Thai classic massage — no oil, on our massage table

Classic Thai massage combines rhythmic pressure with the hands, thumbs, elbows and knees with joint mobilisation and yoga-inspired stretching. The therapist works along the sen lines — the same energy pathways that traditional Thai medicine is built on — with slow, mindful breathing woven through the stretches.

We perform the treatment fully clothed on our comfortable massage table, without any oil. If you prefer flowing, oil-based movement, we offer the same Thai ritual in three oil variants — listed in the price table below — and if you're after warm herbal-stamp work, that has its own page: Thai herbal stamp massage.

The treatment step by step

1. A short consultation to set your preferred pressure — relaxing or firmer.
2. Work starting at the feet — pressure along the sen lines on the calves and thighs.
3. Leg stretches in yoga-inspired positions.
4. Work on the back — pressure with hands, elbows, sometimes knees.
5. Shoulders, hands and neck — more precise pressure with the thumbs.
6. Finishing on the head and face — gentle work on the temples and neck.

In Thai this massage is called nuad thai. UNESCO traces its beginnings to the villages of old Thailand, where every village had someone people went to for a massage after working in the fields.

At Wat Pho temple in Bangkok, 1,431 stone inscriptions from 1831–1841 have survived, among them texts and illustrations on massage. UNESCO added this collection to its Memory of the World Register in 2011, and in 2019 “Nuad Thai, traditional Thai massage” was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Sources: UNESCO, Nuad Thai, traditional Thai massage (Intangible Cultural Heritage, 2019); UNESCO, Epigraphic Archives of Wat Pho (Memory of the World, 2011).

1. Consultation. A short conversation about how you're feeling, any contraindications and your preferred pressure — the therapist tailors the pace and intensity based on this.

2. Changing. We'll give you comfortable, loose clothing — classic Thai massage is performed clothed, no undressing required. Every massage also begins with a brief foot-washing ceremony.

3. Massage. The session runs 60–120 minutes, usually working from the feet upward at a calm, steady pace. You can ask to change the pressure at any point.

4. Afterwards. A moment of rest and a glass of water. A shower is available on site if you'd like to freshen up before heading back to your day.

Thai massage can be intense. You feel the pressure of thumbs, palms and elbows clearly where your muscles are tight, and the stretches take your body into positions it rarely gets into in everyday life. Pain is not the goal, though. You agree on the pressure with your therapist before the massage, and at any point you can ask for lighter pressure or a gentler stretch.

If this is your first Thai massage, choose the relaxing version, with gentler pressure and a slower pace. Our guides relaxing Thai massage and strong Thai massage explain the difference.

We do not perform classic Thai massage in cases including fresh injuries, inflammation, thrombosis, fever or infection, and — without a prior consultation — during pregnancy. For chronic illnesses please get your doctor's approval beforehand. We cover the full list in our contraindications guide.

Arrive a few minutes early to change and use the shower if you'd like. Avoid a heavy meal right before your session, and always tell your therapist about any discomfort, even minor. A rhythm of every 2–4 weeks works well for keeping the effects up.