Buddha Thai Massage

First and last time! Massage was mediocre at best. Techniques were definitely seemed not to be professional. I give it a 6 out of 10 in cleanliness and ambiance. Phone rings way too much and usually answered on the 5^th ring while I’m trying to relax in the noise.
Lastly, I said I needed change and gave you a $ 20 which you proceed by placing a $ 10 on the counter, okay so I guess you decided to tip yourself. I turned around to chat with my husband for 2 mins only to turn around and find the $ 10 on the counter gone. I asked what happened and you said you gave me the original $ 20 back and took the $ 10 back since it was sitting on the counter too long. UHM NO, I did not get the $ 20 back from you. Whatever, I as soon as I walked away I got yelled at «WHERE IS MY TIP!?» Uhm, you decided to keep my $ 20! No I gave it back! So the back and forth arguing or rather a one way RAISED VOICE back at me while I spoke quietly at you.
Never have I ever had a business yell at me!!!
WARNING: Make sure you TIP if not be prepared to be yelled at and don’t ask for change as they will seem to shortchange you.

Paula is the best! Woke up with limited range of motion
Was able to move without pain after paula stretched and worked my neck!

First Thai message. I enjoyed it, my shoulders are real tight and full of knots. That happens when you play rugby and do gymnastics. She dug in on those knots, it hurt so good!

Their Swedish message and foot reflexology are really a sham. I didn’t try the Thai message because I never like those «forced yoga moves» that they do, folding your body this way or that. I never find that relaxing. But I tried both the Swedish and foot massage, and the person basically spent the whole time rubbing back and forth in quick motions. She doesn’t seem to have any concept of pressure points whatsoever. Another issue, the flat bed (without the proper «donut hole») hurts the neck.
Oh, and be careful if you want to mix different types of massages, say if you want 30 minutes of foot and 30 minutes of Swedish, they’ll insist on charging for two separate 30-​minute massages as opposed to the lower rate for 60 minutes. I can understand it if they have to switch therapists, or if I’m asking for a hot stone massage, which requires all the extra setups. But that’s not the case. In fact, I asked to extend my massage by 30 minutes for foot reflexology, but the person did the same rubbing back and forth in quick motions on my feet, which is not reflexology at all.
Won’t go back.

I took a long lunch from the office and just had a thai massage body scrub combo less than an hour ago at Buddha and I am now back at work and happy as a clam. All kinks and knots have been worked out, no more achy sore neck and back, thank you very much Paula! The reason I withheld a star is because I didn’t really care for the body scrub. It was done right on the massage pad and they only scrubbed the upper body. I will go back for the amazing massage minus scrub.
I want to address some of the reviews on here as they are, unfortunately, written by people that are either not familiar with Thai traditional style massage or are looking for a Burke Williams experience but only have $ 30 to spend. Any traditional Thai massage parlor you find will have thin mattresses & thin pillows on the floor, each «room» separated by thin curtains. In Thailand, you can get great massages at the temple, they massage you right out in the open, you are fully dressed. The best $ 5 you will ever spend. I have had $ 20 Chinese foot massage where there is no curtain at all to separate you from the next patron (it’s a full body massage even though they call it a foot massage) and I have had $ 180 massage at one of the Waldorf hotels, of course my expectations were rightfully higher for the Waldorf. If you want Waldorf then pay for it, don’t go to a bargain massage parlor and talk trash about the lack of ambience because you can’t be realistic with your own expectations. I am sure this business wants to make every customer happy, but come on they only charge you a fraction of what others charge and they are in f’king Santa Monica! How much is rent there? Be fair people! If you don’t like the massage, then review about that experience. If you prefer to be pampered like kings and queens, then go to luxury spas and pay up!

Wife and I came for a couples massage here, afterwards I rated my sense of the massage at 7/​10, she rated her massage as ³⁄₁₀. So here are the stars:
1^st star: very friendly people.
2^nd star: great ambiance, soothing music.
3^nd star: reasonable prices
Missing stars:
1. Massage quality was more of «I’m doing my job,» rather than, «I am an artist of relaxation.»
2. My neck was wrenched the whole time since the mats are on the floor and the pillows are quite thin. I realize that’s «traditional,» but it still hurt!

