Thai Massage at Wat Po

[Kasandra]

I'm thinking of travelling to Bangkok to do my Thai Massage training at Wat Po. Has anyone else done their training there? I'd really like to hear your experiences.

 

[wannamcfranzwiththat]

Wow! what a place to learn. I haven't been, but wish I could! [sm=bouncy.gif]

Health & happiness

Waywood

 

[babygurlz]

Hi Angelfish,

I too looked into training at the WatPo temple, as it was very, very cheap, 7000 baht equalled less than a £100 for a 5 day course.

The only issues were whether this course certificate would be accepted over here for insurance purposes.

I still havent had a definitive answer yet, so am holding fire until someone definately says yes.

The second thing to bear in mind is that the Thais who want to study massage spend up to 3 years developing their skills, so I suspect it is a course aimed at Europeans with a bunch of enthusiasm, and a week to spare.


Let us know what you decide, and if you go, let us know how you get on.

Topcat

 

[ASHLEY T]

I've been to the Wat Po temple and spoken with many therapists in Thailand who have completed the courses, most of the people on the course are local Thai's, albeit a few enthusiastic foreigners take part too. Personally, I don't think western schools should be teaching eastern disciplines, especially when the teachers haven't had their training from the horses mouth, so to speak. As with all courses, your skills need to be developed over time.

Bare in mind that although to us £100 for the 5 day course is cheap, it is not to the Thai's. The average monthly wage in Thailand is approx Bhat 6000 (£83) which means that this course is way over a months salary.

It looks like it's all going ahead for me. I'll let you know if I find out anything more on the insurance front. Who knows maybe I'll see you there!

 

[lagaria]

Good luck,

I hope it works out, write a diary when your over there, so we can all enjoy your course, the tastes, smells, sights of Bangkok.

Very jealous.

 

[Pompal 09.]

I too have looked at the Wat-Po web site and would love to go there one day.

If you have got an A&P qualification, I shouldnt think that you should have a problem with insurance. As far as I am aware, teachers of massage in Thailand have to be registered with the Thai government. If a Thai massage school is good enough for the exacting standards of the Thai government, surely it should be good enough for the insurance companies here.

Good luck. I too am jealous.

Dont know if I quite agree about Westerners not teaching Eastern therapies. Not everyone has the time or resources to go abroad to learn them. However, I do object to Westerners who strip the philosphies off. The philosphies are such an important part and it's a shame that many Eeastern therapies get turned into nothing more than a routine.

 

[Nicegurl21]

Sorry Dotcom, I completely agree, I should really have said that I too was referring to courses which strip out the philosophy.

 

[???GaGa Whisperer???]

The CMA will also insure the Diploma.

 

[Really Dude]

I found it in the body therapies forum just scroll down from your thread and you should find it.

Good luck Vanessa

 

[WillieThompson]

I would absolutely love to go on this course, I dont think I could get anyone to come with me though lol

Oddly enough I had a dream I was back in Thailand last night [&:]

 

[Jessica Cromwell]

Hi There Angel fish,
I've just joined this forum in order to reply to your posting. I completed the Thai Massage course at wat po in 1999. There are a couple of thing you should bear in mind. At the time I qualified I held my professional insurance with IPTI and they would not insure me to practice here in england. I have since changed my insurance company but haven't asked them if they'll cover me for Thai massage as I haven't practiced it for few years now.

The course itself was a lot of fun. It lasted two weeks and I think that included w/ends - can't remember for sure. I did feel that the course was lacking in the theory side of things, but for the practical, it was faultless. The tutor was great. We worked in groups of four, practicing on each other. The course was held in the main masage clinic, so you were surrounded by working therapists whilst you were learning.

A friend of mine has done both this course and another at what I beieve was the old medicine hospital in Chang Mai, in northern Thailand. That course was longer and went into far more detail of the theory behind Thai Massage. She was more impressed the latter course. I'll double check with as to where it was and post again. I do know that she couldn't get insured here with that qualification either and has since re-trained here in order to get her insurance cover. All the Best, Anconablue.

 

[Andrra]

Hi, I've just heard froma friend who studied Thai Yoga Massage with the Sunshine Network, in northern Thailand.

http://thaiyogamassage.infothai.com/

I wondered if anyone else had heard of it, or of Asokananda who set it up? she said it was good, but would have liked to have done her itec first.

