Nuru massage in Thailand: the studios of Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket, area by area

Nuru Massage: what the session actually is

A nuru massage is a massage given on a waterproof mat with a slippery gel instead of oil. The gel is traditionally made from seaweed, it is warmed before use and it stays slick far longer than oil does. Nuru is a menu word, and the studios in this guide print it in their own listings, which is why they appear here.

The evening follows a simple order. You arrive, agree the length and the menu at the front desk, then shower before the session starts. The mat sits on the floor or on a low platform in a tiled room, usually with its own shower. After the session the gel is rinsed off, and most studios leave time for a second shower before you dress.

An oil massage is given on a table or a mattress, with the therapist using hands and forearms, and the oil soaks in. A nuru massage uses the gel and the mat, and the room is built around water. Tantra, which some studios also print on their menus, is described by those studios as a slower session built on breathing and touch, usually on a mattress. The words lingam and yoni appear on a few menus as tantra terms. Each studio sets its own menu, so read the listing and ask before you book.

Bangkok, Nana and Asok on lower Sukhumvit

The lower Sukhumvit sois hold a dense group of studios that list nuru massage, a short walk from Nana and Asok BTS stations. In Nana the listings give these areas and hours:

• Dragon Heart Bangkok, Sukhumvit Soi 11, open 11:00 to 03:00, the latest closing time in this guide; its menu also lists four hands.
• 8 Fantasy Nuru Massage, Sukhumvit 8, every day 11:00 to 02:00, and its listing says it comes to your hotel.
• BambooBKK, Sukhumvit Soi 8, every day 10:00 to 00:00, with tantra and four hands on the menu.
• Romance Nuru Massage BKK, Sukhumvit Soi 10, every day 12:00 to 02:00.
• 7SEVEN Spa And Massage on Soi Sukhumvit 10 and Venus Massage Bangkok on Soi Sukhumvit 3 publish no hours.

In Asok the studios sit mostly on Sukhumvit Soi 18, 19, 20 and 23:

• Aimi Bangkok Massage, Sukhumvit Soi 18, every day 10:00 to 22:00.
• Picasso Bkk, Sukhumvit Soi 19, every day 11:00 to 23:00, with tantra on the menu.
• Butterfly Massage on Soi 20/1 and Peach Massage on Soi 20 both say they come to your hotel.
• Boss Massage, Kawaii Massage, Aya Massage Bangkok, Kokoro BKK and Sukebe Nuru Massage publish no hours, so ask when you book.

For a nuru massage late at night, Nana has the widest choice of studios still open after midnight.

Phrom Phong studios from Soi 22 to Soi 39

Phrom Phong has the largest group of studios in this guide, spread between Sukhumvit Soi 22 and Soi 39. Sukhumvit Soi 22 alone holds Absolute Bangkok Massage, Bangkok Bunny Massage, Bangkok Passion Massage, Cherry Massage, Classy Nuru Massage Sukhumvit 22, Erotic Massage Bangkok and Honey Bee Massage Bangkok. All of these except Classy say in their listings that they also come to your hotel. Bangkok Passion Massage opens every day 11:00 to 00:00.

On the sois nearer the BTS station:

• 101 Premier Massage, Soi Sukhumvit 26, every day 11:00 to 00:00, comes to your hotel; its menu words are erotic, sensual and body to body.
• Deep Massage Bangkok, Sukhumvit 24, every day 11:00 to 00:00.
• 102 Massage Bangkok, Sukhumvit Soi 24 near exit 4 of the BTS station, no hours published.
• Don Quixote Nuru Massage, Sukhumvit 26, no hours published.

North of Sukhumvit Road, on Soi 31, 33 and 39:

• Hiso Nuru Massage, Soi Sukhumvit 31, every day 09:00 to 21:00, the earliest start on this page.
• DokiDoki Bangkok, Soi Sukhumvit 31, every day 10:00 to 22:00.
• AuroraMassage, Sukhumvit 33, every day 11:00 to 02:00; Hakumi Nuru Massage, Sukhumvit 33, every day 10:00 to 00:00.
• Daisy Dream, Boss Nuru Massage 33 and BKK Vice publish no hours; Daisy Dream comes to your hotel.

A nuru massage in Phrom Phong is rarely more than a few minutes on foot from the station.

Bangkok beyond Sukhumvit: other areas and unlisted addresses

A smaller group of Bangkok studios that list nuru massage sit outside Nana, Asok and Phrom Phong, and a few give no area at all.

