Experience Thailand Study Tour

Experience Thailand Study Tour - Three Weeks

Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Island Excursion

Organizers and Travel Partners : Elevate Massage Training - Charlene and Jeffrey

January 2024

The Experience Thailand Study Tour starts in Bangkok with visits to the historic old town district of Rattanakosin Island and the modern, big city district of Sukhumvit to trace the history of Thai medicine and massage from the first formal massage school in the country to a modern day spa experience. The tour continues on to the charming northern city of Chiang Mai that is world famous for the study and practice of Thai Massage. We will study Thai Massage, receive Thai massage in different types of establishments and visit more historical sites related to Thai massage and Thai culture. Prior to leaving Chiang Mai we will spend one day caring for elephants at our favorite Elephant Sanctuary in the countryside. This trip finishes with a rejuvenating vacation to one of Thailand’s beautiful islands before returning home to practice and share your new Thai Massage skills with clients.  Additionally, you’ll enjoy neighborhood walking tours, memorable meals, exciting group excursions and an abundance of opportunities to receive Thai Massage around every corner. You’ve come all this way - why settle for exploring just one region of Thailand when the others are just a plane or ferry ride away!

Please note that this is a focused trip designed for professional bodyworkers who are interested in studying and receiving Thai massage, visiting sites related to the practice of Thai massage/medicine, connecting with Thailand culture and rejuvenating themselves with a glorious beach vacation. We are only accepting up to 6 travelers for our 2024 trip and are currently unable to accept any participants that are not professional bodyworkers. Some experience with Thai massage is preferred but not required. You do not need to be a current student of Elevate Massage Training to apply.

Exact dates to be announced soon…this trip normally starts on or around Dec 31st/Jan 1st and, including travel time, runs for approx three weeks. 

TOTAL COST : $5,400 early bird (save $300) through March 31st, after that $5,700

Payments may be made in three installments with the first installment being due upon acceptance of your application.

WHAT’S INCLUDED :

• Here’s what you’ll see and do on our three week Thailand Tour : Bangkok neighborhood walks, Wat Saket (The Golden Mount Temple), Wat Pra Chetphon (Wat Po), The Grand Palace, boat rides on the waterways of Bangkok, Jim Thompson House, Chiang Mai neighborhood walks, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep Ratchaworawihan, Elephant Sanctuary and Thai Massage training.

Plus you’ll get all this, too :

• A small, friendly and like-minded group of up to 6 people.
• Two, one hour trip-planning sessions online with your organizers and fellow travelers (attendance to both online meetings is required).
• Full time services of your two tour organizers, Charlene and Jeffrey who are available to help you with travel planning and make recommendations for things to do in your free time during the trip.
• All group transportation within Thailand.
• Double occupancy accommodations in centrally located boutique hotels and accommodations with friendly staff.
• All breakfasts.
• One Bangkok dinner and one herbal Thai massage spa experience.

What’s Not Included :

• Round Trip International airfare to/from Thailand.
• Domestic travel and airfare within the US.
• Optional activities and independent transportation during the tour outside of group lead events.
• Personal shopping and anything that you do in your free time.
• Cost of food and drink outside of breakfast and planned group dining events.
• Cost of alcoholic beverages.

CE Credits : Please note that CE credit may not be available to LMTs for this study experience. While we do study at reputable, Thailand credentialed schools with highly respected, experienced and registered Thai instructors, we cannot guarantee that these institutions and instructors have registered with any accrediting organizations or state licensure boards in the United States.

PACKING It is imperative that you PACK LIGHT. We strongly recommend one carry-on-sized backpack that does NOT need to be checked at the airport and one personal item such as a small day pack or purse that can easily fit under the seat in front of you on the airplane. We will send you a recommended packing list once you have been accepted to the trip.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS Physical activities are an essential part of this style of travel. Examples of physical activities that you will likely encounter on this trip include :

1. Carrying your own luggage through airports and possibly up and down elevators/stairways to reach your hotel room.
2. Being on your feet, walking and standing, for up to three hours, indoors and outdoors, in all weather conditions.
3. Sitting, kneeling and moving around on the floor for 6 hours during a Thai massage training day.
4. Sleeping with possible city noise and energy-conserving air conditioning systems that require you to be inside the room in order to use them.
5. Showering with varying degrees of hot water and water pressure.
6. Carrying your own toilet tissue when out and about in the city, disposing of toilet tissue in garbage bin instead of toilet.
7. Eating different types of food in different types of restaurants.
8. Navigating Chiang Mai city and the Island town on your own after orientation and transportation lessons (we do not recommend exploring Bangkok on your own due to the enormity of the city and time constraints).
9. A general (and completely normal) experience of jet lag and culture shock that may cause you to feel somewhat discombobulated, tired and/or emotional.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

We do our very best to create a comfortable and enjoyable experience for all that includes Western-style toilets and beds and hot water showers in each room. Western food options are not hard to come by in Thailand but we cannot guarantee it will always be available everywhere we go or as good as all the yummy Thai food that is readily available. Please be sure to tell us about any medical conditions and food allergies/sensitivities when you complete the application. There is also a section on the application for you to ask us any travel-related questions you may have that are not answered here.

APPLICATION

We are only taking a small group so early application is encouraged. 

Applications made from May 1st onward will be reviewed and accepted pending space available on the trip.

