Under the control of the Thai
        Ministry of Education:
      Chor Mor 04-004/2554

   TRAINING COURSES

The Baan Hom Samunphrai School offers training courses in Thai Traditional Massage and related herbal therapies at all levels. Whether you're a beginner or an advanced practitioner, our teaching is very hands-on and personal. Maw Hom also encourages the individual to discover his or her own strengths and strategies, as every healer is individually built and uniquely endowed. Age matters too, as do cultural habits--some 'Nuad Boran' positions are physically impossible for some westerners, for example, but that doesn't mean they can't be adapted to western talents. Indeed, if you're one of those who fears you may not be able to do it, come to us for support and encouragement. Equally, if you're a professional with years of experience come to us for renewal, tuning and, so important to all in-depth body-work, inspiration that really touches the earth!

     

Maw Hom teaches many aspects of Thai Traditional Medicine. Left to right. 1.) She teaches professional therapists who are preparing to take the new Thai Ministry of Public Health exams at a local Buddhist temple-clinic ; 2.) young westerners who are learning to prepare and use herbal compresses; 3.) and traditional healers from all over the world who want to know more about old herbal medicines and how  to use them effectively in a modern context.

  HOW WE WORK.

We award Thai Government Certificates for 60 hours (9 days of study plus 1 day off), 80 hours  (12 days of study plus 1 or 2 days off) or for 150 hours (22 days of study plus 3 days off). On occasion we offer shorter workshops as well,  but we are not permitted to award official certificates for shorter periods.

What is really different about us is that we do not stream our students. We restrict our classes to a maximum of 12 students, and that means Homprang and her 3 Assistants can give personal attention to everybody --  indeed, it's not surprising at all to see a naturally gifted beginner working beside a professional, or to see a professional voluntarily starting again on the fundamentals of technique as if he or she were a professional golfer working with a new swing coach, or a violinist even better!

The day begins with 1 hour of  Rasidaton (Thai Yoga). Breakfast is then at 8am followed by 6 hours of class from 9am-12 and 1pm-4pm, making a total of 7 hours of work per day. 

Almost all our students live with us at the School in our Full Room & Board ('Full Pension') Accommodations, and use all our facilities, including the herbal steam baths free of charge. We also welcome Non-Live-in students, though we feel they miss a lot by not participating more fully in Maw Hom's life and family outside of class.

  RASIDATON (Thai Yoga)

Every day begins at 7am with 1 hour of  'Rasidaton,' an ancient yoga-like warm-up based on the Thai Massage movements and stretches. We are one of the very few schools that offer full instruction in this Traditional Thai ritual-movement -- Homprang herself leads the practice everyday before breakfast, even during her Herbal courses.

      

The class begins with the students chanting a Pali invocation asking for help and protection from the Buddha and his personal doctor, Maw Chiwok--the latter sits garlanded with jasmine just below the Buddha on the shrine in our  training space. This invocation is followed by one hour of Rasidaton, a Thai Yoga developed by another disciple of the Buddha, the forest hermit, Rusi--he usually sits next to Maw Chiwok in Thai medical shrines.

    

Above you can see 3 different groups doing the Rasidaton at 7am with Homprang. In fact it's not difficult for anyone, based as it is on the Thai Traditional  Massage movements and stretches. On the other hand, those trained in Hatha Yoga seem to get as much from it as those who have never done yoga before in their lives. And Homprang is one of the very few Thai Massage teachers in the world who includes an hour of it in every class every day.

 

                 A CLASS PORTRAIT  (80 Hour Thai Massage)  

Screened on all sides, our Training Sala has 3 sets of double mats along each wall, and Homprang and her assistants, in this case her sister-in-law, Ajarn Bang, and her French Intern, Jamtsho, work from the center aisle, enabling all of the students to keep in contact with everything that's happening.

There are 12 students in the class - Bang is top-center in green, Jamtsho is bottom-right, and Homprang has just stood up from the tan cushion on the left to take the photo.

The 2nd photo shows you how Bang helps Inga (Latvian) with her hand position (her model is Nuala from Ireland). (It's a bit chilly in the morning at this time of year in Chiang Mai, hence the green blanket -- but no sweaters on the workers!)

