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Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimon Mangkhalaram
District: Phra Nakhon
Place type: Temple
Getting a massage at Wat Pho, right next to the Grand Palace, is one of the most memorable things you can do in Bangkok 🙏 The Wat Po Thai Traditional Medical School runs the massage service inside the temple grounds, open from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., with clear, friendly prices.
Spa, Bangkok
Wat Po Thai Traditional Medical School massage
Thai massage at Wat Pho, beside the Grand Palace
WhereWat Pho, 2 Sanam Chai Road, Phra Nakhon
Hours8 a.m.–7:30 p.m.
Thai massage฿340 / ฿520 / ฿1,040
Temple entry฿300
Phone02 622 3533
Why massage at a temple?
Wat Pho is a first-class royal monastery and the temple of King Rama I’s reign. Restoration of the older temple on this site, Wat Phodharam, began in 1788. Today Wat Pho holds 1,440 inscriptions, recognized by UNESCO as Memory of the World, on everything from religion to medicine.
The school behind the massage
King Rama III appointed a royal doctor, Phraya Bamroer Rajaphat, to oversee the engraving of traditional medical knowledge around the cloisters, the great chedis, and the pavilions. Later, under King Rama V, royal doctors translated medical texts from Pali and Sanskrit into Thai. Today the school teaches traditional Thai medicine and massage in the temple grounds, with course details at watpomassage.com.
Prices 💆
- Thai massage: ฿340 for 30 minutes, 520 for 60, and 1,040 for 120
- Foot massage: 340, 520, and ฿1,040 for the same times
- Thai massage with balm: ฿680 for 60 minutes, 1,360 for 120
- Thai massage with herbal oil: ฿620 for 60 minutes, 1,240 for 120
Temple admission for foreign visitors is ฿300. To check details or book, call 02 622 3533, 02 622 3551, 086 317 5560, or 086 317 5562, or email watpo.ttm@gmail.com.
Dress and manners 👕
Dress politely for the temple, and women shouldn’t wear shorts above the knee. Take your shoes off before entering religious buildings, and women shouldn’t touch monks or novices.
Getting there
Wat Pho is at 2 Sanam Chai Road, Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang, Phra Nakhon. The easiest way is by boat: get off at Tha Chang Pier or Wat Arun Pier, then take the cross-river ferry to Tha Tien Pier. Plenty of buses stop nearby, and there’s parking on Chetuphon Road at ฿20 an hour.
The verdict
A Thai massage or foot massage at Wat Pho is a wonderful way to rest after a morning at the Grand Palace. You’re in expert hands at a school with deep roots, and the prices are easy on the wallet.
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