Massages

Nuad Thai or Thai massage (Thai: นวดแผนไทย, RTGS: nuad phaen thai or นวดแผนโบราณ, RTGS: nuad phaen boran) has been inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list since December 2019.

According to legend, the founder of Thai massage and medicine was Chiwaka Komaraphat (ชีวกโกมารภัจจ์ Chi Wok Ko Ma Raphat), who, according to the Pali Buddhist canon, was the Buddha's physician over 2500 years ago.

He is mentioned in ancient documents as having extraordinary medical skills, knowledge of herbal medicine, and for having treated important people of his time, including the Buddha himself.

In contemporary Thailand, the Ministry of Public Health distinguishes between two categories of traditional Thai massage: therapeutic massage and massage for health promotion.