    

It's always fun and always roly-poly. On the left below, Naima from Brooklyn, N.Y. shares her notes with Ornthira, a Thai from New Zealand, while Elaine (Channel Islands) and Michelle (Jamaican-American) work more on Irish Nuala.

 In the final photo everybody's yellow from working with fresh herbal compresses. The only one you don't know is Giulia from Vienna in front. And age range, you ask? In this class the youngest is 20 and the oldest 63 -- and they're all there right in front of you, believe it or not.

      

Having looked at these photos you might like to compare the mood and body language you see in Homprang's western students above with the photos of her Thai students working with her at a much larger class in town. Click Here, and I think you'll agree that Homprang manages to create the same sense of ease, pleasure and well-being in both worlds.

                                                      

                                       "Hands & legs yellow with hot herbal compress oils. Good!"

                        2024 TRAINING COURSE RATES

LIVE-IN TRAINING -- per person per day.

The basic Live-in Training Course rate of Bt 2,400 ($69.00) per Study Day includes a room of your own and 3 meals a day. The class begins with 1 hour of Rasidaton (Thai Yoga) at 7am followed by 6 hours of Training from 9am to 4pm.  Students can also use the Baanhom  facilities free of charge  including the pool, the Steam Baths, the wifi, and our bicycles.

Days-off and Extra-days  -- Bt 1,200 ($35.00) per person per day. The fee includes everything but the course work.

Any student can be accompanied by a non-training partner or friend who will be charged at the ordinary Guest Rate for meals and housing, and as a perk can join their student partners in the steam baths free of charge. We sometimes have couples with young children as well -- one parent/partner/relative babysitting while the other is studying.

(Transportation by Grab, tuk tuk or song taew will cost about 200 baht for a morning pick-up and the same again for an evening return. An alternative for a non-live-in student is to rent a motorcycle, or even a bicycle.)

 [The Exchange Rate on December 20th,, 2024):  $1.00 = Bt 34.44; €1.00 = Bt 35.77] 

            BAAN HOM SAMUNPHRAI TRAINING NOTEBOOKS

             
          56pps with 183 photos + Rasidaton                  68pps with 220 photos + Rasidaton                 92pps with 308 photos & diagrams

                
         36pps + photos, diagrams & text              60pps with 234 photos + diagrams                  52pps + photos, diagrams + text        
                            + Rasidaton                                                           +Rasidaton                                                       + Rasidaton

                        M.O.E. CERTIFICATE COURSES
                                                                                               ($1.00 = Bt 34.44; €1.00 = Bt 35.77)

We are a fully licensed Thai Ministry of Education school, and offer M.O.E. Certificates for 60 hours (9 study days), 80 hours (12 study days) and 150 hours (22 study days). All our courses include one day-off for every week of study.

You can click here for more on our Licenses and Credentials.

The 2024 live-in fee is Bt 2400 per day, and covers everything: the course, room & board (Full Pension), steam baths and transportation into Chiang Mai when needed.

There is no surcharge added for those who need a nearby bathroom (we have only a few of those, and those who really need them get priority). All our toilets and showers are clean and modern, and are at most down a short flight of stairs from each bedroom.

The 2024 Non-live-in fee is Bt 1800 per day, and, in addition to the 6 hour class work, includes the Rasidaton at 7am, breakfast at 8am, lunch at noon, and a herbal steam bath after class at 5.30pm.  As there is still some Covid risk involved we are still being cautious about this option.)

60 Hour Womblifting with Postpartum Care.

      9 days study days  plus 1 day off. 

2024 Cost: Bt 22,900 ($664.00)(€631.00) for 10 days live-in.

Topic: Our Calendar makes the focus of each workshop very clear, but there are always surprises depending on the special interests and experience of the participants. The following video illustrates that beautifully -- the unique testimonial of a Canadian Thai Massage Therapist with many years of experience.

