Araya Massage

Bad experience. After body massage on 1st Feb night at, Araya 2 branch, we discovered money was lost from wallet. We went back twice to the branch to inform manager on 2nd Feb. Abt 12pm we went to branch, but manager not in. Then abt 3pm, we went back to the branch, spoke to the manager and informed him. The lady masseur denied taking the money. So, the money notes in 1000 and 500 notes (totalling abt 10k) in my partner's wallet just walked away during the massage? Araya founder - please investigate properly first before threatening your customers. Is this how you treat customers who write the truth about what happened to them in your branch premise? Don't you think you should investigate first on your staff properly? Don't you provide any lockers for customers to keep their valuables? You could have one dishonest masseur who is quietly stealing money from unwary customers and if we do not tell our experience, she may continue to steal quietly. Please checked with your manager of Araya 2 as we spoke to him. There were other staff around with your manager at that time. This lady masseur obviously denied taking the money although during the body massage, I noticed she abruptly left the massage bed for a short while when my partner was asleep. There was a curtain separating the two of us. I was very tempted to report this theft matter to the police after meeting your manager but my partner stopped me because we were in a hurry. So, if you are lodging a police report against LSO, I will proceed to lodge a police report against Araya too. Responding to Araya Massage (owner)'s reply: Dear owner, Your response is deeply disappointing and reflects a failure to treat customers with fairness, professionalism and basic respect. We did not make “idle threats” nor post a “scam” review. We shared our genuine experience of what occurred inside your massage premise on the night of 1 February at the Araya 2 branch (sometime between 10pm to midnight). To clarify the facts: 1. Some money was stolen during the 2-hour massage while the customer was sleeping. During the massage, the masseur left the room briefly for a few minutes. 2. The loss of money was only discovered after we had left the massage premise, by which time, the branch had already closed for the night. After leaving your branch, we returned directly to our residence and did not go anywhere else. For this reason, we are confident that the loss of money occurred during the massage session. 3. The next day, we returned to your branch twice on 2 February to report the incident — first around 12:00 pm when the manager was not present, and again around 3:00 pm, when we spoke to the manager directly in the presence of other staff. We are not claiming to have video evidence. However, you also do not have evidence that the money was not taken during the massage. Instead of investigating the situation fairly, your response: • Assumes your staff member is “completely trustworthy” without objective inquiry • Dismisses the customer’s experience • Threatens legal action rather than seeking the truth This is not how a responsible business should handle a serious complaint. You also did not address an important issue: Why are there no lockers or secure storage for customer valuables? Your business model exposes customers to unnecessary risk. We stand by our account. We are not accusing your entire company — we are reporting what happened to us at your Araya 2 branch. If even one staff member is dishonest, silence only allows it to continue. We expect this matter to be handled fairly, professionally, and without intimidation.

I usually don’t write negative reviews, but this time I genuinely felt taken advantage of. I’ve been to many massage places, and I can clearly tell the difference between a good massage and a bad one. When I arrived, I spoke with what seemed to be one of the senior therapists, someone who looked experienced and confident. I asked if she could give me the massage, but she said she couldn’t and would send someone else instead. When I saw the other therapist, I told the senior one that I really wanted a good, professional massage. She assured me, “She’s very good.” Long story short... the therapist started with a foot massage for about 30 minutes. It was extremely painful, even though I told her that I had an old injury in my leg. She said “yes” but completely ignored what I said. The massage was very aggressive and uncomfortable. Later we moved on to a body massage (which was a mistake). I asked how long she’d been working, and she said, “Two months.” I could definitely tell. The massage was painful, not professional, and it was clear she didn’t really know what she was doing. It’s disappointing that a place that presents itself as respectable doesn’t pair new therapists with experienced ones or offer proper training and still charges full price for what’s basically a trainee massage. A bad massage can cause real harm, and I told her that she just laughed and smiled. I stopped the session after about 30 minutes and said thank you. The package I chose was a promotion 30 minutes foot + 60 minutes body for 700 THB. Normally, I always leave a tip, but this time it was out of the question. When I left, I tried to find the manager, but couldn’t. For anyone going there: ask specifically for an experienced therapist, don’t be shy to ask how long they’ve been working, and don’t settle if you feel uncomfortable. I left the place with pain that lasted two days and even a bruise on my leg the first time I’ve ever experienced such unprofessionalism. Sadly, no one seemed to care or take responsibility. And if you complain, you’re told you’re causing problems. That’s just sad. - Last time for me here!

I normally don't post reviews but felt the need to in this instance. First off, the massage was very uncomfortable: way too much pressure and lack of technique (masseuse tried to save effort but stepping on my back with her full body weight, using her elbows across my spine and shoulder blades, here's a tip: use pressure on muscle knots, not on bones and never across the spine). My spinous processes were still sore 2 days later. Second, my 60-minute Thai massage took 51 minutes from the moment I was told to change to when the lady said all done and left (yes, I always check the time, most massage shops go 1 or 2 minutes over to make customer happy, this is the first one that short-changed close to 10 minutes). No water/tea or any kind of refreshment was offered at the end (again, this is the first shop I've been to that didn't), however the lady was very quick to stand by the door on the way out waiting for a tip. This is the only place I've been to (out of 15+ shops across Bangkok and Phuket) that I regret visiting. Don't believe me? Read the other negative reviews that highlight very similar experiences. To the owner: I'm willing to overlook a bad massage, but when you short-change customers on the time, that's where I draw the line.