‘Thai Massage’ Gets Recognition from UNESCO

The ancient skill of the body folding, sharp-elbowed techniques of Thai massage, which is practiced in Thailand and other parts of the world is recently added to UNESCO’s prestigious heritage list.

The art was first originated in India and reached Thailand where it is practiced for ages, the massage was popularized by a special school that was opened in the 1960s to train massage therapists from across the world.

Though it is popularly known as Thai Massage, it is traditionally known as Nuad Thai. Now, Nuad Thai’s inclusion to the UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage makes the practice truly historic.

From popular spas parlors in Phuket and Bangkok to the modest street-side shops, ‘Nuad Thai’ is ubiquitous across the Thai kingdom, where now an hour of the back straightening exercise can cost as much as $5.

Krairath Chantrasri, teaches the massage skills at the Reclining Buddha School inside the famed Wat Pho temple in Bangkok and has helped thousands of Thai and foreign students, who reaches to the centre every year to learn the skill.

Krairath, himself a son of a masseuse takes great pride in his role as a massage teacher who shares the ancient discipline at the temple, whose certification is a proud banner for any massage shop. As he says, “I am a continuation of our collective knowledge”.

2,500 years ago, monks and practitioners brought the methods to Thailand from India. For generations, the ancient secrets were passed from master to disciple in the temples and monastery and later in the families. During the 19th century, under Thailand’s King Rama III, scholars engraved their knowledge of the skills onto the stones of Wat Pho. 

The Nuad Thai school, which has so far trained more than 200,000 massage therapists, who practice in 145 countries, first opened in 1962. Now in Thailand, the livelihood of ten thousand people are directly connected to Massage. 

The director of the school, Preeda Tangtrongchitr says they usually see an uptick in interest from Thais when the economy is bad. He further says, “For many people who are disabled or in debt, this job is an opportunity because it requires no material -- only their hands and knowledge”.

Today, a massage therapist at any top-end spa can charge anything between $100 to $150 an hour in Thailand and this maybe two or three times more in London, Hong Kong or New York, where the Thai massage brand is booming.

The ancient teaching of the therapy focuses on directing blood circulation around the problem areas to solve muscle aches. Studies show it can help anyone relieve from back pain, headaches, insomnia and even anxiety.