The Womblifting Course is a unique experience, one that changes lives. You can click here for the 4 minute  Womblifting Testimonial  filmed  by Candise Pearce in Chiang Mai last December. We feel no one has ever expressed better what Homprang's Womblifting is really about. (Apologies for the ads -- you can click to Skip them.)

Candise Pearce from Vancouver, B.C., practicing with her colleague, Trina Williams, a fellow student and therapist from Maryland.

There is more discussion of what is specifically involved in Womblifting if you go here and then scroll down to 'Womblifting.' In addition there is a whole album of  related  activities in the gallery on the Homepage here. A very popular course, it is often full so be sure to get your deposit in early to be sure of a place.

80 Hour Thai Massage ('Nuad Boran' & 'Rasidaton'). 12 days study plus 1 day off.

2024 Cost: Bt 30,000  for 13 days live-in. ($870.00)(€827.00)

Topic: Thai Traditional Massage is called 'Nuad Boran' in Thai, and 'Rasidaton' is the Thai Yoga that is so important in the training and practice of a Thai Massage practitioner. This course concentrates on the classic two hour Thai Massage: legs, arms, side, prone and sitting positions. Because technique with fluency is the focus,  the stomach, face, and head are not included in this course, they are so intimate and particular. The modern tendency is to focus on the harder, more esoteric maneuvers at the expense of the simple grace, touch and flow of a whole, harmonious massage, yet the latter is far more difficult to acquire than any of the parts --  and once you've developed bad habits, grace, touch and flow are really hard to recover!

Hardworking beginners can learn the full Thai Massage 'set' in this course, while professionals can improve their technique, refine their touch, and learn how to look after both themselves and their clients even better. Rasidaton (Thai Yoga) is included in all Homprang's courses, but it's particularly important in this one as it is the Thai massage therapist's best friend, constant guide, and guardian against injury and burn-out. This is the perfect course to begin with, and also the perfect course to catch up with, to refresh and reconsider at any point in a Thai Massage therapist's career.

150 hour Complete Thai Massage Course. 22 days study plus 3 days off.

2024 Cost: Bt 56,400 ($1535.00)((€1555.00) for a total of 25 days live-in. 

Suitable for serious beginners who want to go as far as possible in one go as well as for experienced Thai Massage students and professionals. This is the bread and butter course, it's where all the parts come together.

Topic: Thai Traditional Massage. This course also covers the whole Thai Traditional  Massage, legs, arms, side, prone and sitting positions, but from the very start adds on a detailed study of the energy points and sen lines. There is as well a strong emphasis on the much more technical abdomen, face, and head. A very popular herbal compress day is included, both the identification and preparation of the herbs and the technical application of the compresses, and there are always interludes for the unexpected, walking-massage with sticks, for example, curious lifts, flips and roll-overs. The course has a strong academic element, and students frequently practice on each other in the evening after dinner to prepare  for the written and practical exams at the end.

150 hour Therapeutic Massage Course. 22 days study plus 3 days off.

         2024 Cost: Bt 56,400 ($1637.00)(€1555.00) for a total of 25 days live-in.  

       Open to all Advanced Students and Professional Therapists with
       experience  in Thai Acupressure Massage or in other energy work
       like Shiatsu.

Topic: Thai Therapeutic (Acupressure) Massage for Serious Conditions. This course assumes the practitioner is not only familiar with the complete Thai Traditional  Massage (or equivalents like Shiatsu) but has practiced for a substantial amount of time or, even better, worked as a Professional Therapist.

The 150 hour Therapeutic Massage Course concentrates on the acupressure points and sen lines that are used to treat specific conditions, injuries and ailments that go beyond what is usually thought of as 'Thai Massage:' stroke damage, migraine, and frozen limbs, for example. The abdominal area is explored in much greater depth as well, and the 'Royal Style' is taught as a special aid in the treatment of serious illnesses and injuries during the long, slow rehabilitation-type massages that are so effective at healing -- most Baan Hom Samunphrai students will have had at least one 3 or even 4 hour therapeutic massage with Ajarn Bang, Ajarn Vichean, Ajarn Ann or Ajarn Phikun after class, so they know just how much care, intelligence, concentration and, yes, patience are involved.