Worst massage I have ever had.
The lady who did my massage was distracted, gave very inconsistent pressure, no attention to my body or even where she was massaging, totally forgot to massage the other half of my neck, jerky hand movements.
Not only was the massage awful, she simply walked on me (seemingly distracted) for about 20 mins of it. My body hurts and I feel worse then when I went in for the massage.
I love Thai massage. I have had several wonderful massages in Thailand. This is not the place to go for a relaxing traditional or professional experience.

Sent hubby here a few months ago, and he doesn’t have Unilocal so I will review for him.
He said he had a great massage, the therapist was very strong and had great technique. He is a clean freak and was very happy that they were so clean and sanitary. He felt completely comfortable!
I tried to make an appointment this week and they are booked, I understand why!

This place is straight forward massage. Nothing fancy just a really good massage. I recommend to anyone who is not picky/​OCD about details and just looks for a good deal massage.

In Thai massage they stand on u. I got a deep tissue massage and it was too painful. However u can always tell them to go lighter. I noticed that this deep tissue massage was not as localized as the deep tissue massages I have gotten before that are not Thai. Next time, I don’t think I would get a deep tissue here. I think this is $$. The ones in the 626 are $ 25 and those are $.

I had a bad neck sprain and I went there since it was near my home. I don’t remember her name, guess it’s Mai or pa, she did a great job. Good and calming ambience, clean and quiet. And the best part is you don’t have to lie down on the massage table, they have a very traditional setting. Finally a good massage place for good rate, that too near my house. I’ll be regular now, oh forgot to add I was okay by evening.

I got a massage today, I thought May did an excellent job, they use different techniques like dry massage (no oil), walking, stretching along with regular massage (w/​oil). I would definitely recommend.

Finally, a GOOD cheap thai massage. I was starting to give up on LA. $ 39/​hr for Thai, and $ 49/​hour for Swedish, Deep Tissue, and other options.
The beds are separated by a thin curtain. Everyone was quiet. The masseuse didn’t speak any English, but she stepped on my bike and got my knots out just fine.

For the price you really can’t beat Buddha Thai!
A few things to note:
–Buddha Thai is nothing fancy. There are no plush tables to lie on, which can be a huge drawback depending on your taste.
–The Thai massage can be kind of jarring at first and is way different than a Swedish type massage.
My husband always has back issues and loves getting massages. He really likes a deep and firm massage, so naturally the Thai massage here really makes him melt like butter! Every time we come out of here he is happy as a clam :), which makes me a happier clam!

If you’re just looking for a full body massage, and don’t have any specific trouble spots, this place is perfectly adequate. If you have specific knots/​trouble areas you want to have worked out, however, don’t waste your time.
My boyfriend and I went in for a couple’s massage, and we each had major knots in different areas that needed to be worked out. While our masseuses started out by asking each of us if we had any specific trouble areas, I’m not sure why they bothered asking, since they ended up just going by their usual formula anyway; they didn’t bother working out either or our problem spots. (He has major shoulder pain, while I have problems with my neck).
Oh and it was also annoying that I took the time to look up and make appointments with masseuses recommended on Unilocal… But when we showed up, one of the masseuses «wasn’t working» that day. Um, I made the appointment just hours before. Why wouldn’t you tell me that then?
No way we’re coming back.

Friend wanted to get a massage but her usual masseuse was booked, so we looked on Unilocal for other places nearby and called a few places before securing two immediate slots at Buddha Thai, then we headed over. Small location that may be easy to miss.
I got a Swedish and I liked it — my masseuse was patient and professional (and strong!). However they have mattresses on the floor rather than use massage beds so my neck was really aching after the session on my front. Definitely doesn’t help my chronic neck pain… Also, the rooms are only separated by sheets. I do not feel compelled to return.
Listed as not «by appointment only» but I suggest calling beforehand.

As we drove in to LA’s «famous» traffic from Phoenix, my friend recommended that we get a Thai Massage. I searched on Google Maps for Thai Massage businesses & found this gem. I called to see if they could fit us both in in about an hour — not a problem!
We had a little bit of a struggle finding parking and arrived a minute past our appointments. We were greeted immediately, checked in & directed to our individual «rooms».
My friend warned me that this would be a massage like no other… WOW! No kidding! Like she said, I was bent & twisted in ways I never imagined I could be!
My masseuse asked what kind of pressure I wanted & any areas I wanted focused on, and she was right on with both the pressure & the areas of focus. Since we had arrived late, I figured we wouldn’t get the full time of our massage — incorrect! When I went out front to check out, I was happy to see I did get my full hour massage!
The main drawback I had was, as previously mentioned, the office phone ringing over & over & over. Very distracting from an otherwise peaceful environment.
I am sore today, but I can tell my knots are gone gone gone!

