Kunlarat Massage

𝐏𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐋𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐡𝐮𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫: 𝟏𝟐-𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬

If Chiang Mai's temple festivals are starting to feel a bit samey, head to Lamphun, the capital of its small namesake province - just 30 km south of Chiang Mai!

In September and October, the province's main temple, 𝙒𝙖𝙩 𝙋𝙝𝙧𝙖 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙥𝙝𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙞, hosts festivals unlike anything else, and the photo opportunities there are genuinely spectacular.

🌿 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐋𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐡𝐮𝐧 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐚𝐢

To tourists and central Thais, we northern Thais probably all look the same. But within the Tai Lanna people there are distinct local groups, each with its own traditions.

In the early 19th century, several tens of thousands of 𝙏𝙖𝙞 𝙇𝙪𝙚 people were resettled from the town of 𝙔𝙤𝙣𝙜 (now Möng Yawng, in Shan State), near the Chinese border. Tai Lue means "northern Tai" (lue = north), since they lived further north than any other Tai group. The Chinese know them as the 𝙓𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙪𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙖 𝘿𝙖𝙞, in southern Yunnan province.

Siamese authorities settled the Yong people together, just south of Chiang Mai, creating something like an autonomous principality that later became a province.

90% of Lamphun province's current population descends from these settlers. They remember their origins, call themselves 𝙏𝙖𝙞 𝙔𝙤𝙣𝙜, and pronounce Northern Thai words in their own distinctive way — which is why people in Chiang Mai have an expression for it: "speaking like a Yong." They keep their own local traditions and festivals, one of which is the 𝙎𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙠 𝙔𝙤𝙢 𝙁𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙡.

🎋 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐤 𝐘𝐨𝐦 𝐅𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥

𝙏𝙖𝙣 𝙎𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙠 is a festival shared across northern Thai communities, held before the end of Buddhist Lent, on the 15th day of the 10th lunar month (falling in September). Worshippers bring offerings to monks and novices, with recipients chosen by lottery (𝒔𝒂𝒍𝒂𝒌). The aim is to accumulate merit (𝙗𝙪𝙣) for oneself, deceased ancestors, guardian spirits, and "karmic enemies" from past lives.

Among the Tai Yong, this tradition takes on a distinctive form. They build "offering trees" from bamboo poles, decorated with thousands of colored paper strips and bamboo sticks (𝒚𝒐𝒎 = colored/dyed). Bamboo baskets are hung from the trees, filled with food, fruit, vegetables, cloth, household items, and other things monks need.

These trees are then brought to Lamphun's main temple - the ancient and highly revered Wat Phra That Hariphunchai. Some structures, reaching 10–15 metres in height, are built right on the temple grounds. On Tan Salak day, the monks draw lots to determine which of the colorful trees will go to their temple or community.

📅 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

This year the Salak Yom Festival runs from September 20 to 26. Four permanent 12-metre bamboo towers are currently being finished on the temple grounds, while smaller trees are going up at many other sites around town.

Every evening from September 20 onward, this colorful "forest" on the temple grounds will host a light show along with traditional Yong ritual dances (see the 2025 photos).

On the morning of September 25, a costumed procession-parade carrying the "offering trees" will move through the city's main streets, followed by the lottery ritual itself and the presentation of gifts to the monks.

We highly recommend visiting this temple on one of the evenings between September 20 and 25! It's an easy trip from Chiang Mai.

🏮 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭

The giant multicolored Salak Yom towers are only the beginning :) Wat Phra That Hariphunchai is also known for its own special way of celebrating the 𝙔𝙞 𝙋𝙚𝙣𝙜 𝙇𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣 𝙁𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙡, shared across northern Thai communities.

On October 1, the temple will kick off the 𝙁𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙃𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙇𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨: that's roughly how many hanging paper lanterns will decorate the temple for the next two months. It's a spectacular sight, and well worth visiting if you get the chance. We'll do a separate post about that festival.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐢, 𝐃𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐓𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐢 𝐃𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐓𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞 — 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦

Our menu has three sessions that look similar at first glance. They differ in method, in what they ask of the therapist, and in price — 300, 500, and 400 THB per hour. Here is the logic behind that difference.

🔹 𝐓𝐖𝐎 𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐃𝐘

𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙞 𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙜𝙚 treats the body as a system. The therapist works along the Sen lines with rhythmic compression and stretching — the same logic as yoga — moving blood through tissue and restoring mobility throughout the whole body. The goal is that you leave feeling reset, not merely relaxed.

𝘿𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙜𝙚 works locally. It comes from Western anatomy: find the specific knot or adhesion in a specific muscle, then apply direct, sustained pressure until it releases. The goal is precise — that particular spot stops hurting.

❗️Neither is "better". They are answers to different questions.

🔹 𝐖𝐇𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐄𝐂𝐇𝐍𝐈𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐒𝐎 𝐃𝐈𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓

Thai massage uses the therapist's entire body — palms, forearms, elbows, knees, feet. Body weight does the work, and stretching sequences spread the physical load. The well-known "Thai flying" techniques exist partly so the therapist can keep working without exhausting one set of muscles.

