More massage therapists to be trained to counter shortage

Thailand’s public health ministry has launched an initiative to address a critical shortage of massage therapists, aiming to train 7,000 new professionals while enhancing the skills of existing practitioners.

This move seeks to elevate the profession, improve patient outcomes, and boost the country’s health economy, estimated to be worth nearly 200 billion baht.

Public Health minister Somsak Thepsuthin announced the initiative at a press conference on Sunday, emphasising the ministry's commitment to promoting and upgrading Thai traditional massage.

“By enhancing the profession and professionalising Thai massage, we aim to build trust among service recipients and encourage its use as a complementary treatment alongside conventional medical approaches,” Somsak said.
 

The Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine department along with the Department of Health Services Support, and the Council of Thai Traditional Medicine are spearheading efforts to increase specialisations for Thai massage therapists. This will enable practitioners to effectively address seven common chronic conditions and improve patients’ quality of life:

• Muscle and fascial pain (Office syndrome)
• Shoulder diseases
• Locked-finger disease
• Hip muscle impingement (diamond carving pain)
• Herniated disc
• Paralysis
• Reproductive system disorders

“Beyond the increased earnings for massage therapists, the addition of these specialisations will significantly enhance the value of the health economy and solidify Thailand's position as a global health hub,” Somsak added. “We will continue to expand the range of specialised skills for Thai massage therapists to ensure a more comprehensive and diverse skill set.”
 

Kosit Suvinitjit, an advisor to the Health Ministry, highlighted the current shortage of approximately 70,000 massage therapists, comprising 50,000 professional masseurs and 20,000 professional therapists. The massage industry contributes significantly to the economy, generating an estimated 200 billion baht annually. Revenue from professional massage is approximately 46.5 billion baht, while revenue from professional therapy is 143.616 billion baht.

For professional masseurs, the estimated shortage stands at 50,000.

With a minimum wage of 150 baht per hour, a masseur working six hours daily could earn 900 baht, translating to approximately 20,000 baht per month.

By addressing this shortage through targeted training, the industry could generate an additional 12 billion baht annually in revenue. Furthermore, this would lead to a 2.5-fold increase in establishment revenue, reaching 30 billion baht per year, and a significant boost in the demand for herbal products, estimated at 4.5 billion baht per year.

For professional therapists, the estimated shortage is 20,000. With a minimum fee of 800 baht per patient, a therapist treating ten patients daily could earn 8,000 baht, translating to approximately 176,000 baht per month.

Addressing this shortage could generate an additional 42.24 billion baht annually in revenue from professional therapy services. This would subsequently double establishment revenue to 84.48 billion baht per year and increase the demand for herbal products to 16.896 billion baht per year.