3 Best beauty spas & stores to visit in Bangkok

While Bangkok is great for its affordable massages and beauty buys, don’t be quick to dismiss the many mid to high-end options the buzzling city has to offer.

They make interesting and useful souvenirs for family and friends and offer an indulgent retreat for the overworked OL.

We’ve shortlisted three beauty stores and spas you should be looking out for on your next trip to Bangkok. And for the convenience of all the shoppers out there, they’re all located close to Platinum Mall.

Enjoy your break!

#1 FOR GIFTS TO BRING HOME: KARMAKAMET THAILAND

CentralWorld, 3rd Floor

Other locations

If you have time: Visit the diner at 30/1 Soi Matheenvet Sukhumvit 24, Klongtoey

Aromatherapy stores boasting the use of traditional Thai ingredients are aplenty in Bangkok, so much so that we walk by typical lemongrass-scented boutiques without paying much attention to them.

But not for Karmakamet Thailand. We were drawn to the store in Central World for its rustic, apothecary-like decor. Think black bottles with fragrance labels and wooden-looking drawers, which decorate dark panels and walls in the boutique from floor to ceiling.

In between them are rows of scented products in every form imaginable – oil sprays, lip balms, travel candles and bookmarks, to name a few. And they can all be sampled on the spot through tinted flasks containing crushed fragrant waxes.

Visit this store if you’re looking for interesting gifts to bring back. At the top of our list of interesting souvenirs are the fragrance bags, which make great wardrobe and luggage scenters, as well as the handy coffee lip balm for your caffeine-addict desk mate!

If you’ve got extra time after shopping, take a seat at the little tea room that’s connected to the store.

#2 BESPOKE FRAGRANCES & SKINCARE: ERB

CentralWorld, Ground Floor

SiamParagon Departmental Store

Other locations

If you have time: Enquire about their spa

Home spa brand Erb is founded by ex-Greyhound fashion designer Pattree Bhakdibutr and is inspired by age-old beauty remedies from the Siamese royal court.

All the products contain – you guessed it – traditional herbs from the region like turmeric, jasmine and lemongrass. But the brand name doesn’t just sound like its ingredients, it is also derived from the old Thai expression “erb-im” which means “to radiantly glow” (we’ll buy into that branding any day).

Don’t leave the marble and glass-decorated store without creating your very own essential oil perfume. There are fragrance advisors to guide you through the process, complete with recommendations on fail-safe pairings. But be sure to plan ahead – each perfume comes bottled in a 50ml-sized bottle, and takes three days to make.

Other things to look out for: The Up In Arms set, which contains an underarm detox mask and toner to prevent discolouration and toxin buildup, and the Seven Pollen skincare range for dull skin.

#3 FOR AN INDULGENT RETREAT FROM THE CITY: LE SPA WITH L’OCCITANE, SOFITEL BANGKOK SUKHUMVIT

A 10-minute taxi ride from Platinum Mall

Take a break from all the shopping and spend the whole afternoon at the Le Spa with L’Occitane, Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit.

You’ll get the best of both worlds at this luxury spa, which combines both the French beauty brand’s products with traditional Thai massage techniques.

We tried one of the three signature body treatments – The Four Teas Ceremony – and topped it up with the Three Teas Detoxifying Wrap and the Purity-Radiance Ceremony facial treatment.

While the four-hour long session left us feeling completely relaxed and glowing for days, the winning factor from this combination has got to be the wrap.

It is a mixture of clay, talcum and rice powders, made to absorb excess oil and impurities from the body, while soothing it with a combination of anti-oxidant red, black and green teas. The solution is applied onto the entire body, which is later loosely covered in cling wrap. Apart from having a calming minty sensation, it toned down the redness caused by a bad bout of back acne.

Want more ideas of what to do in Bangkok? Here are eight Thai designer labels to check out and check out what’s the city’s most Instagrammed location!