I have lived in Chiang Mai for six years and I still send this list to every friend who visits.
Most guides tell you the famous places. They never tell you the small things that actually decide whether you have a good hour or a bad one.
What I wish someone had told me on day one:
The price on the sign is usually the real price. If a shop refuses to show a price list before you sit down, walk out. Honest shops are proud of their prices.
Traditional Thai massage is not relaxing in the western sense. There is stretching, pressure, sometimes elbows. If you want something gentle, ask for oil massage instead. Saying this at the start is normal and nobody will be offended.
Tell them where it hurts before they start, not during. Point at your shoulder, your lower back, wherever. Thai staff will adjust immediately. Most tourists suffer in silence for an hour, then leave unhappy.
Tipping is not required but is normal. Fifty to a hundred baht for a good hour is generous and remembered.
Avoid the hour right after a big meal, and avoid booking right before a flight. Your body needs time.
A few questions for everyone here:
What surprised you most about your first massage in Thailand?
Have you found a shop you keep going back to, and what made it different?
For those who live here, what do you tell visiting friends that guidebooks never mention?
Any city outside Chiang Mai and Bangkok that surprised you with good shops?
Share your experience below. Our members read every language room and answer questions in this one.