Massage in Thailand | Spirit of Thailand

The 8 Different Types of Thai Massage Therapists

The 8 types of Thai Massage therapists in Thailand

After living in Thailand for many years and having received many Thai Massages I have come up with a listing of different styles of Thai Massage therapists you will encounter in Thailand.

1. The social type: This is the chatty type. She will immediately ask where you come from, if you speak Thai, if you are in a relationship etc. She will chat with you during the massage and she will have lively conversations with her fellow Thai Massage therapists who are working in the same room.

She keeps her mobile phone next to her and she will take any call. Either she will stop the massage until she is done talking or she will hold the phone with one hand and massage you with her free hand.

She is not really focused on what she is doing and sees the massage scene as a perpetual social gathering. It might really annoy someone, but there are clients who actually enjoy this party atmosphere.

Can Thai Massage Be Painful?

There are people out there who subscribe to the “no pain, no gain” theory in regards to Thai Massage. Interestingly enough a lot of the Thai people actually subscribe to that.

Many massage therapists in Thailand have told me that their fellow countrymen often prefer really strong massage even if it is painful, but in contrast the foreigners prefer a gentler and non-painful approach.

However I have also met a good number of Thais who will not get Thai massage because they have heard or experienced that it can be painful, and so they stay away from it.

Should you Study Thai Massage in Thailand?

image of Thai Massage technique

I live in the center of the universe as far as Thai Massage is concerned – Chiang Mai, Thailand. There are hundreds of Thai Massage shops and schools all over town, and tens of thousands of people come from all over the world to study here.

So the question is: Is Thailand the best place to study Thai Massage? Here are the pros and cons.

Pros of studying in Thailand

Some good reasons to study here is that it is cheaper than in the west. The cost of living is low, the country is beautiful and the people are friendly. If you combine a vacation with the study of Thai massage, you have a really attractive combination.

You easily meet like-minded students and there are many opportunities for networking and making friends. Another advantage is that you can choose from many schools and even study in several of them.

A Collection of Weird Massage Stories

Unexpected massage adventures from around the world — Image credit www.chortle.com

Whenever I travel somewhere in Asia I always try out a local massage for better or for worse. Sometimes it was definitely for the worse, and here are some of my more bizarre experiences.

Bangkok Thai Massage Trauma

Once I was in the tourist district on Kao San Road in Bangkok and went to a typical Thai massage shop. Many floor mats were lined up in a big room with many sessions going on simultaneously. I was assigned a male therapist.

The first thing he did was turn on a fan that blew cold air on me in a room that was already air conditioned to arctic temperatures. When I told him that the fan made me cold, he insisted that he needed it since he felt hot.

How to Evaluate a Thai Massage

Thai massage - 1 hr costs about $3.50 — Thai massage – 1 hr costs about $3.50

Most people who visit Thailand are impressed by Thai massage because it is so different. Western massage generally does not use much stretching, whereas Thai massage is sometimes called “lazy man’s yoga”.

Some of the positions can be quite challenging, and they are often similar to yoga positions. There are forward bends, back stretches, spinal twists, traction moves, and leg stretches, all in many variations.

Massage in Thailand is a very different experience from the west where massage is done behind closed doors in a private room, with clean sheets, soothing music, and a professional and licensed therapist. In Thailand most massage shops look very different. Some are out in the open with just a roof over the area or even on the beach.

In many shops you can see the massage happening through a window while you are walking by on the street. Since Thai massage is done fully dressed, there is nothing revealing to be seen. Massage in Thailand is not a very private affair.

What is Thai Massage?

Thai massage is part of a family of Asian healing arts – Japanese Shiatsu, Chinese Tui Na, Indian Yoga Therapy. They all share common elements which distinguish them from Western Swedish massage.

They are performed fully clothed, generally no oil is used. Therefore the technique has to be different from oil massage. Instead of long massaging strokes, pressure is applied by thumbs, hands, knees, forearms, or feet.

Asian healing arts all incorporate the principle of ‘energy’ – “Ki” in Japan, “Lom” in Thailand, “Prana” in India, “Chi” in China. The idea is that the physical manipulation affects a subtle energy flow which in turn aids the healing process. Western massage is more focused on anatomical principles like structure, muscles, and tissue.

Asian massage techniques incorporate much more physical manipulation than Western Swedish massage. There is stretching , bending, twisting, and traction. Thai massage is often quite similar to yoga poses.

Unlike Western style massage which is done on a massage table, Asian massage is mostly done on floor mats.
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