Deep tissue, by contrast, is almost entirely hands and forearms — continuously, with real force. Hands are the only instrument precise enough to locate a knot and stay on it, so there is no real way to rest them mid-session. And the knots people usually need addressed sit in the large muscles: shoulders, back, hips, thighs. Holding sustained pressure there for a full hour is demanding work, and not every therapist has the hand strength for it. That is why fewer therapists perform it — and why it costs more.

🔹 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐈 𝐃𝐄𝐄𝐏 𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐔𝐄 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐋𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐇

It is not a lighter deep tissue. It is a stronger Thai massage. The session keeps the lines, compressions, and full-body stretching, and adds focused anatomical work on the areas that need it — shoulders, back, hips, legs. The pressure goes deeper and more precisely than classic Thai, but the body still receives the stretches and movement a Thai session is known for.

💡 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐇 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐒𝐄

📍 You want to feel reset overall, better mobility — no single problem area → 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙞 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙜𝙚
📍 You know exactly where it hurts: chronic knots, training load → 𝘿𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙏𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙚
📍 Classic Thai feels a little too gentle, but you still want stretching → 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙞 𝘿𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙏𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙚

✔️ If you're unsure, 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙞 𝘿𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙏𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙚 is the safest starting point. It was designed for that situation: strong enough to make a difference in problem areas, structured enough that the whole body still feels worked through.

🌿 At Kunlarat Massage, all three sessions are performed by therapists trained in their respective techniques — and priced according to the work each one truly involves. Booking link in comments.

***
Pictured here is 𝐌𝐫𝐬. 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐲𝐚 (𝐘𝐚𝐲𝐚), a lead massage therapist at Kunlarat Massage; clients frequently praise her in reviews for her professionalism in both Thai deep tissue and oil deep tissue massage. We are delighted to work with Mrs. Wittaya! 😀

🌿 𝐖𝐡𝐲 “𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐜𝐤” 𝐓𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐀𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠

Some people describe their body as tight.
Others describe it as stuck.

These are not the same feeling — and they don’t respond to the same solutions.

📍 If you stretch every day, do yoga, roll on a foam roller, and still feel restricted in the same spots, the issue usually isn’t flexibility. It’s often the fascia — the connective tissue that wraps around your muscles, joints, and organs.

🔹 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 “𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐂𝐊” 𝐔𝐒𝐔𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐀𝐍𝐒
People describe it in different ways:
“I stretch it, but it doesn’t hold.”
“It feels dense, like it’s glued down.”
“I’m flexible, but the movement still feels blocked.”

❗️The feeling is usually deep rather than surface-level, heavy rather than sharp, resistant rather than stretchy. That’s a useful clue — stretching works well on muscle, but not on tissue that has lost its ability to glide.

🔹 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐂𝐋𝐄 𝐕𝐒. 𝐅𝐀𝐒𝐂𝐈𝐀
Muscles shorten and lengthen, so they respond well to stretching, strengthening, and rest.

Fascia works differently. It’s meant to glide and adapt as you move. When it becomes restricted, it can limit movement even if the muscles underneath are perfectly flexible. This is why someone can stretch regularly, have good range of motion on paper, and still feel held back.

🔹 𝐖𝐇𝐘 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐍 𝐈𝐒𝐍’𝐓 𝐄𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇
Stretching increases circulation and calms the nervous system, which is why it feels good in the moment. But restricted fascia doesn’t respond well to quick, repeated movement. It needs slow, sustained pressure — and time — to soften.

So stretching the muscle around it can bring temporary relief, but the same tightness comes back.

💡 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐏𝐒 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐃
Fascia-focused bodywork doesn’t try to lengthen tissue that won’t move. Instead, it works to soften restricted layers, restore glide between them, and address the pattern across the body — not just the one spot that hurts.

🌿 At Kunlarat Massage, sessions are built around this idea: meeting the tissue where it is, using heat, sustained pressure, and careful assessment, so the body can change without being forced.

✔️ So if stretching hasn’t helped the way you hoped —
it doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong, or that you’re not flexible enough. It usually just means your body needs a different kind of support: restoring glide and softness, not stretching harder.

𝐖𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐲 left the review on Google Maps:
𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘓𝘢𝘪 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴. 𝘝𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭, 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥. 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘴, 𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬. 𝘓𝘰𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘵, 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘴, 𝘩𝘰𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘣. 𝘈 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘦.

Thank you, Wendy! 🙏 It’s especially nice to hear this from someone who came to us specifically for work on the hips, neck and back.

