This Thai Massage is the Real Deal
Story by Paul Hughes, 2019
When travelling extensively to write about holiday experiences in locations all around the world we have probably experienced dozens of massages in almost every continent.
Apart from the tourist-focused massages while relaxing on the beach, we find a good, genuine massage helps relieve the aches and pains of hours of walking, long plane trips and all the other strenuous activities that go with travelling.
We were on a 13-week around the world tour in 2019 to collect stories from a dozen different countries when we stopped off to further explore Thailand for a few days and went to Hua Hin to recharge our batteries. A genuine Thai massage did the trick.
A Thai Massage is not so-named because it is a massage only given in Thailand; rather it's a massage style based on an ancient healing practice that is said to have originated from a Buddhist monk over 2,500 years ago and has influences from India, China and many other Asian countries. It is a traditional healing system combining acupressure, Indian healing principles and assisted yoga posture.
It is simply amazing and nothing like a beach massage. As we walked around Hua Hin we noticed that every second or third business was a “massage” centre, but were hesitant because we were aware that about 70% of them are not officially trained or registered.
We were fortunate to be recommended to the Let’s Relax massage centre in Hua Hin by Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and, discovering the company has developed a network of a dozen or so very professional massage centres across Thailand, Myanmar and China, we decided to give it a try, even if perhaps a little daunted by having a two-hour session.
We were not sorry.
The traditional and very professional Thai massage doesn’t use any oils or lotions and we were fully clothed throughout, wearing loose-fitting cotton trousers and tops provided. After a relaxing washing of the feet we lay on a large, firm, padded mat and the masseuse began a very intriguing series of linking with the section of body she was working; instead of rubbing she was constantly rocking, pulling, stretching and compressing muscles, combining different deep static and rhythmic pressures on each different muscle area.
We were told that the massage is based on the designated lines or "sen" of the body, with the masseuse using their feet and legs to place our bodies or limbs in the appropriate position. There was lots of rocking back and forth and work was done on both legs for almost an hour, which was great because our legs did most of the exploring work every day.
The Ministry of Public Heath told us it was estimated that there were between 12,000 and 15,000 massage and spa operations in Thailand but less than 1,000 traditional practitioners are registered and only about a third are certified by the department, suggesting travellers would be wise to check they are getting a proper massage by someone who is qualified.
Research also revealed that a person fully qualified in Thai massage must complete more than 800 hours of certified training, ensuring recipients gain the maximum health benefits from their experience, which are many.
When travelling extensively to write about holiday experiences in locations all around the world we have probably experienced dozens of massages in almost every continent.
Apart from the tourist-focused massages while relaxing on the beach, we find a good, genuine massage helps relieve the aches and pains of hours of walking, long plane trips and all the other strenuous activities that go with travelling.
We were on a 13-week around the world tour in 2019 to collect stories from a dozen different countries when we stopped off to further explore Thailand for a few days and went to Hua Hin to recharge our batteries. A genuine Thai massage did the trick.
A Thai Massage is not so-named because it is a massage only given in Thailand; rather it's a massage style based on an ancient healing practice that is said to have originated from a Buddhist monk over 2,500 years ago and has influences from India, China and many other Asian countries. It is a traditional healing system combining acupressure, Indian healing principles and assisted yoga posture.
It is simply amazing and nothing like a beach massage. As we walked around Hua Hin we noticed that every second or third business was a “massage” centre, but were hesitant because we were aware that about 70% of them are not officially trained or registered.
We were fortunate to be recommended to the Let’s Relax massage centre in Hua Hin by Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and, discovering the company has developed a network of a dozen or so very professional massage centres across Thailand, Myanmar and China, we decided to give it a try, even if perhaps a little daunted by having a two-hour session.
We were not sorry.
The traditional and very professional Thai massage doesn’t use any oils or lotions and we were fully clothed throughout, wearing loose-fitting cotton trousers and tops provided. After a relaxing washing of the feet we lay on a large, firm, padded mat and the masseuse began a very intriguing series of linking with the section of body she was working; instead of rubbing she was constantly rocking, pulling, stretching and compressing muscles, combining different deep static and rhythmic pressures on each different muscle area.
We were told that the massage is based on the designated lines or "sen" of the body, with the masseuse using their feet and legs to place our bodies or limbs in the appropriate position. There was lots of rocking back and forth and work was done on both legs for almost an hour, which was great because our legs did most of the exploring work every day.
The Ministry of Public Heath told us it was estimated that there were between 12,000 and 15,000 massage and spa operations in Thailand but less than 1,000 traditional practitioners are registered and only about a third are certified by the department, suggesting travellers would be wise to check they are getting a proper massage by someone who is qualified.
Research also revealed that a person fully qualified in Thai massage must complete more than 800 hours of certified training, ensuring recipients gain the maximum health benefits from their experience, which are many.
Thai massage is a lot more than someone rubbing oil on different parts of the body; in fact no oil is used and multiple health benefits are well recognised, such as:
I am not fully up-to-date with the official health and technical jargon but, based on how we felt after our two-hour session, I will definitely be looking for another professional Thai Massage the next time I am a bit weary or jet-lagged.
Contact Let's Relax Spa and book your treatment today - Click here
- Lowering stress: Moving and manipulating different parts of the body in a Thai massage, including the head and neck, relieves emotional and physical tension, with a 2015 study finding that levels of stress markers in the saliva, known as sAA, were reduced after a Thai massage, making it more effective than standard resting of the body.
- Stimulating circulation: Gentle yoga-like stretching is recognised as helping increase blood circulation, which fills tissues with additional oxygen and promotes cell growth, a healthier heart and, because of better circulation to extremities such as the feet, may help better balance.
- Boosting energy: Thai massage is focused on the belief that tight muscles cause blockages in different “sen” or energy lines of the body, reducing the flow of life energy and causing pain, stiffness and sometimes sickness. The different Thai massage techniques help remove those blockages. A comparison of Thai and Swedish massages in people who were fatigued, including athletes, showed the Thai massage boosted energy and mental activity while the Swedish massage impacted more on relaxation and sleep.
- Relieving headaches: A 2015 study found that one of the Thai massage techniques known as “court type”, which applied pressure to particular energy channels, helped relieve chronic tension headaches and lowered tissue hardness.
- Increasing range of motion: Gradual stretching of muscles improves their flexibility and improves synovial fluid circulation in the joints, which can improve joint mobility and the range of motion. In the weeks leading up to our trip I had severe shoulder pain which required cortisone injections and extensive physiotherapy to help relieve the pain. The shoulder felt much better after my Thai massage.
I am not fully up-to-date with the official health and technical jargon but, based on how we felt after our two-hour session, I will definitely be looking for another professional Thai Massage the next time I am a bit weary or jet-lagged.
Contact Let's Relax Spa and book your treatment today - Click here