Nuat Thai necessity
I flew out to Sydney over a week ago and the first thing I was looking for was a massage. Every corner of my increasingly stocky frame was creaking from the stress of mounting The Super Junior Super Show 2, the biggest K-Pop event of the year as well as the biggest rock festival in the Philippines, The Pulp Summer Slam, now in its 10th year with two international headliners Lamb of God and Testament within a week span of each event. But prices are excessively prohibitive at a minimum of US$70 with no money-back-I-am-totally-dissatisfied guarantee and no clear gold standard recommendations forthcoming. Several days later, we flew to Auckland, New Zealand and it was the same situation: Wouldn’t it be great to skip into a unpretentious massage parlor and come out an hour or two later completely refreshed and rejuvenated?
It seems this will simply have to wait until we return to Manila and swing by Nuat Thai, hidden in a nook on Annapolis Street behind the Promenade Mall in Greenhills. For the dollar equivalent of US$5 or P250, you can get an awesome Thai massage and for a few more pesos, you can try their Swedish massage which is also very satisfying. Clearly, our tourism department should highlight the availability of international quality massage services in our country that are simply unavailable at competitive prices in countries like Australia and New Zealand. Whereas the massage service has become an “export” to first world countries that has paid outstanding dividends to the service providers and entrepreneurs who have brought it abroad, we must in turn capitalize on letting international travellers know that these services — the non-happy-ending variety — are available in top-end but bargain-priced establishments like Nuat Thai.
But the most surprising thing is that Nuat Thai on Annapolis, with discount prices that you can enjoy without guilt several times a week, is not only clean and fresh smelling, but also boasts snazzy decor for its size. For massage services in its price range, Nuat Thai is a clear leader in the business, and has become my first choice.
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Nuat Thai is located at the Continental Plaza, 45 Annapolis Street, behind the Promenade Mall, and is open from 12 noon to 1 a.m.
