Club One Seven Sauna

Vector Grey

A Disappointing Experience at Club One Seven, Chiang Mai This was my second visit to Club One Seven, and unfortunately, my experience was even more disappointing than the first. To be honest, I have come to the conclusion that I do not like this place, and so far, Chiang Mai has been the least welcoming city I have visited in Thailand. 1. Poor service disguised as masculinity The staff seemed unnecessarily cold, rigid, and determined to project an exaggerated sense of masculinity. What frustrates me most is the apparent confusion between being masculine and being rude. These are two completely different things. There is absolutely no reason why a man should have to demonstrate his masculinity through an unfriendly attitude or poor customer service. The overall atmosphere felt unnecessarily hostile, with staff members rarely making an effort to appear approachable or welcoming. A professional, respectful attitude does not make anyone less masculine. 2. An unnecessarily complicated ticketing process The ticketing procedure is another example of poor user experience. You need your ticket at various stages, including entry and collecting your towel and locker key. However, after handing over the ticket at the towel counter, you are apparently expected to retrieve it and present it again when leaving. Why? The ticket has already served its purpose at the entrance. If it is also required for exit, this should be clearly explained to customers from the beginning. I was completely unaware of this additional requirement, yet the staff member at the towel counter reacted aggressively and told me to go back and retrieve the ticket. The problem was not simply the procedure itself, but the lack of clear communication and the unnecessarily rude way it was enforced. A poorly communicated process should not become the customer’s problem, especially when the staff could easily explain it in a polite and straightforward manner. 3. A broader disappointment with customer service in Chiang Mai Unfortunately, my frustration is not limited to this establishment. Across my visits to Chiang Mai, I have repeatedly encountered customer service that feels cold, defensive, and unnecessarily confrontational. Even in simple interactions, when I greet staff or make a request in English, the first response is often an irritated “What?”—even when they may simply have failed to hear me clearly. Instead of calmly asking me to repeat myself or clarify what I mean, the response can feel as though I am being challenged or blamed for the communication problem. What makes this more frustrating is that, on some occasions, staff members have discussed my request with their colleagues in Thai in a way that seems to frame me as a problem before actually helping me. I understand some Thai, so I can sometimes follow what is being said. I cannot know their intentions for certain, but the impression this creates is deeply unpleasant. Of course, language barriers and misunderstandings happen everywhere. That is perfectly normal. What matters is how people handle them. A simple “Sorry, could you repeat that?” or “Could you clarify what you need?” would make a world of difference. Unfortunately, neither this visit nor my broader experience in Chiang Mai has given me much reason to return. For me, a relaxing destination should make visitors feel welcome, not as though every simple interaction is an inconvenience to the people serving them.