How is Bangkok Spa like in 2022? We look at the reviews

Bangkok Spa JB is a popular massage place located in Johor Bahru, near JB Sentral, City Square and five minutes away from KSL City. Branding itself as an authentic Thai massage, it has amassed a legion of fans. At time of writing, it has 43,084 likes, a 3.7 star rating on Facebook, 4.2 stars on Google, and 3 stars on TripAdvisor.

But is Bangkok Spa truly worth all the hype that it’s given? We break down the online reviews for you:

The Good

Generally good service

Many reviews have commended the spa for its wonderful customer service. The service staff are noted to be friendly, and are also generally proficient in English, so you can easily get your booking done (over Whatsapp!) without any concerns about miscommunication.

One review in particular noted that there “was a beautiful welcome by the uncle … parking the car and serving us tea, lady at the counter [sic] escorting us and getting ready our jacuzzi and Sauna”.

Free transportation

Bangkok Spa JB actually offers two way free transportation to their outlet from the town area in JB – now that’s something you won’t be getting any time soon in Singapore.

All you have to do is text or call to let them know where you wish to be picked up from. It certainly makes going there a lot easier (especially if you’re travelling in JB without a car) and is a point brought up by many grateful reviewers.

Effective pain and stress relief

Happy customers strongly recommend Bangkok Spa JB for the consistently great massages they provide. They claim that their experiences there had helped to relieve common ailments such as knee joint & lower back pain.

They were also usually satisfied with the adequate strength used by the masseurs, which shows how well-trained the masseurs were.

Value for money

You wouldn’t be surprised at how affordable Bangkok Spa is, as they’re located in JB. According to their website, they have a package that includes a 60 minute foot massage, 30 minutes Jacuzzi spa, and 30 minutes sauna. That’s about S$33 for three different pampering experiences – talk about value indeed!

The Bad

Lack of professionalism

Unfortunately, many customers have complained about the masseurs being a lot less professional than they should be.

They have been reported to be talking frequently and loudly to one another in Thai, which did not allow for a very relaxing experience for some customers who would have preferred a soothing, silent environment.

Some have even reviewed that the masseurs were complaining about and cursing at them in Thai – definitely not professional, nor pleasant!

Unnecessary pain and bruises

 

Although most massages might involve a certain level of pain, it is a bit worrying when too many customers complain about the pain and bruises incurred. One customer recounted her bad experience with a masseur who had used too much strength and did not comply with her requests for the massage to be gentler.

A handful of reviewers left the place with multiple bruises and bad cramps, some even uploading photographs of their resultant bruises on online platforms like the TripAdvisor review above.

Hidden charges

While this is not unique to Bangkok Spa JB, the issue was highlighted by one particular customer on Bangkok Spa JB’s Facebook page.

The said hidden cost was not a large sum in particular, but the lack of standardised fees means that you can’t be quite sure how much you will have to pay each time you patronise the spa.

One reviewer (pictured below) also complained about how he was pressured to tip the staff, and how if he didn’t, they ‘wouldn’t have money to eat’. It’s not sure how much you would have to pay for the staff to be happy with you, but this can really make a good experience into a bitter one.

Final Verdict

It is a bit disconcerting to see so many conflicting reviews of one spa alone. Customers are clearly divided into two camps: they’ve either had an excellent experience at Bangkok Spa and would recommend the place to their friends, or they’ve suffered a bad experience that left them bruised (literally) and angry.

The good and the bad reviews for Bangkok Spa JB are pretty balanced in number, so it seems like you’d be taking a 50/50 chance if you’d like to try them out. We would still conclude, however, that Bangkok Spa JB does not sound like it’s living up to the hype that Singaporeans once gave it many years ago.

Its popularity appears to be a double-edged sword, causing it to expand its team and premises rapidly in recent years but also, in turn, suffer from a lack of quality control with their staff. The number of masseurs, according to their website, stands in the hundreds.

To go or not to go? We’d say: it depends on whether you’d want to take the chance. There are many, many more spas in Malaysia that are a lot more affordable than what you can find in Singapore, so Bangkok Spa JB isn’t an essential itinerary must-have if you’re crossing the Causeway. We have previously shared a few other popular salons in JB for your massage, facial and hair needs. Don’t forget to check out reviews about them before making an appointment!