!!

PS: a 1 hour Thai massage is 3,900 TBH at Pen.

I use the massage school at Wat Pho. It's cheap, it's good and it's out in the open. Plus you get to see the temple.

I suggest finding a blind massage parlor. At least someone will be getting a benefit. 3900 baht for a massage is little more than catering to luxury and pampering your body and fears.

I usually visit Wat Po Traditional Massage School several time when in Bangkok. But rather than go to the place actually in Wat Po, I go to the school itself in Sanamchai Road, about four blocks along from the corner of Wat Po where they have air conditioned rooms. The best massage you are likely to find in Bangkok and absolutely no funny business.

It is easily reached from the Penn. Just get the hotel boat across the river and jump on the public boat at Sabin Tamsin Pier and it is 20 mins upriver to Wat Po Pier. A great trip in its own right. You could even incorporate it in to a visit to the Grand Palace, China town etc which are nearby.

I think the cost is around 400 baht per hour. I recommend a two hour session for maximum benefit. If you like a strong massage, ask when you first get there.

do I need to call ahead to book or do you just show up?

do I need to book appointment ahead?

I usually just show up and, apart from one occasion have always got in straight away or after a short wait. It is possible to book in advance or get the hotel to do it for you.

Watpo Thai Traditional Massage School

When I first went to Thailand, the first thing I did was go for a massage. In Thailand, doing the best massage. It was a great bliss and great relaxation of the whole body)

The first couple years I went to Bangkok (2003-2004) I went to Wat Po for massages. Now we go to Chan Thai Massage near Pratunam (behind Indra Square). 300 B for 90 minutes. My wife goes upstairs and gets a full body massage. I stay downstairs and get a foot/head/arm/shoulder massage. They cater to the Chinese tour bus crowd so I always bring my earphones & music. I usually fall asleep for part of it.

With or without earphones, that sounds like hell on earth to me.

Crellston.....I reckon that can be beaten by being in the same hotel for a week as Chinese tour groups who come and go at all hours of the day and night.

Like you [no doubt], a little bit of pre-travel homework avoids any chance of 'hell on earth' happening.

Regards from Southport.

LL - where the hell have you been man. Surely not Southport in the frozen north? I thought Pompey was your stomping ground.

One my more memorable encounters with the Chinese was in Muang Sing in the far north of Laos many years ago. We ate at a shack that was hosting the final night celebrations of the Chinese road crew that had just finished building their section of the road from China. We were kindly included in the celebrations which involved many toasts and much drinking of Lao whisky. After a while we made our excuses and left to retire to our "hotel". Unbeknown to us the were staying at the very same hotel. In the early hours, the echoes around the building on 20 or so Chinese throwing up kept us awake for most of the night. The mess the next morning could only be matched by morning after the night before in Hong Kong when both the British and American navies were in port!

There are many massage clinics that are very clean and professional. A friend of mine took me to one when I was in Bangkok. You want to avoid the little ones in the tourist areas. Your hotel can recommend one near you. Massage is a way of life in Thailand. My friend gets a couple a week because of back problems. We really should do this more in the US.

Yep, on the North West Riviera......under the deluge of a very wet blustery South Westerly off the Irish Sea as I type. Living in a caravan too, albeit quite a posh one.

There are a lot of well run massage parlors in Bangkok. Easiest I think is to look for spas on TA and go from there.