Holy. Mother. of God.
After a harrowing week at work, my back and shoulder muscles started to ache and tighten up. I booked an appointment last night around 6 pm, which actually proved to be a bit difficult (she was speaking really softly, couldn’t find the appt. book), and I am SO glad I did.
Now, I am ALL about the budget-​friendly massage places, and I realize that, sometimes, you get what you pay for. I’ve been to almost every $ 39 massage place in LA (in addition to a few more pricey massage places because I received a gift certificate), and let me tell you, this was one of THE best massages I’ve ever received.
The woman was young and thin, so I was worried that she wouldn’t apply as much pressure as I needed. I like my massages to hurt, in a good way, and I want my masseuse to really dig in to my back and shoulders. I was pleasantly surprised that A) Nancy was considerably stronger than I had imagined, and B) She actually focused on the areas I asked her to target. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve stressed that my shoulders and shoulder blades are completely in knots, only to have the masseuse spend the hour caressing my lower back and legs. My reaction is always
Nancy found the knots in my back right away, and since I was facing down and couldn’t see her, I’m pretty sure this is what she said to the knots before her attack
She kneaded and and kneaded and kneaded, and one by one, I could feel her demolishing each obnoxious knot into jello. I don’t know how, but she even had time at the end to stretch me out. I left feeling like I had just slept for 25 hours, and so much limber and flexible than ever before.
Cons: The business phone rang a couple of times during my massage, which was a buzzkill. They looped the same two Asian meditation songs over and over again (Get some new tracks, yo!). Parking can be difficult, and the place is hard to find.
Regardless, I would come back here in a heartbeat. There is only a $ 1 surcharge for using credit cards, and they gave me a cute, little water bottle at the end.

I’ve been here three times now. For a lower-​priced massage, this place is pretty legit. If you want to get seriously worked on, these girls know how to beat the hell out of you. That’s supposed to be a good thing here. I want to get my ass kicked.
When it’s all done, I walk home and I drink a ton of water and I take it easy for the rest of the day. Then I wake up the next day and I’m still a little sore. And then I feel amazing.
It’s a little weird that there are no rooms and you can technically hear what’s going on directly next to you, since the next massage bed is maybe five feet away. But again, it’s cheap. You want your own room? Pay up!
There are a few downsides. The most obvious is that you are basically laying on the floor. You’re on a pad so that part is fine, but it sucks for your neck. There’s nowhere to easily put your face since you can’t look straight down… unless you have a super flat face. I do not, for the record. I have the opposite. Big nose.
So I have to turn to the right or to the left. When they’re massaging you, it ends up making your neck kind of jacked up. It all gets better when you move your head or turn over, but it’d be cooler if you didn’t have to worry about that.
The other downside is that most of the different massages are pretty much all variations on the same thing. I’ve had the Thai massage, the Swedish, and the Deep Tissue. With all three, they do a lot of the same thing. I can’t really tell the difference.
All in all, this is my local spot and I will be coming back. The girls here can apply some serious pressure. If you’re tight and need someone to help you get loose, this is your jam.

I knew my boyfriend was a keeper when he offered to take me to get a massage on an early date. We walked down the road to Buddha Thai Massage and each got a 60 min oil massage for $ 40. HOLY CRAP, I love a good bargain and this place is it.
Clean, super quiet, and all the staff here is very sweet. I would recommend calling ahead (especially on the weekends). They always have availability during the day, but they might not be able to accommodate you right away if you’re a walk-​in.
Relaxing, soothing, and I always leave wanting to hug my masseuse. They usually ask, but in case they don’t, let them know how much pressure you want them to use. Don’t be fooled: hard pressure means HARD (but sometimes that’s what you need). Also let them know if there’s a part of your body that you would prefer they focus on (shoulders, lower back, calves, etc). Like I said, they usually ask, but in case they forget.
I’ve been here probably half a dozen times now and I love how much of a value this place is. I see signs all over the city for cheap massages, but this place is definitely on the top of my list.
Be sure to leave your masseuse a good tip. They absolutely deserve it!