Remedial (therapeutic) massage is actually one of the areas we take very seriously at Kunlarat Massage. It is not simply a matter of applying more pressure or giving a “stronger” Thai massage. Different areas require different techniques, and the therapist needs to understand how muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia respond to pressure, stretching and compression. ⚠️

For the upper body, our therapeutic work combines traditional Thai techniques with acupressure and stretching, and is particularly useful when the neck, shoulders and upper back are carrying too much tension. For the lower body, we work with the back, hips and legs, paying attention to the muscular tension that can contribute to discomfort in these areas. We also offer deep tissue massage when deeper, more concentrated work is appropriate. 💪

There is an important distinction here that is often misunderstood. We provide therapeutic or remedial massage, not medical massage. Medical massage is part of a medical treatment plan for a diagnosed condition and requires a different level of medical training and professional supervision. Therapeutic massage is a separate field, with its own specialised skills and techniques.

That distinction is important to us because we don't believe that every back or neck problem should be treated by simply using more force. A good therapeutic massage should be adapted to the person and the area being worked on, rather than trying to “fix” everything with maximum pressure. 🎯

And of course, if someone has persistent or unexplained pain, we recommend getting an appropriate medical assessment rather than relying on massage alone. 🚩

We’re very happy that Lai has been able to help you, Wendy. She is a wonderful example of the kind of careful, skilled therapeutic work we want Kunlarat Massage to be known for. 😍

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝’𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲: 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰 💙

If you are in Thailand on August 12, 2026, you will notice that the whole country turns blue. Many people wear blue clothing, and blue flags, bunting, and portraits of 𝙃𝙚𝙧 𝙈𝙖𝙟𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙮 𝙌𝙪𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙎𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙠𝙞𝙩 appear everywhere.

🔹𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐫 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐲𝐦𝐛𝐨𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲

Mother's Day is celebrated on the birthday of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit - August 12, 1932. In Thai society, she is regarded not simply as a member of the royal family, but as the "𝙈𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣." 💙

We, the Thai people, feel the deepest reverence, love, and sincere respect for her.

Queen Sirikit was born on a Friday. In Thailand, each day of the week is associated with a specific color, and the color light blue represents Friday. Therefore, light blue is the official royal color of Queen Sirikit. In her most famous photographs, she is often seen wearing clothing of this exact color.

On Mother's Day, Thai people wear light blue clothes to honor our beloved Queen. Many people wear blue throughout the month of August, or at least around the 12th - especially polo shirts, button-down shirts, and t-shirts. Civil servants, police, and military personnel wear corresponding blue uniforms. In markets and shops before August, blue clothing is widely sold and prominently displayed.

🔹𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐃𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭

The Queen Mother passed away in October 2025, at the age of 93. Therefore, August 12, 2026, will be the first Mother's Day since her passing. As the country is still in a mourning period, the tone of the celebration will be more quiet and commemorative. There will be no parades or fireworks, but the tradition of wearing blue remains as a sign of respect. 💙

If you are in Thailand around August 12, wearing something blue is a small gesture that Thais genuinely notice and deeply appreciate.

𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐯𝐬 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐯𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐧: 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐈𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞

After a long day of walking around Chiang Mai, climbing stairs, hiking, or exploring the city, something may start to hurt.

But what exactly is hurting — a joint, a muscle, or a ligament? 🤔

They can all cause pain around a similar area, but they are not the same thing.

🦴 𝐉𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐓 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐍

Joint pain usually feels deeper — inside the joint itself. It may come with stiffness, swelling, warmth, or reduced movement.

It often becomes more noticeable when the joint is moving or bearing weight.

💪 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐂𝐋𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐍

Muscle pain is usually felt in the muscle itself. It can feel sore, tight, tired, or crampy.

This is common after unusual exercise, long walks, carrying luggage, poor posture, or simply asking your body to do more than usual.

Muscle discomfort often improves with rest, gentle stretching, and massage.

🦵 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐍

Ligaments connect bones to each other around a joint.

Ligament pain is often more localized and can feel sharp, especially with a particular movement or when the ligament is placed under stress.

If the pain appeared suddenly after a fall, twist, or other injury — especially with swelling, bruising, or a feeling that the joint is unstable — don't simply ask for a stronger massage.

👆 𝐒𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞?

Ask yourself three simple questions:

1️⃣ Where does it hurt?
Inside the joint, in the muscle, or around the joint?

2️⃣ What does it feel like?
Deep and aching? Sore and tight? Sharp and localized?

3️⃣ When did it start?
After a long day of walking or exercise? Or suddenly after an injury?

Understanding the difference matters because not every type of pain should be treated in the same way.

For tired, tight, or overworked muscles, a good massage can be a wonderful way to relax and recover after a busy day in Chiang Mai. 💆‍♀️💆‍♂️

But if you have sharp pain after an injury, significant swelling, or a feeling of joint instability, it's better to have the problem properly assessed rather than simply asking for a stronger massage.

Listen to your body — and choose the right approach for what it actually needs. 🙏

𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐚𝐢, 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐭? 📍

We are especially good at hard acupressure energy massage in the Wat Pho style. 💪

Book a massage in advance on Google Maps https://maps.app.goo.gl/csGUtRiv9i2FCGjq8
or on the website https://kunlarat.com