Yunomori Spas Bangkok

[PeterRS]

As one who loves attending hot springs in Japan and Taiwan, I have always meant to try the Yunomori Spa on Suk Soi 26. So far I have never done so but hope to change that very soon. The baths area is segregated and entrance is 550 baht. Not cheap for those used to gay sauanas and looking for sex. But Taiwanese friends of mine went there at the end of last month and very much enjoyed the facilities. On a week-end afternoon they told me there were probably around 80 guys there, most young and virtually all seemingly gay. Better still all were naked!! As with all such spas, absolutely no hanky panky is permitted. But rules can't dictate what eyes are seeing or contacts made!

I see that a second Yunomori has opened on Sathorn Soi 10 just round from the W Hotel.

https://www.yunomorionsen.com/sathorn/gallery/

https://www.yunomorionsen.com/sathorn/contact/

[BiggusDikkus]

The only time I was there it was filled with Japanese dads and grandpas and little kids, as well as other Japanese tourists. There was also a smattering of uncomfortable-looking locals. I'd say my Japanese boyfriend and I were in a tiny minority of gay guests. I found the place to be extremely uncomfortable as all the dads, grandpas and little kids kept staring at me. I can't imagine customers going there and wanting to be stared at. And the facility was too small to accommodate the crowd it had attracted. I couldn't find a bath to dip into to get all the eyes off my junk. I felt like I was being singled out. I don't think I would have enjoyed that kind of attention if I were at a gay sauna.

Plus, unlike Japanese hot springs, or even those in Beitou, on the outskirts of Taipei, the water didn't leave my skin feeling soft and youthful, but rather dry and chlorinated.

It was an all-around awful experience.

 

[reader]

From The Thaiger

Brief history of the Japanese Onsen in Thailand

Yunomori Onsen & Spa changing rooms!

Ever heard of the term ‘Onsen’ and just brushed it off as one of those things the Japanese oldies do somewhere out in the vast Japanese countryside, whilst butt-naked!? Well, you wouldn’t be far off, but did you know a slightly more modern, more modest (less naked) version is available for anyone to try right here in Bangkok, with several venues offering Japanese-style relaxation in and around the city?

Onsen, or hot springs, have been part of Japanese life since ancient times. They were believed to be a place of healing and were often visited by the upper classes as a form of relaxation. Over time, onsen became a popular form of communal relaxation and entertainment, and people from all walks of life began to visit them.

The tradition of onsen has continued to this day, with many modern onsens featuring facilities such as restaurants, bars, spas, and even karaoke rooms. Today, hot springs are a popular destination for tourists to Japan, who come for a unique experience and to relax in the warm, therapeutic waters. Onsens are also a popular activity for locals, who often enjoy the experience with friends and family.

Since the 90s, venues started popping up across Thailand, mostly catering to the many hundreds of Japanese overseas workers living and working in Thailand, with Bangkok seeing the largest concentration.

Yunomori Onsen & Spa claims to be the first authentic Japanese onsen spa in Thailand where guests can experience the ultimate relaxation with a combination of two ancient cultures: Japanese Onsen bathing culture and traditional Thai massage.

Venues like Yunomori strive to provide their guests with an unforgettable experience that combines the healing properties of water sourced directly from the thermal springs of Wat Wangkanai with skilled Thai massage techniques.

From head to toe, guests are immersed in a unique blend of soothing treatments that will leave them feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

[PeterRS]

On 12/13/2022 at 10:40 AM, BiggusDikkus said:

The only time I was there it was filled with Japanese dads and grandpas and little kids, as well as other Japanese tourists. There was also a smattering of uncomfortable-looking locals. I'd say my Japanese boyfriend and I were in a tiny minority of gay guests. I found the place to be extremely uncomfortable as all the dads, grandpas and little kids kept staring at me . . . It was an all-around awful experience.

I spoke to my Taiwan friends last night. The went to the new Yunimori Spa near the W hotel, not the much okder one on Sukhumvit. They reckoned the age range of the patrons was 20 - 50. So I'll go to that one over the holidays and report back.

[PeterRS]

On 12/13/2022 at 10:40 AM, BiggusDikkus said:

 I found the place to be extremely uncomfortable as all the dads, grandpas and little kids kept staring at me. I can't imagine customers going there and wanting to be stared at. And the facility was too small to accommodate the crowd it had attracted. I couldn't find a bath to dip into to get all the eyes off my junk. I felt like I was being singled out. I don't think I would have enjoyed that kind of attention if I were at a gay sauna.

Plus, unlike Japanese hot springs, or even those in Beitou, on the outskirts of Taipei, the water didn't leave my skin feeling soft and youthful, but rather dry and chlorinated.

It was an all-around awful experience.

As far as the Yunomori Spa my friends had recommended and which I wrote about in my previous post, nothing written by @BiggusDikkus could be further from the truth! Granted he was describing the older branch of Yunomori which I have not visited. I finally made it to the new one on Sathorn Soi 10 this afternoon and found it a quite amazing place - better than many in-town spas in Japan. It is obviously very new and the owner has used only the best materials everywhere. There is locker space for around 250 in the men's section although there were  only around 25 when I arrived around 3:30 pm and 40 when I left at 5:00 for a dinner appointment. I expect a Saturday evening and Sunday afternoons will be quite crowded.

The Spa has lots of treatments but I expect most will prefer only to go to the onsen. The male onsen takes up the whole of the 3rd floor. It includes 5 baths (but only two different levels of heat - hot or very cold!), a largish sauna and steam room and lots of Japanese style showers. As you enter downstairs, you leave your shoes in a small locker, take the key to reception and pay the entry fee (550 baht unless you are 65 or over when it is only 300). You get an electronic wrist tag which opens your locker and with which you pay for any drinks or snacks you might want. I saw a very cute boy going upstairs and decided I'd follow him. Sadly he was one of the staff!

Before entering the locker space you get a bag with a large towel for drying before you leave and a very small towel for use in the spa. Some guys used these to cover themselves (typically Thai!) and four in their mid-20s or so wore black shorts (even more typical). I think clothing of any sort should be banned in all hot spring-type spas!). I guessed the age range of the customers when I was there ranged from around 25-30 to around 50 - with me being by far the oldest (not that that seemed to worry anyone)! I would put most in the Thai middle class category although there were also about 4 farang. There was also one father there with his young son but they did not stay very long. Not one Japanese that I could make out when straining to listen to conversation!

I did not notice much 'looking' and any hint of approaching another guy within the spa is a definite no-no. But as a place to relax and perhaps see some handsome eye candy, I really enjoyed it. If you see someone you like and they also have an attraction for you, it's easy to swap phone numbers or just leave together. I also seem to have benefitted from my short visit. Having strained my upper back earlier in the day, the spa waters did wonders for it.

 

https://www.yunomorionsen.com/sathorn/onsen/

 

[No_ones_Ark]

I frequented the Yunomori near Phrom Phong back way back since 2015.

There used to be some 'going-on's' happening in the toilet back when the cubicles weren't all blocked up. There were a lot of action happening in the urinals as well since obviously, you only have that small face towel to obscure your business. But mostly, the hot and youngish locals would normally go there to show off their goods, cruise, and then 'take-home' their pickings where it is more safe to play.. But now that scene has died down since the staff have become very strict in catching any hanky panky.... I've even witness a local and a tourist getting caught and shamed to death by the staff, telling they are going to be taken to the police.

Alas, that onsen has just become a place to go to and really relax, and just enjoy the eye candies from all over the world visiting Bangkok