Early bird applications are being accepted through April 30th, 2023 

$5,400 early bird payment plan - three payments of $1,800

First Payment Due Upon Acceptance and No Later Than April 30th, 2023

Second Payment Due July 1st, 2023

Third and Final Payment Due August 1st, 2023

Participants who apply and are accepted from May 1st onward

$5,700 - three payments of $1,900

First Payment Due Upon Acceptance and No Later Than June 1st, 2023

Second Payment Due July 1st, 2023

Third and Final Payment Due August 1st, 2023

Upon acceptance you will be required to submit :

• Signed travel and consent form.
• Copy of your passport that is valid for at least six months past your arrival date in Thailand.
• Minimum deposit equal to first payment due (non-refundable).

Once your acceptance is confirmed we will provide you with a recommended packing list and trip planner and other pertinent trip information as necessary and in a timely manner.

Please wait to purchase not refundable airfare or make additional travel plans until you have received notice of acceptance and the finalized trip dates.

The only way to reserve your space is to

• Complete the application.
• Receive the acceptance email.
• Submit all required documentation and signed forms.
• Make the first payment.

If you are unable to make a payment upon acceptance then you will be added to the waitlist until payment is received.

- all credit card transactions will be charged an additional 3.5% transaction fee.

- any refunds issued will also be charged a transaction fee.

We strongly recommend travel insurance in case of emergency.

We are dedicated to helping you have the best trip possible and strive for exceptional service, communication and organization.

Please feel free to get in touch with any questions you might have charlene@elevatemassage.training

We are happy to talk with you more about the trip before you apply.

About Your Tour Organizers

Jeffrey traveled to Thailand for the first time in 1997 after living and working in Korea. Charlene's first visit was in 2014 to study Thai massage. They are both experienced travelers and have traveled many places around the world. Together they have explored much of SE Asia and are always happy to make a return trip to Thailand. The Experience Thailand Study Tour they created in 2016 has become an annual event that they enjoy sharing with other healing arts professionals. 

Linda W. Testimonial

"An amazing trip! I felt like I had my own personal tour guides who were on top of everything and did an excellent job of scheduling each day while leaving flexibility for personal time. It was a great assortment of experiences during the three weeks. The Thai massage training has added new techniques and knowledge to my 20+ years as a therapist. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this grand adventure!"

Laura E. Testimonial

"The school and teachers were awesome. Bangkok, Chiang Mai and the island excursion was a nice progression and I feel as if we saw a lot for a short amount of time. Our business vs. free time ratio was good, too. You did a great job planning and making us feel at home in Thailand wherever we went. The elephant day was literally the best day of my whole life. I appreciate and feel honored to have had the opportunity to share this with you."

SAMPLE ITINERARY 

Itinerary is subject to changes as necessary to create the best travel experience for you. You will receive the exact itinerary for this trip after you've been accepted and the dates have been finalized.

Days One & Two - Domestic and International Travel Days - By the time you add travel time on the front and back end of this trip you are looking at a total of three weeks for the entire experience. Traveling from the USA to Thailand takes about 20 hours including layovers and there is currently no direct flight available from anywhere in the USA.  Most tour participants typically have to take at least one domestic flight within the USA to reach an international airport with available flights to Asia. Although we do not include the cost of airfare with this tour we will facilitate two pre-scheduled group meetings online to help you prepare for travel.

Day Three - Bangkok - Official start of the organized tour and evening group orientation at the hotel.

All participants must arrive at the Bangkok hotel by today, official date to be released soon. If you would like to arrive in Bangkok prior to this day then we will provide you with the name of the hotel so that you may book additional nights on your own.

Day Four - Bangkok - From Old to New, old city temple tour, traditional Thai archetecture in the modern city, herbal Thai Massage and spa experience, dinner downtown

Day Five - Bangkok - Historical Sites of Rattanakosin District, receive Thai Massage at Thailand's first formal Thai Massage school in the old city

Day Six - Fly to Chiang Mai - Welcome walking tour to our Chiang Mai neighborhood 

Day Seven - Chiang Mai - On your own day to relax - ideas : receive Thai Massage and enjoy shopping, music and street food at the night market/walking street

Day Eight - Chiang Mai - Mountain temple tour 

Day Nine - Chiang Mai - Begin one week of Thai Massage training. 

Day Ten - Chiang Mai - Study Thai Massage 9am - 4pm, on your own time after school

Day Eleven - Chiang Mai - Study Thai Massage 9am - 4pm, on your own time after school

Day Twelve - Chiang Mai - Study Thai Massage 9am - 4pm, on your own time after school

Day Thirteen - Chiang Mai - Study Thai Massage 9am - 4pm 

Day Fourteen - Chiang Mai - Visit Elephant Sanctuary

Day Fifteen - Travel to Island - on your own beach rejuvenation, hang a hammock, read a book, go swimming, sign up for a water adventure, watch the sunset and receive Thai massage

Day Sixteen - Island Vacation - on your own beach rejuvenation, hang a hammock, read a book, go swimming, sign up for a water adventure, watch the sunset and receive Thai massage

Day Seventeen - Island Vacation - on your own beach rejuvenation, hang a hammock, read a book, go swimming, sign up for a water adventure, watch the sunset and receive Thai massage

Day Eighteen - Island Vacation - on your own beach rejuvenation, hang a hammock, read a book, go swimming, sign up for a water adventure, watch the sunset and receive Thai massage

Day Nineteen - Travel to Bangkok - spend one night in Lat Krabang area near the Suvarnabhumi International Airport for some final shopping, eating and relaxing 

Days Twenty & Twenty-One - Group Farewell - International and Domestic Travel