Thai Silk: It's the Best for a Reason

Bridget Connors
When you brush a piece of Thai silk against your face, your senses will purr with the softness of this most unique and popular fabric. Some silk producers rely on heavy machinery and an assembly line to produce the silk products you see today. In Thailand, the tradition of silk production is marked by many years of hard-earned pride, skill and style. Hand woven silk products offer a quality that is much better and of a higher standard to items created through machines.

Silk: The Legend

Legend has it that the Empress Si Ling Chi of China was the first to discover silk. It is said that while she sipped a cup of tea underneath a mulberry tree, a cocoon fell from above and into her teacup. As she tried to extract the cocoon from her cup, a very fine thread began to unravel from the pod. Soon, silk was regarded as a status symbol and kept a secret for many years. It was also a crime to even pass on silkworm eggs or cocoons for fear that their treasured thread would be revealed. Although evidence supports silk cloth production during the ancient times of Thailand, it is still a little hazy on how it came to be.

Thai Silk

The most respected reputation in silk production has been earned by Thailand, which is known for producing the finest silk in the world. Although other countries, such as Italy and China also produce silk, Thai silk is rather distinct and highly impressive. The hand woven silk from Thailand feels fine to the touch, yet still retains an earthy quality. Throughout the years, Thais have perfected a number of weaving techniques and processes, which produce a variety of weights, patterns and designs.

Silk Production Process

The process of hand woven silk production is one that requires patience. A weaver usually has the capacity to create close to only four meters of material in one day of work. With that piece of information, you should definitely value your authentic silk products even more! First, the raw silk yarn is extracted from the silk cocoon. It is then prepared for a dye job. The yarn is then treated, boiled and eventually dyed. Once dying is complete, the silk yarn is then dried before it is spun on wooden spindles. The weaving of the silk yarn is the final step. Depending on where the silk was produced, you will encounter a wide-range of styles and colors, such as the iridescent variety from Korat or Surin.

The Many Uses For Thai Silk

Although silk is often connected to clothing, there are many different uses for Thai silk you probably weren’t even aware of. For starters, it is highly unlikely that you’ve ever tied the material to the clothing worn by astronauts. It is also used to produce carpets, sewing thread, typewriter ribbons, as well as fishing lines. Let’s not forget all of the wonderful places you will encounter silk on the home front. Silk table sheets for the dining room add softness to the room. Many bedrooms display a silk bed spread, blanket, sheets or matching pillows. Silk curtains and other home accessories can really add flair to any room in the home.

How to Care For Your Silk Products

When you want to ensure the life of your silk product, you should know how to properly take care of this type of material. To clean your silk products, they should be hand washed. For a colorful cloth, it is suggested to soak in salt water for the first cleaning. When ironing, the setting should be warm.

Interesting Facts About Silk Production

1) Did you know that the silkworm isn’t really a worm at all, but is actually a caterpillar?
2) Did you know that one cocoon holds a single fiber measuring 500 meters long?
3) Did you know that the natural color of the silk fiber from Thailand silkworms is gold?

Thai silk is something that can be enjoyed by all and if taken care of, it can last more than a hundred years. There's a reason why: its the only silk still hand pressed and its beauty and texture is recognized for this reason.
http://www.siamsensibilities.com/

Bangkok Spas and Health

Thailand enjoys a world-wide reputation for its tranquil spas and retreats. In Bangkok, the traditional arts of Thai massage, a rather vigorous but highly invigorating experience, have been combined with a series of modern, holistic treatments such as body wraps, facials and mud-baths to give a visitor to one of Bangkok’s many spas a soothing and relaxing experience; the perfect way to escape the hustle and bustle of city life.

There is a large choice of spas and retreats around Bangkok, which range from the brief but refreshing short-stop treatment to the complete and utter luxury of a full day’s pampering. Most of the high-end hotels such as the Oriental, Holiday Inn, Dusit and the Marriot all contain their own in-house spas. Also, there are a number of world-class private spas dotted around the city, the most notable of these being the Mandara and Aspara Spas.

A perfect blend of ancient Eastern traditional treatments with the more modern, Western approach, these spas in Bangkok are simply wonderful. All the stresses and strains of modern life will be scrubbed, massaged and cleaned away, leaving you feeling like a new person.

The Ananda Spa, (tel: +66 (0) 2 255-7200) located next to the President Solitaire Serviced Apartments on Sukhumvit lane 11 allows guests to escape the busy streets of Bangkok and enter another world. The spa has a number of private rooms which all contain Jacuzzis, showers and relaxation areas. The spa offers a huge range of spa treatments at competitive prices.

The Divana Spa,(tel: +66 (0) 2 661 6784) a notable name in Bangkok spas treatment, has recently opened a new spa and wellbeing centre called ‘DVN’ on Sukhumwit lane 35, opposite the Emporium Department Store and very close to the Prmophong BTS Station. Placed in a two-storey Thai house and surrounded by lush tropical gardens, the centre contains nine private couple rooms and 17 treatment beds. Each room has its own design and theme. The spa offers a wide range of treatments all designed to relieve stress and relax visitors.

