SPA

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m hai culture, which has long had historically
' infience from Indian nrltur~has longstanding
tradition of massage and wellness techniques.
In fact. Thai massane is a centuries old practice that is
&ed 'on stimulating the flow of life foke through the
body via sib sen, or energy lines.
Consequently there are a number of opportunities in Thailand
to visit a day spa in order to experience Thai massage or check
yourself into a world-famous spa and wellness retreat that can
design a treatment package, including meals or fasting and holistic or ayurvedic treatments, especially for you.
In fact the range of options is uncountable. Foot massage and
Thai massage parlors, offering their services for as little as
100 baht per hour are found on the streets of Bangkok and
Chiang Mai, as well as along the beaches of Phuket, Samui,
and Pattaya.
Each of these destinations also features more inclusive spas,
which fuse Thai massage with western techniques to provide
oil massages with natural herbs, such as lemongrass, in an environment filled with ornate dtcor and impeccable service.
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Luxury spas and wellness retreats in Phuket, Hua Hin, and
Koh Phangan were established for both health and pampering,
and range from prohibitively expensive and exclusive retreats
designed for global celebrities to beachside resorts that give
yoga instruction overlooking the sea and communal beachside
dinners.
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Thailand: Centre of Excellent Health Care of Asia
Thai spas
Thailand has also earned a reputation as the spa capital of
Asia, apart from being one of the world's fantastic holiday
destinations.
The country boasts a significant number of spas and many of
them are ranked as world-class. The spa business in Thailand
has rapidly grown due to increased customers' demands. Since
1994 many luxurious hotels and resorts have established in-
house spas for their customers and walk-in visitors.
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Nowadays, Thai spa treatments are not anymore an extravagance and the Ministry of Public Health has announced that
all spas have to register with the Medical Registration Dep m e n t of the Ministry (or a Provincial ~ ~ loffice
t h for
hi& standards of the
upco~fltryareas) in order to
industry.
According to the data surveyed by the Office of Export Services, Department of Export Promotion, in 2004, there are altogether about 700 spa operators over Thailand.
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Spa Operators around the world have opted for self-regulation.
Other than the presence of the International Spa Association
0' ISPA, there is not a global organization, agency Or legal
entity responsible for setting global standards for spas per se.
According to the Intelligent S p 2005 research [or
Thailantl, during the period between July 2003 dnd
June 2004 there were approxima&& 3.6 million firThailand's spa sector has witnessed a phenomenal growth. A eign visitors to Thai spas. The benchmarhs fiom #he
study undertaken by the Intelligent Spa reports a growth of lolRst research indicated W 78% of spa visitors wre
64% for the period 2000-2002. Between June 2001and June foreigners including 57% females and 43% /0 Al2002, some 230 Thai spa operators attracted a total of 303 most half of the spas in the country were resort s p
million spa users, out of which 2.5 million, or 79 per cent were and each spa contained 9.4 treatinen! rooms on averoverseas spa patrons contributing a total of US$85 million to ,
- (Source: I n a g e n t Spa R e h e s 2005)
Thailand's foreign exchange earnings. In 2004, Thai spas continued to register a strong growth. They generated 5.3 billion
bath in revenue, exceeding the original target by nearly ten per
cent. The 2005 revenue target is 6.7 billion bath, an increak of
26 per cent. (Source: the Ministry of Public Health)
According to the Intelligent Spa 2005 research for Thacand,
during the period between July 2003 and June 2004 there
were approximately 3.6 million foreign visitors to Thai spas.
The benchmarks fiom the latest research indicated that 78%
of spa visitors were foreigners including 57% females and
43% males. Almost half of the spas in the country were resort
spas and each sga contained 9.4 treatment rooms on average.
(Source: Intelligent Spa Releases 2005)
The cru&e s h q spa
A spa service on a cruise ship.
Spa treatment3
Most spas have saunas, steam rooms, bathtubs, and Jacuzzis.
Spa therapies are focused on the healing process through the 5
physical senses of humans-sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing.
Sight - by decorating places and surroundings to create
an atmosphere that affects humans' emotions.
A unique Thai healing practice is efficiently combined with
the westem-style spa to create the most effective therapy,
which brings a reputation to the country.
Thai spas offer a wide variety of treatments ranging fiom
head to toes. The following are some examples of our popular services which give high satisfaction to customers: traditional Thai massage, body massage, aroma therapy massage,
hot stone massage, facial scrub, body scrub, body wrap, body
mask, hydro therapy & aroma bath, etc.
Spa Tqs
Smell - by using essential oils and herbal treatments.
Avoid being there in peak hours
Taste - by consuming foods or beverages for the purpose
of detoxification.
Ask for treatments'description
Touch - by massaging to relax the body.
Share your personal health history
Hearing - by using music to create a relaxed atmosphere.
Mention any prescription drugs
The health resorts and spas have risen to a new travel trend in
Thailand. Many foreigners who have come and experienced
Thai spas were impressed by our treatments and excellent services at affordable prices.
Get advice regarding the treatment schedule
Anticipate how the treatment willfit into your other plans
Allow enough time for your visit
Source of articte:
Photo Credirs: Ban Ing Nam Health Resort & Spa, www.baningnam.
International Spa Association - www.experienceispa.com, Thai
com, http://blog.ipodref?esh.com, http://justbewellmassage.com
Spa Association - http://www.thaispaassociation.corn,http://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spa-in-Thailand, http://www.thaiwaysmagazine.com, http://www.tourismthailand.org