HOW OLD
IS THAI MASSAGE?
BY DREW HUME
Almost everwhere we look for Thai Massage on the internet, we find that famous quote "Thai Massage is an ancient practice that's older than 2500 years!". But, is it really? How would we know?
Ideally there'd be written records of Thai Massage practice that we can refer to that clearly identifies a practice that is at least recognisable to modern-day practitioners.
Unfortunately, these records don't exist - at least in any place that has been searched thus far.
One of the main reasons that "Thai" Massage as we know it could not have been around for 2500 years is the simple fact that modern-day Thailand has only been occupied by the Thai people for approximately the last 1000 years.
Without a doubt they brought their healing practices with them as they migrated, yet these practices have certainly been adapted and changed since that time and would likely not resemble anything we would recognise today as Thai yoga massage.
So what can we say, and how can we represent the facts clearly?
Concepts and philosophies employed in traditional Thai healing arts certainly date back to the time of the Buddha (2500 years).
There is no clear records of it's "creation" or development, suggesting that not only did it adapt over time, it also came into practice gradually and with input from many healers.
We can also say with confidence that the modern practice of Thai Massage (and the teaching methods) are much more modern and have been in use for the last 50-100 years.
So whilst we utilize ancient ideas, the practice itself is much more modern than we are often told.