The Mandara brand is a well-known name to spa users. Their unique blend of Eastern and Western techniques is sure to soothe even the most stressed out of visitors. The Mandara Spas ’ signature treatment is performed by two therapists working together in perfect harmony for the ultimate massage. The Mandara Spa has outlets in the Imperial Queen’s Park Hotel (tel: + 66 (0) 2 261 9000), the Royal Sheraton Hotel and the Bangkok Marriot Resort and Spa (tel: + 66 (0) 2 476 0022).

The Aspara Spa at the Hotel Plaza Athenee (tel: +66 (0) 2 650 8800) offers four separate ‘Couple Spa Packages’. For just 5,800 baht, a couple can enjoy a full range of treatments in a perfect romantic day together.

The Orientist Spas is a unique and exclusive place where visitors can truly relax and escape the stress and strain of modern life. The Spa uses traditional Thai herbs and techniques to give visitors the full benefit of thousands of years’ experience. The Orientist Spa has two branches; one is at 69 Phaholyothin Road, Soi 6 (tel: + 66 (0) 2 278 2240). The other is 1111/148 Lad Phrao Road, Chantatakrasem, Chatuchak (tel: + 66 (0) 2 513 7605).

Spa I Am is a haven of peace and relaxation within the heart of bustling Bangkok. Its 26 private rooms are all fitted out with Jacuzzis, saunas and steam rooms. There is a beauty salon on hand to ensure you look as good as you feel. Spa I Am is based on Ladprao 18, Bangkok (tel: +66 (0) 2 938 4888).

Another popular form of cleansing that has taken root in Bangkok over the past few years is detoxification. Always popular in the East, but now being practised by health-nuts and party-goers alike, these techniques aim to rid the body of toxins over a relatively short period. Places like the Rasayana Retreat and Hydro Health over a selection of different programmes that range from one day to a month.

As advantageous as all the luxury and tranquility of these spas and retreats are, a visitor to Bangkok should not neglect the more rustic and down to earth relaxation on offer on the streets of Bangkok. There are often small and friendly massage venues dotted around, which offer one or two hours of massage for a very small fee. Also, exercise and relaxation can easily be found in Bangkok’s parks and temples.

If you cannot make it to the Bangkok spas there are plenty more provided in the beach resorts as well as Chiang Mai which has an abundance of good value spas.

http://www.1stopbangkok.com/hospitality/spas/

How to enjoy a spa in Bangkok more effectively

by John S Ryou
How to enjoy a spa in Bangkok more effectively

In Bangkok, there are endless things to enjoy. So, many tourists end up with fully exhausted body at the end of the day. Then, there comes another joy of Bangkok. Relaxing spa treatments. In Bangkok, you have 3 different choices of spa treatments. The first choice, is a luxury hotel spa or resort spa. Usually all the big hotels and resorts offer spa services. For example, From Peninsula Hotel (www.bangkok.peninsula.com), or From Mandarin Oriental (www.mandarinoriental.com) have been famous for their spa services. The only problem is the prices. When you enjoy 2 hour service with your girlfriend, the actual bill (including 7% VAT and 10 % service charge) will be easily over $ 600 US (or 20,000 THB) which is quite a big money here.

The second choice is cheap massage parlors. In fact, this is the easiest choice. In almost every street of Bangkok, you can't miss a massage shop. Here you can get a 2 hour decent thai traditional massage at only $ 12 USD (400 THB). For couples and some good tip (100 THB per each) , this is only $ 28 (1000 THB). Usually, back packers and locals just go with this option. At most of these places, you can also get aromatherapy oil massages. But you have to be careful because many of these places are using just cheapest massage oils. If your skin is sensitive, there's a big chance, your skin can be in trouble. Also, these places tends to be noisy sometimes, especially the place with many tourists. For example, "Health Land" (www.healthalandspa.com) in Sathorn Road has been popular for some time. But now, they are occupied by Chinese tourists, and people are avoiding the place because it's too noisy. But, if you can stand that and just want to enjoy "maximum value for the money", this is excellent choice.

The third choice is enjoying at one of independent day spa. Many day spa in Bangkok are consisted of few treatments rooms. Some of these places are named under "beauty clinic" or "treatment center". Actually some of these places provide quite a good service comparable to luxury hotel spas except that their prices and interior design look much cheaper. One of the example of day spa in Bangkok is "The Sense Of Spa" (www.senseofspa.com) located in Silom Road. They are providing a lot of facial and body treatment services and of course, thai massage and foot reflexology. And the price is quite acceptable. And using their promotions, you can enjoy 2 hour full quality spa services around 58 USD (2,000 Baht) per person. So, for couples, it's 116 USD (or 4,000 Baht) for 2 hour spa services. You can check their promotion page for most current information. Another nice place I've been to is "King and I Spa & Massage" at Sukhumvit 12. (Tel 02-252-5248). I was not able to find their website. "King and I" is located near Asok and convenient from many Sukhumvit places. There are also a lot of places named as "XXXX spa". But you have to be aware that many places are just more expensive version of "cheap massage parlor".

senseofspa.com