TIRA Sauna has two herbal steam saunas, one dry sauna, two pool-style cold baths and a chilled cold bath. The herbal sauna runs hot, and carries a distinctive sharp note in the air.

A proper dry sauna is unusual in Thailand. TIRA is popular with Russian visitors — the owner's partner is a Russian DJ — and the dry room was added later because, as the story goes, Russians like dry saunas.

In the staff area behind the saunas, shelves hold a striking quantity of herbs: the basic root herbs, green herbs for scent, and an unusual range of citrus fruit. A white powder among them turned out to be camphor, derived from the camphor tree — the source of that sharp note, and the same scent found in Tiger Balm and in ya dom inhalers. The steam plant uses the same method as Kathu: gas heats water, and the steam carries the herbs' aroma, though each facility builds its own version of it. Visited by JRHA on 2 November 2024.

This is an English summary. The full article was written in Japanese. Original article in Japanese →