Thai Massage Session Etiquette & Preparations

Before giving a Thai Massage session a Thai Massage practitioner or therapist will always first consider the points mentioned in the article about Precautions & Contraindications.

Apart from the above, a practitioner should think about the state and environment of the session location and about his or her own health and hygiene and those of the receiver.

Preparations for the massage location

• clean and quiet atmosphere;
• good ventilation and temperature;
• preferably spacious;
• clean and comfortable mattress, towels, and pillows;
• appropriate background music is possible, but certainly not necessary (something to ask the receiver).

The practitioner should

• explain the goal of a Thai Massage session if necessary;
• not have a fever, have an infectious disease, or be drunk, or otherwise intoxicated;
• not eat, chew or phone during a session;
• take off jewellery and ornaments;
• wear comfortable, proper and clean clothes;
• take good care of personal hygiene;
• wash hands and feet before the session;
• take care not to touch intimate areas of the receiver;
• avoid heavy breathing during a session;
• not judge the receiver (things like “you are stiff,” “old,” “you don’t take care of your body,” etc).

The receiver should

• get some time to relax, rest, and feel comfortable with the surroundings and the practitioner;
• not have a fever, have an infectious disease, or be drunk, or otherwise intoxicated;
• ideally not have been eating less than an hour before the session;
• take off jewelry and ornaments and mention if he or she wears contact lenses;
• wear comfortable, proper, and clean clothes;
• wash hands and feet before the session.

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