I’m Katae and I’ve been a passionate practitioner of Unesco’s prestigious heritage listed  Nuad Thai traditional Thai massage since qualifying as a massage therapist in Korat (Nakhon Ratchasima) over fifteen years ago.

Korat, if you’re unfamiliar with the name, is Thailand’s third largest city by population, and home to 180,000 people. Furthermore, its considered to be Thailand’s second city – as second place Nonthaburi’s actually a suburb of Bangkok – and it’s home to Thailand’s ‘Second Army’ group.

Korat’s in Isan: Thailand’s poorest but, also it’s largest region (approximately half the size of Germany); four hours drive north east of Bangkok

Isan is also a language (think of Scottish Gaelic or Welsh Cymraeg) that’s similar to what’s spoken in Laos.
It’s our first language, and spoken in the home and village. However, once we attend school we are taught in Thai.
As Korat has its own dialect/language English’s therefore my fourth language!
When I arrived in  the UK in 2017 I spoke little English, and  I’m still learning.
So, please be patient!

I qualified as a massage therapist by attending evening classes after work.

Studying human anatomy: about the muscles in the human body; and how they work was an enjoyable challenge.

With over fifteen year’s experience as a working massage therapist I’ve become intuitive to my clients’ needs and gain great satisfaction from helping alleviate clients’ suffering by working on their problem areas such as muscles. tendons or sciatic nerves…

Since obtaining a certificate in Thai massage I subsequently gained certificates in aromatherapy massage and reflexology. And I’ve never stopped learning undertaking courses and workshops (mostly by monks in temples) and through watching experts, masters and teachers of Traditional Thai Massage…

But the real learning comes from practising and having great mentors. Very early in my new career I was employed by a Thai massage therapist guru called Vittaya. Work in his shop commenced at 5am for ‘training’ and I’d carefully observe how he massaged the monks, for woman cannot touch monks! Vittaya on account of his skills was in great demand by the powerful and influential in the city. Furthermore, it was with Vittaya that I made my first trip abroad, going to the capital of Laos to massage wealthy clients in Vientiane.

Thai massage is very popular: from communal premises that consist of many mattresses on the floor to Spas catering for the affluent. I learnt my trade in a variety of such shops. When there’s no customers we’d massage each other, which is also a learning curve.

The Spas in Korat’s Mall was where I first massaged non-Thais and learnt to adapt the strength of my massage for customers from the U.S.A., Canada, Australia, U.K., Japan, and many European countries.

One Englishman however, who’d been left slightly paralysed on his left side by a stroke, required me to apply strong pressure to relieve his pain and referred to me thereafter as ‘steel fingers’!

I massaged Americans whilst in Korat. Many, having served from 1962 to 1975 at Korat airbase – the U.S Air Force’s largest front-line facility in Thailand – never left after the Vietnam War!

Furthermore, since 1981, approximately 7,000 American service personnel have descended on Korat annually every February for Cobra Gold. The annual joint military exercises are also attended by military personnel from Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea.
In addition, every March US, Singaporean and Thai Air Forces participate in the Cope Tiger joint exercises at the Korat Royal Thai Air Base.

Prior to emigrating to the UK I’d a regular client base whom I visited in their homes in Korat. The majority were wives of high ranking police officers. Moreover, such was the demand for my skills that many wives would send their drivers to collect me.

I prefer working for myself: building a relationship with clients and having the satisfaction of relieving their stress and tension in joints and muscles.

I hope to see you soon!

• 01282 859 531
• 07434 516 900
• m.me/aromdeemassagetherapy
• Katae@aromdeemassagetherapy.co.uk