MaxBKK

@reader what is your experience of KMan Spa? Have not been in quite some time. Was thinking of giving it a try again

In the Silom area, I like Green Massage on Suriwong Road 👍

Completely agree. I stopped going to Prime many years ago. When they started having staff dedicated to only timekeeping, I was out of there. There are so many better options nowadays.

In my opinion, the health insurance industry is regulated to heavily favor industry rather than consumers. If you are older and retired, it's probably best to plan on self insuring. There are also very good government hospitals that offer after hours clinics for very reasonable prices. In essence, they function like a private hospital during evening hours. Ramathibodi and Chula are good examples of this. I'm registered and seek health care at both places. Not difficult to do...and a good deal.

You can add a friend by phone number but only if he has that option enabled in his LINE account. I turn this option off as nowadays there are a lot of scammers using LINE.....

Sometimes the straight massage guys will let you give them a blow job......

Totally worth the time & effort if you live in Thailand or spend extended periods of time in-country. If the masseur likes you, more often than not, they'll flex into other ways to please you -

Communicate your displeasure with a non-verbal body language response - totally ignore her, pretend she isn't there. Most of the time, they'll give up and go away. If you engage with them, they'll never go away...

The last line in the red colored font says unlimited number of messages.

From ChatGPT The newest dengue vaccine available in Thailand is Qdenga®, developed by Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Approved in 2023, Qdenga® is a live-attenuated recombinant vaccine designed to protect against all four serotypes of the dengue virus. It is suitable for individuals aged 4 to 60 years, regardless of prior dengue infection, eliminating the need for pre-vaccination screening. Clinical studies have demonstrated that Qdenga® offers approximately 80.2% protection against dengue fever and can reduce hospitalization rates by up to 90.4%. The vaccination regimen consists of two doses administered three months apart. Prior to Qdenga®, Dengvaxia® (CYD-TDV), developed by Sanofi Pasteur, was the only dengue vaccine available in Thailand since its approval in 2017. Dengvaxia® is recommended only for individuals aged 6 to 45 years who have had a previous dengue infection, due to safety concerns related to antibody-dependent enhancement in dengue-naive individuals. For more information or to receive the Qdenga® vaccine, you can contact local healthcare providers such as Bangkok Hospital, which offers the new dengue vaccine.

I've had dengue fever twice - and needed hospital both times. It can really knock you down - and not just for several days in the hospital ---> it takes several weeks after the fever breaks to get back to normal health. There is a decent dengue vaccine now available in Thailand 🇹🇭

One of the distinguishing features of this massage shop, Phoenix Spa. They are all versitile - งานครบ.

I agree completely. Phoenix is also responsive to requests for staff/masseur recommendations on their LINE app when making reservations (e.g. I'm looking for....). If their shop was a bit closer to BTS Sapan Kwai, I would go more frequently. @reader yes, it will be interesting to see if the other shops follow their business model. I think they need closer proximity to the BTS station to realize their full potential. There are a number of underperforming massage shops just steps away from the BTS. I imagine they would get much more foot traffic in a similar location.

I agree this would not be a good development. However, many dual taxation treaties would likely mitigate financial losses, but a huge headache nonetheless....hopefully this won't happen.

Great place! And, I have you thank for motivating me to give it a try. Like you described previously, their business model is in-house staff, rather than on-call. I think this makes a big difference in a positive way. Also, they’re good at recommendations/questions via LINE. Another example of good customer service.

Taxi from BTS Sapan Kwai to Phoenix massage is only 40-50 baht. There are usually plenty of taxis. The north end BTS exit on the right has an elevator down to the front of the IDEO Mix condo. This is a good place to catch a taxi. Tell the taxi driver you want to go to Inthamara 25 (the taxi driver likely won't know Phoenix massage). Get off at the front of the soi and walk there in a few minutes. The front of the IDEO Mix is also a stop for the EV Tuk Tuk service called MuvMi. MuvMi has a stop at Merlin Mansion on Inthamara 25 near Phoenix.

Same-Same. For me, this is one of the trade-offs for living here.

There is also Timberland massage a few shops away from GBeat.

This is exactly why I no longer allow body to body massage while I'm face down. This unwrapped 'Oops, sorry' back door insertion attempt is not at all uncommon....unfortunately

This looks like a very well considered plan with a lot of great exploring and experiences to look forward to. Kudos to you 👏 🙌 👍

The Thai Revenue Department has indicated that all savings from abroad prior to January 1 2024 are exempt from consideration of tax. Some (current year) pension income is also exempt depending on dual taxation treaties. Many retired expats will not have enough assessable income to owe taxes. Some will have assessable income below the threshold required to file a tax return (120K THB). There are several legal firms offering free 30 minute VDO consults in which they will assess your situation. This might be worthwhile information to have as you compare retirement locations around South East Asia.

Reader - have you tried Timberland massage? It's on the same U soi as 15M. This shop used to be the Bridge Massage. I recently tried Zen massage just behind Big C parking lot. A very nice facility and reasonably priced. Not too many masseurs to chose from.

Yes, that's the best way to send the wire.

It's crowded and festive that week and through the New Year. Nice time to visit if you're looking for a different time of year than your past visits.

Tell the bothersome mamasan that you "want to talk to my friend two people" ..and don't take no for an answer. Shift your seat, or his, if you have to. Don't let them push you around.....