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The short answer
For a traditional Thai massage you stay fully clothed - no oil, no undressing, no draping. Wear something loose that you can move and stretch in: yoga pants or sweatpants and a soft t-shirt are ideal. And here is the part first-timers don't always know: it depends on the spa. At some Thai spas you simply keep your own clothes on, as long as they're comfortable and baggy. Others, Leelawadee included, provide a clean set of loose, comfortable Thai massage clothes to change into when you arrive - so even if you come straight from the office in a suit or a pencil skirt, you're covered. Just ask at the front desk.
Oil-based massages - Swedish, deep tissue, hot stone - work differently: you undress to your own comfort level and you're professionally draped with towels throughout, with only the area being worked on uncovered. Everything below is the detail behind those two sentences.
Why Thai massage is done clothed
Traditional Thai massage - Nuad Thai - doesn't use oil on the skin. Instead of long gliding strokes on a table, your therapist uses rhythmic acupressure with palms, thumbs, elbows and forearms, and guides your body through assisted, yoga-like stretches on a floor mat. Fabric between hand and body is part of the technique, and the stretching is exactly why the clothing matters: your knees, hips and shoulders will all move through real ranges during the session.
This is also why Thai massage is the easiest style for anyone who feels hesitant about undressing at a spa. You arrive, you swap into comfortable clothes if you're not already wearing them, and modesty is never part of the equation. If it's your first visit, our full guide to your first Thai massage walks through the whole hour, not just the wardrobe.
What works, what doesn't
Great choices: yoga pants or leggings, sweatpants, joggers, a t-shirt or long-sleeve top with some give. Gym clothes you'd stretch in are perfect. Clean socks are welcome, though most guests go barefoot on the mat - shoes come off at the door either way.
Poor choices: jeans and anything with a rigid waistband, structured trousers, skirts and dresses, belts, and tops so oversized they tangle in the stretches. Zips, thick seams and hardware end up pressed between you and the therapist's hands, and restrictive fabric quietly shrinks what the session can do with your hips and shoulders.
Jewellery, watches and glasses come off before you settle onto the mat - rings and bracelets catch during acupressure work. There's a safe spot for them in the treatment room. Tie long hair back loosely, and skip heavy perfume; the treatment room stays fairly neutral so the herbal scents of the spa can do their job.
"It depends on the spa" - what that means in practice
Thai spas handle clothing in one of two ways. Some expect you to arrive dressed for the session and simply check that what you're wearing is loose enough - your own comfortable, baggy clothes are the uniform. Others keep sets of traditional Thai massage clothing on hand: loose drawstring trousers and a comfortable top, freshly laundered, in the style you'd be handed at a massage school in Bangkok.
At Leelawadee we do both. If you show up in leggings and a t-shirt, you're ready as you are. If you arrive in work clothes, or you'd simply rather keep your own things fresh, we provide the loose Thai massage set and a private space to change - it takes two minutes and it's included, at both our Downtown and Cambie Village locations. The only wrong move is squeezing through a 90-minute session in jeans because you didn't want to ask. Ask.
If you're booking elsewhere or travelling, one call answers it: "Do you provide massage clothing, or should I come dressed to stretch?" Any good Thai spa will have an immediate answer.
"Come dressed to stretch, or come as you are and change here. The only wrong move is being uncomfortable for ninety minutes."
Leelawadee Thai Spa - established Vancouver, 2005
Booked an oil massage instead? Different rules
Swedish, deep tissue and hot stone massages use warm oil directly on the skin, so what you wear to the spa matters less than what happens in the room: you undress to whatever level you're comfortable with, settle under the sheet, and stay professionally draped the entire time, with only the area being worked on uncovered. Most guests keep their underwear on; some undress fully. Both are completely normal, and your therapist steps out while you change.
Two practical notes for oil sessions: leave the silk blouse at home for afterwards, since a trace of oil can linger on the skin even after the towel-down, and arrive with nothing precious on your wrists or neck. For the hot herbal compress, loose comfortable clothing works with draping as needed - and mention any skin sensitivities when you book.
Booking a couples massage in Vancouver? Each of you picks your own style, so it's completely normal for one of you to be clothed on a Thai mat while the other is draped on the oil table in the same private room. Dress for the style you chose, and if you're not sure which style that should be, our 2-minute massage guide sorts it out before you get dressed for anything.