Havin glooked at the site a couple of things concern me a bit - one is that they do Ayurvedic, which isn't thai at all(!) & the other is the shortness of the course - only 12 days.

Any additional info anyone has on this course or any other thai yoga courses would be much appreciated

mavis x

 

[clueless??]

Hi,
Asokananda is a well-knowned teacher and wrote books on Thai Massage.
You can also learn with the teacher of Asokananda,Piched Bonthumme.
They both live near Chiang Mai.
You can go to the Old Medecine Hospital or to ITM in Chiang Mai.
The program is similar,the ITM's instructor worked in Old Medecine Hospital.
I have studied in ITM 5 weeks in order to get their "teacher diploma".
I have also got private courses with a doctor,professor at the Chiang Mai university and I trained on SPA staff to get feed back.
I hope these informations could help you.

 

[hedAffebarf]

i've been looking at doing the teachers diploma in Chiang Mai,

if you have any time gyatso can you give me your thoughts - which programme did you do 300/500/600 hours, - also does it enable you to get insurance in the uk etc

cheers

l x

 

[SilverKisses]

I finally got round to going to Wat Po last month. I loved every minute of it and would highly recommend it, but agree that there could have been more theory, my advanced course did go into more detail though, but you had to ask, so I guess it depends on your tutor.

If anyone is considering going to Thailand to study it is important to make sure you know which style of Thai Massage you are training in, Wat Po and Chiang Mai are slightly different. I am now qualified in Thai Traditional Massage and Advanced Thai Medical massage. I had no problems getting it added on to my insurance through ITEC/IGPP. All I have to do now is get off my backside and start getting clients.

 

[preciosa]

congrats Angelfish
T
x

 

[hezpkbjd]

Hi Miss Alaska,

In ITM school you don't have the "300,500,600" cursus.
I think it's in the "Chiang Mai School Massage".
I don't know if their teaching is "the best".
For me and all friends trained in Thai Massage, they are expensive.
You have to know that all massage schools claim that they are "the only school accredited by Minstry of Education"...Hehehe.
And you don't need to study several months to perform basic Thai Massage.

What is called "therapeutic thai massage" is, most of the time,basic massage with some acupressure points.
No diagnosis to determine if these points are suitable for the case of your patient...
In addition, you can study the use of "herbal compress" in some schools...buy a book for this!

After you have learned Thai Massage, you can find a very short course on aromatherapy,oil massage.

If you really want to study Therapeutic craft, go to visit Piched Bonthumme...

The most important is to get a good feedback when you perform a massage.In International Training Massage, I have just learned the movements...not enough to "feel" what I was really doing.
So, try to find a private teacher and massage him or her!

In conclusion, I think the best is to study two weeks in ITM,the courses are suitable for all western students.(5000 Bahts)
And after you can come back every time you want in the school,you don't have to pay again! Every monday a new course starts.
In this way you will get enough knowledge to be able to learn easily other styles of Thai Massage and you will always have people to train you when you go from time to time to ITM!!
For exemple, You can go to see a well_knowned teacher, Lek Chaya,and after only three days you will be able to perform a complete therapeutic massage.(4000 Bahts)
WWW.nervetouch.com


And on the road back to your home, stay 10 days in Bangkok to study the Wat Pho style.There, you can start courses every day even sunday!(14000 Bahts)

About insurances and so on, I can't tell you,I am french...Maybe you understood that because of my bad english...hehehe


I hope these informations could help you, ask me if you want to know something else.

Sawadee Krab!

 

[Scotty]

am i allowed to gloat and say i am going to thailand on saturday!?

just booked it at the weekend, a family holiday but i will be visiting the wat po temple. its very odd how these things come about isnt it? we hadnt even thought of going to thailand but seem to have picked up a good deal and this thread popped up again.

so we know about grand palace, wat po, river boat ride... any other absolute musts?

 

[murabiflowers]

Oh Rosie, how wonderful!! I'm so envious!!

I was supposed to be going next year (you may or may not know that husband's family is from Thailand) but it has been postponed for a variety of reasons which I'll not bother you with just now.

I lived there for 7 wonderful years so can claim to know the place quite well. Let me know how long you are staying and are you going outside Bangkok. PM me if you like and I'll give you as much info as I can.

Have a wonderful time

Love

 

[JulieJ]

You lucky thing, I too am very envious.

I would really recommend going to Ayuttaya, it is a day trip but if you like ancient cities and ruins and history it is a MUST!

Have fun.