A Little Onsen Etiquette

From various visits to Yunomori Onsen throughout the pandemic years…

When you arrive, you’ll store your outside shoes — or the staff will do it for you — around the time you pay admission. You’ll change into slippers and get a key to your assigned locker, which comes on a stretchy band so you can wear it around your wrist or ankle.

At Panpuri Wellness (Gaysorn Village, 12fl), admission for onsen only is about 750 baht. At Yunomori (A-Square, Sukhumvit Soi 26), it’s around 500 baht — and there’s no time limit unless you’re getting other services, which you’ll schedule your time in the baths around. If you want a massage of some kind, you can usually arrange it when you arrive, but it’s smart to call ahead just in case. They have English-speaking staff.

After you pay, they’ll give you a bag with a mesh bikini, a large towel, and a hand towel. At Panpuri, the bag will also include a uniform — they’ll ask your size. (Sizing runs small — you may want to go up a size if you’re not used to Asian sizing.)

At Yunomori — the more middle-class one, where that first picture is from — you’ll get to pick your options for a traditional-type ‘fit.

I think this was my FIRST visit to Yunomori; sometime in 2020.

Each place has slightly different setups for the dressing rooms, but the key rule is: slippers do not go into the dressing or bathing areas, for hygiene reasons. At Yunomori, you leave them on shelves outside the changing area. At Panpuri, you leave them just outside the dressing area.

Head into the changing room, find your assigned locker, and get undressed. You can wear the mesh bikini — or go nude — but take only the small towel with you. Store everything else and lock your locker.

(I go nude personally, in case I want to go out in the robe or uniform and come back in — instead of trying to pull a wet bikini back on.)

Enter the bath area and take a full shower. The showers are individual but not enclosed — just open stalls with a stool, mirror, bucket, and handheld shower. So if you’re super skittish about being naked, onsens may not be for you.

Really scrub down — get in all the nooks and crannies… like everyone around you is doing.

My hair is in a short fro now, and I’d probably wash it too. If you have longer or bigger hair, just make sure it doesn’t hang into the baths. There are shower caps, pins, and elastic bands to help with that.

When I’ve had bigger hair, I’ve occasionally done my whole wash day at the onsen. That’s actually kind of what it’s for — to linger and do your self-care thing. Just don’t use conditioner or any other slippery products in the baths — it’s a hazard in a very wet environment.

There will usually be a map somewhere showing the different baths, health benefits, and themed “recipes” — like relaxation, deep sleep, energy boost, etc. You can follow them or not. Just know that some of the baths are HOT, so ease in slowly.

For the price of admission, you can go in and out of the onsen as much as you like, for as long as you like — until the onsen closes.

Unless you get an oil massage — in that case, you can’t go back into the baths afterward… because oil. (And there are relaxation rooms that you can go in and chill and read and look at your phone, if you like, while wearing the uniform or robe.)

Both Panpuri and Yunomori have food and drinks for sale.

After your final round in the baths, take another full shower. Dry off as best you can with that little towel — the only one you’re allowed to bring into the bathing area — and feel free to use whatever toiletries are available in the dressing room.

Change back into your street clothes, find some slippers, return the bag with the bikini and towels in it, collect your shoes… and go on about your day — hopefully much more relaxed.

TL;DR — Quick Onsen Guide

• Shoes off at the entrance. Use provided slippers and store your shoes.

• Key + towel kit provided (mesh bikini, large towel, small towel — plus robe/uniform at Panpuri).

• Strip down. Wear the mesh bikini or go nude. Only bring the small towel to the baths.

• Shower thoroughly first. Scrub well — it’s expected.

• Keep your hair out of the water. Use a shower cap or tie it up.

• No conditioner or slippery products in the baths.

• Some baths are very hot — go slow and stay hydrated.

• No re-entry after an oil massage.

• No phones or cameras in the bath area.

• Speak quietly. Respect the peaceful vibe.

• Shower again before leaving, use available toiletries, change, return gear, grab your shoes.