Wat Pho, the center of Thai medicine and massage for centuries, opened the Wat Pho Thai Traditional Medical and Massage School in 1955 on the temple grounds, the first such school approved by the Thai Ministry of Education. Wat Pho offers four basic courses of Thai medicine: Thai massage, Thai midwife-nurse, Thai pharmacy, and Thai medical practice.[6]
Thousands of students from around the world study at Wat Pho and subsequently go on to found or work in massage, spa, and wellness centers in many countries.[7]
The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Public Health have approved numerous massage schools throughout the kingdom, most of which include Thai foot massage, foot reflexology, in their curricula.