Traditional Healing Thai Body Massage

There is an old story that the Thai body massage known as Nuat phaen boran, or the "ancient way of massage," was brought to Thailand from India by a contemporary of Buddha named Jivaka Kumar Baccha about 2,500 years ago. Thai body massage was created by combining ancient Chinese medicine with the Ayurvedic knowledge of India and is one of the four branches of Traditional Thai Medicine. Nutrition and diet, herbal remedies, spiritual practices and healing massage.

There are at least 10 regional variations of the traditional Thai body massage in Thailand and a number of different names including: Thai Bodywork, Medical Massage and Passive or Assisted Yoga. The Old Medicine Hospital Style practiced in Chiang Mai has an equal history but is different from the massage taught at Wat Po in Bangkok and other places. The training program in massage for a Thai medicine practitioner takes two years full time but in the last few years, short courses taught in English and lasting from ten days to a month have become popular.



A full massage usually lasts two hours and is done on a soft mat placed on the floor, most often in a large open room. The result is often the relaxed kind of social occasion that many Thais love. The person being massaged first changes into loose pajama style clothes and lies on the mat. The practitioner uses a standard procedure making use of hands, forearms and feet to apply firm rhythmic pressure to almost every part of the body. There is pulling and stretching of arms, legs, fingers and toes, arching the back and neck and even walking on the back. The experienced practitioner is attentive to the needs of the recipient and will avoid causing pain but the normal result of manipulating long unused muscles and joints is a temporary soreness that soon turns into a tremendous feeling of well-being.

Though not always used, native herbs, aromatic oils and even hot stones are often part of the massage in a spa experience. The cost of a two hour massage in one of the many massage parlors in the tourist areas will normally begin at about 250 to 300 Baht and will run four or five times that amount in spas and the better hotels

Massage Training

5, Wualai Rd. Chiang Mai
(Across Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center)

The best known center for Thai body massage and massage training in Chiang Mai for more than 30 years. The founder was the famous Aachan Sintorn Chaichgun,
a Grand Master of Traditional Thai Ayurvedic Medicine.
Tel. (053) 275085

ITM INTERNATIONAL
TRAINING MASSAGE SCHOOL

17/6-7 Morakot Road
Hah Yaek Santitham
Chiang Mai
Tel. (053) 218632

TMC
203/6 MAE JO ROAD(Across Ruam Choke Market)
Moo 6, T.Faham
Chiang Mai
Tel: (053) 854330
Mobile: (081) 111-2001

Massage

Best Massage
A large staff and private rooms, usually busy even charging double the rates of other local massages. Located between Porn Ping Towers hotel and Vieng Ping Night Bazaar center.

Kavilek Spa
Respectable place popular with long term residents because of its staff, nice facilities and reasonable rates. Nimminhemin Road, near Amari Rincome Hotel.

Lek Chiaya Massage
Long established and centrally located. 79/1 Ratchadamnoen Road (near Tapae Gate)

Lets Relax
Upmarket spa and massage in the Night Bazaar. Chiang Mai Pavilion, Chang Klan Road

Oasis Spa
Individual treatment villas and upscale service.102 Sirimuangkarajan Road,

The Old Medicine Hospital
5, Wualai Road, Chiang Mai(Across Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center)The most professional massage in the city. See the listing above in the Training section.