Serious students and professionals may opt to take this course more than once as the topics are constantly evolving, and each annual offering will be different. Homprang and her colleagues in Chiang Mai are constantly sharing new developments with one another as well as finding new angles on old  practices that still live on in the countryside, or are found stashed away in royal closets.

Click on the Title to see the FOREWORD & INDEX to the 150 Hour Therapeutic Massage  Book.

150 hour ADVANCED Therapeutic Massage Course. 22 days study plus 3 days off.

         2024 Cost: Bt 56,400 ($1637.00)((€1555.00)) for a total of 25 days live-in.  

       Open to all Advanced Students and Professional Therapists who have already taken Homprang's  150hr Therapeutic Course

This is an ad hoc class for Professional Therapists who have already taken Homprang's 150hr Special Therapeutic Course at least once, have been using the techniques they  learned from that experience in their own practices, and would like to be involved with Homprang and other professional colleagues in the development of new techniques and therapies. Homprang's two new Manuals for the Therapeutic Massage Course and the Womblifting Course with unique illustrations by Ariana Deitze will be available to all the participants, and some sort of Special Supplement will be begun during the course.

A new Course Description will be drafted after the Course has been held for the first time from January 3rd to the 27th, 2025, and Supplements will be appended from time to time as new strategies and treatments evolve. The course will be offered at most once a year.
 

   A Practical Demonstration of Thai Therapeutic Massage.

 

These before & after photos were taken by Brie Jacobs of Toms River, New Jersey on Sunday, June 14th, 2015  at a small annomai (local village  clinic) near Doi Intanon. Organized by her organization, The  Association of Licensed Thai Traditional Healers, Homprang worked on the crippled left leg of this patient for over an hour using some of the special acupressure techniques she had just been teaching her western students, who were watching. The result was astonishing -- a huge inspiration and uplift  for everybody, westerner and Thai alike.

Whenever possible, Homprang integrates such experiences into her courses -- you can scroll down  for more photos of her western students involved in local Thai programs.  

 HERBAL THERAPIES, WOMB-LIFTING,  & OTHER
 TRADITIONAL THAI MEDICINE  ACTIVITIES

               Below are photos of some of the special activities Maw Hom has included in recent workshops.

(l. to r.) Homprang goes every day to the earth market where she buys most of our food ; she shows how to open a coconut with a machete to make Mian Kham; she measures out the ingredients to make Tiger Balm. (She either grows the herbs  or collects them  in the wild in our neighborhood.)

 
 ( l. to r.) How to eat Mian Kham: newly made herbal compresses; preparing a herbal hot-pot for Womb-lifting; Womb-lifting with
Thai therapists in an outdoor workshop at Baan Hom. 

(l. to r.) Getting into it up to the waist in the herb garden; Homprang demonstrating herbal compresses to two Asian-American students; a student undergoing the 'hot-foot' therapy at a local Thai clinic (such a visit is always a high-point of a Herbal Therapies workshop!).

 You can click on the titles below to see some SAMPLE WORKSHOPS (every class is different

                     depending on the specific interests and experience  of the participants):  

A 60 Hour Herbs & Food as Medicine Workshop.

A 60 Hour Womblifting & Post-Partum Care Workshop.

A New Zoom of some of Homprang's Herbal Work:

"HERBS for WOMEN & POST-PARTUM CARE."

  

CLICK BELOW for the VIDEOS of a 46 minute Zoom Presentation entitled "Herbs for WOMEN." Homprang delivered it live on February 24th, 2021 at the  Annual Thai Massage and Medicine Gathering organized by Rose J. Grsicom of the Institute of Thai Massage in New Jersey and Nephyr Jacobsen of The Naga Center School of Traditional Thai Medicine in Oregon, USA.

You can click on the titles to view  Part I (12 minutes)  -   "Introduction to Herbs for Women;

                                                     Part II (9 minutes)   -  "Post-Partum Care;" 

                                                     Part III (16 minutes) - "Preparing Abdominal Compresses;"

                                                     Part IV (9 minutes)   -   "Application of Abdominal Compresses." 

    THE DETAILS: Enrollment, Changing Money & Visas