BREAKING NEWS: Thailand Travel Advisory 

Updated February 16th, 2010. The violence in the streets of Bangkok now seems something of the distant past, and although many political problems still remain they are being dealt with where they belong, in discussion and policy making.

What happened was certainly a mile-stone in the development of Thailand, as  for the first time in a major crisis the army did not actually take over. Looking back at the way the soldiers conducted themselves during the riots and protests, everybody feels confident that another coup is very unlikely to  happen ever again.

We will continue to observe the situation carefully, but for the moment we see no reason why foreigners should change their plans. Thailand is as safe as anywhere else in the world, just different. Which is, of course, its great joy.

About the only problem at the moment is that you sometimes have to put on a sweater in the evening -- but then we light a fire!

Courses Already Formed or Forming

Students can enroll for courses on the following dates.

(Classes are closed at a maximum of 8 students, so please do visit, e-mail, or phone us promptly.)

 

2.)  January 23rd to Feb 1st, 2010    Thai Massage Training Course.    5 or10 days                 (completed)

3.)  February 3rd to 12th, 2010      Thai Massage Training Course.    5 or10 days                     (in progress)

4.)  February 19th to 28th, 2010     Thai Massage Training Course.   5 or10 days                     (limited places)

We only post these dates to help you--we are very flexible and can start a course at any time. If you have a more convenient date in mind, please do propose it to us and we will do our best to build a course around it.

NEW:  Special Reduced Rates.

All Live-In Students are now guaranteed our lowest rate of Bt 2000 per day even if only one student signs up--and that includes everything: a private room of your own with 3 delicious meals, 1 hour of Thai yoga plus 6 hrs of teaching, the illustrated Baan Hom Practitioner's Notebook, steam baths, bicycles, internet, and transportation to and from Chiang Mai. The only additional cost is for wine or beer if you wish. There is also an extra charge for our 2 Training DVDs of 300 baht each.
 

Discounts for Thai Healing Alliance Members apply to our Live-in Courses, and cover
not only the Baan Hom Samunphrai  training fees but our room & board charges as well. Click on the THAI Logo
on the left to learn more about the Thai Healing Alliance Scholarship and Study Discount programs.

The Second Annual Thaitherapeutics 'Thai Massage Tour' will take place from November 28th to December 19th, 2010. For a glimpse of what it will be like you can check out the photographs of this year's session just below. You should contact D'vorah Swarzman at www.thaitherapeutics.com/ well in advance as bookings have already started--there are considerable savings for early enrollment as well (we look forward to meeting yet more of you here again next year!).

2009 'THAI MASSAGE TOUR'

The January 2009 Thai Therapeutics Massage Tour was organized by the well-known Therapist and Teacher from Ashland, Oregon, D'vorah Swarzman, and was attended by 8 professional students.  Lasting 3 weeks, the Tour  included an intensive 12 day course in 'Nuad Boran' with Homprang Chaleekanha, as well as a daily 7am workshop in 'Rasidaton' (Thai Yoga). 'Maw Hom' also arranged visits to other local Thai healers and herbalists in the Chiang Mai area right on up to the Burmese border. Other activities included meditation, temple visits, bicycling, whitewater rafting, Thai cooking, and a special 5 days at the end with D'vorah's own personal teacher, Master Pichet Boonthumee.

Here are a few photos taken at Baan Hom Samunphrai on the final day, January 23rd, 2009.

   It was chilly on the final morning!

  But everybody warmed up by the exam--

  ...and was duly admitted to Club Hom

...and that meant to Party, of course-- with Pimon 'Ot' Singhasin (click for a sample), who plays the wonderful music on our new Nuad Boran DVD. (The visiting guitarist is Skye Darkness McCloud of Breitenbush, Oregon--the one who just received his certificate from Maw Hom in the previous photo!)

This special Thai-Yoga Massage Reise (Tour Group) for German speakers at Baan Hom Samunphrai will take place this year from November 13th to 25th, 2010. Organized by our good friend, the Swiss therapist and painter, Elizabeth Zollinger, the session will include a full course in Thai Traditional Massage with Homprang Chaleekanha as well as health related activities and outings in the Chiang Mai area. A high-point will be a 2 day trip to Chiang Dao on the Burmese border including the holy mountain, the caves, the medicinal market, meditation center, waterfalls and hot-springs.

For those who wish to stay on Elizabeth Zollinger will also organize a sojourn on the beautiful island of Koh Tao in the Andaman Sea.

For further information click on the Logo on the left--and you don't have to be Swiss what is more German speaking to join. Elizabeth is fluent in English and lives in the Aran Islands in Ireland, and Homprang, after all, is Thai!

LINKS TO A FEW SITES THAT PHOTOGRAPH AND TALK ABOUT US: 

You can visit this site to read a recent article, "Le massage Nuad Boran avec Maitre Homprang," in the June 2009 issue of the French magazine, Les Nouvelles Esthetiques. By the well-known therapist and health journalist, Guy Dumont, the article has beautiful photographs too. Click here to go to the magazine: http://www.nouvelles-esthetiques.com/magazine/sommaire&annee=2009&mois=06  Click here to find a PDF file you can download: http://www.guydumont.com/gd_page.php?s=5.2#110  You can also buy it on the newstands in Europe.

You can visit this site for some recent photos by a French student--and a fascinating commentary on Thailand en français!www.ericeloethugo.blogspot.com  . And here's another page from the same site with a much fuller account of Baan Hom--also in French, of course. Click Here and scroll down to "samedi 1 novembre 2008." 

Visual commentary of a very striking sort from Gonga and Tara on www.universalfellowshipoflight.com--we feel fortunate to be photographed by visitors with such sensitivity for the Buddhist as well as folk traditions of Thailand!  

Expert assessment from Robert Byrnes of Phoenix, Arizona on his Synchronicity Massage Newsletter. He writes some of the most informative and on-moving Massage Therapy commentary that we've seen.

More earth-y commentary on  w.w.w.realtravel.com, this time by the well-known L.A. environmentalist, Andy Lipkis, founder of Tree People: Click Here as well  for a more specific review with more photos & lots of stars.