Baan Hom Samunphrai A Small Herbal Health

Traditional Thai Massage or 'Nuad Boran' needs no introduction. If you are interested in Baan Hom Samunphrai and have arrived at this point in our website, you certainly won't need to be persuaded of its value. Instead we have chosen a few images taken very recently of Maw Hom and her assistants at work in Chiang Mai, both at her own Centre and at 'The Association of Licensed Thai Traditional Healers' where she teaches the growing number of Thai Maw Nuads (Traditional Medicine Therapists) preparing for the new Ministry of Public Health exams. In the photograph below you can see her conducting a class for Thai professionals at a Traditional Medicine Clinic at a local Buddhist Temple in Chiang Mai.

Maw Hom teaching Thai therapists in Training at Wat Pan Ouan.
No oil, no special attire, no equipment, not even a sheet on this local temple mat on the tiled floor -- just two willing bodies engaged in the ancient healing partnership that is 'Nuad Boran.'

At Baan Hom Samunphrai, we offer Thai Traditional Massage in three forms, the technically rigorous 'Foot Massage' which takes about an hour, the 'Full Set' which takes about two hours, and the Full Therapeutic Massage which is open-ended and may last anywhere from an hour to three hours or more, depending on your needs, your flexibility, and the stage of your injury or problem. Maw Hom always interviews our visitors, and will help you to choose the level that is right for your health, age and physique, as well as the therapist most suitable to you. Maw Hom also offers diagnostic sessions for those with special health problems. Manipulation of the so-called 'acupressure points' and 'energy lines,' for example, is not part of the ordinary Thai Massage, and many foreigners will never have experienced this kind of massage before. In addition to Maw Hom herself, three other members of our staff are qualified to do Therapeutic Massage.

We strongly recommend our herbal applications along with the body massages, either hot Herbal Compresses or a full Herbal Steam Bath followed by a cooling-off period in our relaxing pool. With herb tea too, of course!

We do not offer any massage by the hour, or any Spa treatment just for beauty, relaxation or entertainment.

Before our 'Maw Nuads' begin any massage, they always wai the images of the Buddha and his doctor, Maw Chiwok, on the altar behind them. In the last two photos a German couple are just beginning a two hour massage. If herbal compresses are applied as well a complete massage lasts for three hours.

Foot Massage is an elaborate and moving ritual as well as a profound healing strategy--it is particularly poignant in those hot places in the world where shoes are left outside the door (look and you'll see!). Here the massage therapist is 'Bang,' Maw Hom's sister-in-law. Her two little children, 'Up' and 'Pop,' spice up any activity at Baan Hom Samunphrai!

     THAI TRADITIONAL MASSAGE SERVICES & RATES

Thai Traditional Massage

    Full Set (2 hrs) Bt 600   ($18.00)

    Full Set + Steambath + Pool (3 hrs) Bt 800   ($24.00)

    Full Set + Herbal Compresses + Pool (3 hrs) Bt 900   ($27.00)

Foot Massage (1 hour)

Bt 300

($9.00)

Full Therapeutic Massage (with Maw Hom, Bang or Nit)

    Therapeutic Massage only (no set time)
            plus Steambath (no set time)
            plus Herbal Compresses (no set time)
Bt 1000
Bt 1200
Bt 1300
($30.00)
($36.00)
($39.00)

Herbal Steam Bath + Relaxing Pool + Fresh Ginger Tea (1 hour)

Bt 200 ($6.00)   per person

Dollar rates are calculated at 33 baht = $1.00.