If you are planning a trip to the States, you may be wondering how easy it is to find Thai massage once you land. A Kiwi used to Thai massage on most high streets can be surprised: in the USA it is far less common, and a lot of what is sold as Thai is really a general massage with a Thai name. So this is a short tour of Thai massage USA style, with three studios in three cities.
One thing first. We have not visited any of these studios, so there are no ratings, verdicts or opinions below. Everything here is what each studio publishes about itself, and the links go straight to their own pages. We are in Auckland, so none of them are competitors; they are simply places a traveller might look.
What Thai massage looks like in the USA
Traditional Thai massage is done clothed, on a mat or low table, without oil. The therapist uses palms, thumbs, forearms and feet to apply pressure along the body, and guides you through long, assisted stretches. It is the style our therapists would recognise anywhere. If the background interests you, we have a short piece on the history of Thai massage.
In the US you will meet it in three forms. Some studios offer only traditional Thai. Some are single-therapist practices that blend Thai with other work. And many spas list a Thai massage as one line on a wider menu. The three below cover a range of those.
A practical point for travellers: each country sets its own rules for who may call themselves a massage therapist, and the words on a menu do not always mean the same thing as they do at home. That is why the questions further down matter more than any single listing.
Newport Beach, California: Yolie's Wellness Massage
Yolie's Wellness Massage in Newport Beach is at 4120 Birch St, Ste 104, Newport Beach, CA 92660. The studio's site says every treatment is given by Yolie, who it states is CAMTC-certified. CAMTC is California's massage certification body, so that is the claim to look for on a California therapist's page.
This studio publishes the fullest menu of the three. Yolie's Thai massage menu lists traditional Thai massage at 60, 90 and 120 minutes, alongside deep tissue, Swedish, Thai and deep tissue combined, Swedish with stretching, Thai with shiatsu, a 30-minute neck, shoulder and back session, aromatherapy, body scrub, foot massage and reflexology, lymphatic drainage and prenatal massage.
- Hours it lists: open seven days, Monday 8:15am to 9:30pm and Tuesday to Sunday 8:00am to 9:30pm.
- Booking: online or by phone. The studio says it charges 100% for a cancellation made less than 4 hours ahead.
- Where it works: it lists Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Tustin, Santa Ana, Huntington Beach and Laguna Beach as its service area.
- Its tagline: "Real Relief, Deep Within."
Prices change, so check the booking page for current rates rather than trusting a number in a blog post. If you are choosing between its Thai and oil-based options, our comparison of Thai and oil massage explains the difference.
Seattle, Washington: Ginkgo House in West Seattle
Ginkgo House is at 9447 34th Avenue Southwest, West Seattle, Seattle, WA 98126, and its details sit on a Ginkgo House booking profile in West Seattle. The practitioner, Afiea Addy, describes herself as a Licensed Massage Therapist, Thai Massage Practitioner and Yoga Teacher. Her sessions, she says, combine breath, movement and intuitive touch.
The profile lists traditional Thai massage at 90 and 120 minutes, a Thai table massage with oil infusion at 60 and 90 minutes, Thai foot reflexology at 60 minutes, and Reiki and intuitive healing at 60 minutes. Note that the table massage is an oil style, so it is a different experience from the clothed, oil-free traditional session.
Austin, Texas: Valee Thai Massage LLC
Valee Thai Massage LLC is at 6901 N Lamar Blvd #140, Austin, TX. Our source is its Valee Thai Massage in Austin directory listing, which is a directory page rather than the studio's own site.
The listing describes a small studio offering traditional Thai massage with techniques and products from Thailand. It calls the approach professional and straightforward, focused on therapeutic work rather than spa relaxation, and says sessions can be intense. The therapist, it says, learned her techniques in Thailand. Reservations are recommended. The listing gives no prices or hours, so contact the studio before you plan around it.
In practice that means asking, before you book, what a session will involve. Intense is not a fault in Thai massage; firm work and deep stretching are part of the style. But it suits some bodies and some days better than others, and a traveller after a long flight may want something gentler.
Before you travel: Addresses, hours and booking rules change. Confirm each studio's address, opening hours and cancellation terms on its own page or by phone before you go. Two of the three sources here are booking or directory pages, not the studios' own sites.
How to judge a Thai massage studio when you are travelling
You will not have local word of mouth, so use a short checklist. It works in any city, including the three above.
- Check the style. Traditional Thai is clothed with no oil. If the listing mentions oil, it is an oil-based, Thai-inspired massage. Both can be lovely; just know which you are booking. Our guide on what to wear to a massage covers the clothing side.
- Ask who trained the therapist. A good studio will tell you where and for how long, without fuss.
- Look for licensing. Many US states license or certify massage therapists. Where a studio states a certification, it is reasonable to check it with the issuing body.
- Say your pressure. Thai massage can be firm. Tell the therapist in the first few minutes if it is too much. Plain words are fine: "lighter on the shoulders, please" is all a therapist needs.
- Arrive early. Ten minutes lets you fill in forms and mention injuries, so the session is not shortened.
- Read the cancellation terms. Flights run late, and some studios charge in full for short notice.
None of this needs to be awkward. Studios are used to questions, and a clear, friendly answer is itself a useful sign. If a place cannot tell you whether the massage is clothed or oiled, or who is giving it, keep looking.
"Ask the therapist how they would work with your tight spots before you lie down. A good one will explain it in plain words and ask about you first."
Siri therapist team
One health note: if you are pregnant, injured, recovering from surgery, or have a heart, blood pressure or skin condition, check with your GP or specialist before booking any massage abroad, and tell the therapist when you book. Several studios list treatments such as prenatal work, but whether it suits you is a conversation for your own health professional.
Jet-lagged on the way home?
A long flight back across the Pacific leaves legs and lower back stiff. Our piece on massage after a long flight covers what to book once you land in Auckland.
If you are home in Auckland
If you would rather skip the research, our therapists give traditional Thai massage here at home. Our Viaduct and St Heliers spas are open now, and a third branch at Mt Wellington is opening soon. You can read about the traditional Thai massage at the Viaduct or the traditional Thai massage at St Heliers, and the pricing pages show every length.
It is the same style described above: clothed, no oil, with stretching worked through. If it has been a while since your last session, or you are new to it, it is a comfortable place to start before your trip.
Common questions
Less so than in New Zealand or Thailand. Many US spas list it as one item on a wider menu, and some call an oil massage "Thai". Look at the studio's own description to see whether it is clothed and oil-free, and where the therapist trained.
No. We have not visited them, and we offer no rating or verdict. This article only reports what each studio publishes about itself. Please confirm details directly before you travel.
The address and hours, whether the session is clothed or oil-based, who trained the therapist, any licence or certification the studio states, and the cancellation terms. Tell the therapist about injuries or health conditions when you book.
At our Viaduct spa and our St Heliers spa. Traditional Thai massage is 60 minutes at both, so you can compare the two on the treatment pages. Our Mt Wellington branch is opening soon.
