Learning massage in Thailand

September 10, 2005 8:28 AM

I'd like to take a massage therapy training course in Thailand, preferably in Phuket but perhaps in Chiang Mai. I found a place in Phuket that offers the course, but in researching it, I noticed something a little strange.

There are several web pages online for the Kata Hide Away massage school in Phuket. One states the instructor's name as Graham Stapleton. Another as Steffan Helle (on each page, scroll down to the heading "The Instructor"). But the strange part is, they both assign the exact same biographical details to each person, even down to receiving a gift card for a chinese massage from a friend twelve years ago.

I'm suspicious. Am I right to be? Does anyone have experience with this school? With learning massage in Thailand or elsewhere? Also, any comments on how much you can actually learn in a 2-3 week course would be very helpful.

posted by hazyjane to Education (3 answers total)

I lived near Chiang Mai for a couple of years, and saw a lot of massage school tourists come and go. Most of those I talked to were satisfied with their experience. My advise is to get a list of candidates and go there to check things out on the ground before committing to anything. No matter how good or bad a school looks on the web, you don't know anything until you see the space, meet the folks, and get a feel for the vibe.

Also, there's a wonderful herbal center in nearby Lampang. My partner and I went there every weekend for an herbal sauna and a 2-hour massage ($5) in a modern, sanitary, and very chilled-out environment. Chock dee!
posted by squirrel at 12:07 PM on September 10, 2005

No experience with massage schools, but spend three weeks in Phuket and you're going to go nuts, unless you like hanging out with German/Scando sex tourists. Chiang Mai has a vibe more compatible with learning traditional massage.
posted by soiled cowboy at 1:32 PM on September 10, 2005

The smartest and best travelled friend I met in Thailand took a two week Thai massage course in Chiang Mai. It was an accredited facility and cost something like 700 baht. I might get some of these details wrong but my understanding was that the teacher was a buddhist monk (and his name wasn't english) and part of the curriculum involved 15 minutes of prayer in the morning and the ability to recite a prayer for the exam. Unfortunately I don't know the name of the place, but if you email me (profile) I'd be happy to get you in touch with the person I'm speaking of. His fantastic blog with a full account of his experience is no longer up.
posted by furtive at 1:58 PM on September 10, 2005