The 800-hours Thai Massage Training Course Curriculum in Thailand

 Published: Jul 30, 2019 | Revised: Sep 10, 2023

The 800-hours Thai Massage Training Course Curriculum in Thailand

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Therapeutic Thai Massage in Thailand is regarded as a branch of Traditional Thai Medicine (TTM). The Thai Ministry of Public Health regulates the registration and licensing of TTM practitioners and the conditions wherein Thai Medical Doctors, and Thai Pharmacy, Thai Midwifery, and Thai Massage therapists practice their profession.

Note that Buddhism and its rites and rituals are likewise considered part of TTM but there’s no specific regulation from out the Thai Ministry of Public Health guiding this practice. Buddhism is basically the responsibility of temples, monasteries and national Buddhist institutes.

1. Introduction

The Ministry of Public Health has developed standard study curricula for the TTM profession. For Thai Massage (Nuad Thai) we find the therapeutic Thai Massage 800-hours course (total duration of training not less than 2 years), the Thai Traditional Medicine assistant course of 330 hours, and a 372-hour Thai Massage therapy training also called Thai Royal Massage training, among some other official training syllabi.

Most of the time, the 800-hours Thai Massage study will be offered by colleges & universities that have a Thai Traditional Medicine faculty attached to them or one can study under apprenticeship with an authorized licensed TTM practitioner (although the latter situation is relatively rare).

2. The 800-hours Thai Massage Course Curriculum

Officially, the total duration of training should not be less than 2 years, with a theoretical part not less than 290 hours, a practical training part not less than 210 hours, and a professional real-life experience part not less than 300 hours. This makes a total of 800 hours of training divided up into:

Basic professional subjects
1. Philosophy and basics of Thai Traditional Medicine – 50 hours
2. Code of professional conduct and law – 30 hours
3. Health promotion the Thai way – 30 hours
4. Patient care – 15 hours
5. National health system – 15 hours

Thai Massage subjects
1. Human Body & Anatomy – 75 hours
2. Etiology of diseases and diagnosis 1 – 25 hours
3. Etiology of diseases and diagnosis 2 – 20 hours
4. Thai Massage 1 – 70 hours
5. Thai Massage 2 – 70 hours
6. Thai Massage 3 – 70 hours
7. The use of Thai Herbal medicines & massage instruments – 30 hours

Professional experience training
1. 100 treatment cases – 300  hours

3. Trainers in Thailand

At Thai Colleges and Universities with a faculty of TTM or Oriental medicines you may find the 2-year 800-hours Thai Massage course offered. Sometimes these trainings are open for international students, sometimes only for Thai students (or for those who speak the Thai language fluently). You can find more info about TTM faculties in our post Thai Massage College and University Courses in Thailand.

A few private Thai Massage schools in Thailand offer the 800-hours Thai Massage training. Below some examples:





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