Further along Sukhumvit, in Thong Lo and Ekkamai, there are two studios. Bangkok Erotic Massage1 on Soi Sukhumvit 63 opens every day 11:00 to 02:00, and Bangkok Pretty Massage on Soi Sukhumvit 53/1 opens every day 10:00 to 23:00. Both say they come to your hotel, and Bangkok Erotic Massage1 lists tantra and lingam on its menu.

In Din Daeng, Heal Nuru & Soapy Massage, a featured studio on Kiattichai Alley, opens every day from 11:00 to 00:00 and lists nuru on its menu, with phone, WhatsApp, Telegram and a website as contact channels.

In Huai Khwang, Memeda Nuru Massage publishes no hours and says it comes to your hotel.

Five Bangkok studios publish no area:

• 69 Bangkok Massage, which gives no address and lists only a website.
• Body Bliss Bangkok, which comes to your hotel.
• International Models Massage, which gives central Bangkok as its address.
• OlaOla Massage, every day 11:00 to 23:00.
• Wonder Massage Bangkok, every day 11:00 to 00:00.

For these, ask where the studio is when you book. If the listing says the studio comes to your hotel, ask whether the nuru massage you want is offered there or only at the studio, since a mat and a shower matter.

Pattaya and Phuket studios, and hotel visits

Outside Bangkok the guide lists five studios in Pattaya and two in Phuket that name nuru massage in their own listings.

In Pattaya, three studios sit in Central Pattaya:

• Nuru House Pattaya, Pattaya Third Road, every day 12:00 to 00:00, with four hands on the menu.
• Nuru Spa Pattaya, Pattaya Sai 3 Road, no hours published.
• Versailles Nuru Massage Pattaya, Pattaya Sai 2 Road, no hours published.

Devils Den Thailand is on Soi LK Metro and says it comes to your hotel. Pattaya Vice Nuru Massage gives an address in Pattaya City but no area, and no hours.

In Phuket, Nuru Spa Phuket is in Rawai, in the south of the island, and opens 12:00 to 02:00, with four hands on its menu. Nana Massage gives an address on Nanai Road in Patong, but its listing describes it as a service that comes to your hotel, with hours given as 00:00 to 23:59.

A hotel visit changes the practicalities. Ask whether the therapist brings a mat, how the gel is cleaned up afterwards and whether your hotel allows visitors to your room. A nuru massage needs a shower close by, so a room with a walk in shower is easier than one with only a bath. Confirm the time and travel arrangements in writing.

Nuru Massage: session length, four hands and price

Studios usually sell a nuru massage by the length of the session. Sixty and ninety minutes are the common choices on Thai menus, with longer sessions available at some studios. The clock tends to cover the time on the mat; the showers before and after may or may not be counted, so ask how the studio times it.

The main thing that changes a session is the number of therapists. A four hands session means two masseuses working at once. Dragon Heart Bangkok, BambooBKK, Aimi Bangkok Massage, Boss Massage, Sukebe Nuru Massage, Nuru House Pattaya and Nuru Spa Phuket are among the studios that print four hands on their menus. Expect a four hands nuru massage to cost more than a single therapist session of the same length.

Other things worth asking about:

• whether the session starts with a shower together or separately;
• whether the room has its own shower or a shared one;
• whether towels, a robe and toiletries are provided;
• whether a hotel visit costs more than a studio session.

No studio in this guide publishes a price. The price in baht is something you ask for when you book, and you should have it in writing before you arrive. Ask whether it covers the whole session, and settle the method of payment at the same time.

Booking ahead and being a good guest

Every studio lists its own contact channels, and the page shows them from the studio data. Most list phone and a website. Many add WhatsApp, and some also give Telegram or e-mail. Dragon Heart Bangkok, 8 Fantasy Nuru Massage, Deep Massage Bangkok and Wonder Massage Bangkok list all five. Bangkok Bunny Massage gives phone, WhatsApp and e-mail but no website, while 69 Bangkok Massage gives only a website.

Book in writing where you can, so the details stay on record. A good booking message for a nuru massage asks:

• the length of session and the price in baht;
• whether the session is at the studio or at your hotel;
• a single therapist or four hands;
• the exact address, if the listing gives none;
• whether the studio is open at the hour you want.

A few hours of notice is usually enough on a weekday. For a late evening or a weekend, or for a hotel visit, a day ahead is safer. If you are delayed, send a message.

Arrive clean, sober enough to talk clearly and on time. The masseuse sets the limits of the session, and what was agreed before it started is the whole of it. Nothing is owed beyond that. A tip is a personal choice, not an obligation. Treat the people who work there as you would any professional who has given you their time.