Evaluating Domestic and Overseas Thai Massage Study Programs

We have unfortunately heard horror stories from students who have had very negative experiences with organizations who did not deliver what they promised, and in some cases took advantage of unsuspecting or naive students. We offer the following recommendations when choosing a Thai massage school or Thailand study program.

• Any request for large amounts of money up front, before you are in class, should make you immediately suspicious. A business that operates this way is probably cash-starved or worse. No legitimate Thai massage school will require this. Be particularly alert if you are approached with hyperbole and "rug salesman"language, promising huge discounts, tons of free bonus offers, and the like. Serious Thai massage schools are not used car lots and do not operate like one.
• As in other areas of life, if something just sounds too good to be true, it probably is. One program is currently being aggressively marketed as "free" (which of course it is not). We strongly recommend that you do your research in this case. This individual has changed their tactics from money up front because apparently it didn't work. We have heard very negative reports about this individual and recommend that you be very diligent and cautious (see the next item).
• Ask to speak with 3 recent attendees of the program (phone or in person, not just email). This is an excellent guide as to a program's strengths and weaknesses. Any serious school will have no problem providing you with references.
• If a program claims affiliation with professional organizations, you can easily verify their affiliation with an email or phone call. Thousands of dollars is certainly worth a few minutes of your time.
• If you are taking a trip, understand clearly what the tour operator is obligated to provide, and what happens if they obviously do not deliver on what they promise. Get a hard itinerary. What happens if you are forced to leave early, or the provider has to cancel some or all of a trip? Before you place lots of money and your well-being in their hands, be sure that your legal rights are clearly expressed in writing. Do not place a deposit or travel without speaking to recent customers - and ask about their experience in detail.
• That being said, Thailand is a friendly and relatively easy country in which to plan your own study tour. Consider carefully whether you want to be locked in to someone else's idea of what you should be doing in this amazing country, not to mention entrusting them to do everything they say they will. Keep in mind that once you are in-country, things are much less expensive than they are in the US. A typical Thai massage costs $6-10 US.