The founder of Thai Massage and medicine is said to have been Jivaka Kimar Bhaccha (Shivago Komarpaj), who is said in the Pali Buddhist cannon to have been the Buddha's physician and he is mentioned in texts in second millenia B.C. The texts were written in the Pali language and were considered sacred and were kept with the sacred Buddha texts. Monks were the practitioners of this medicine and the temples or 'Wats' were its home.
In 1832 King Rama III had the best of any surviving texts collected and inscribed in stone. These stone plaques were set into the wall of Phra Chataphon Temple, known today as the 'Wat Pho' in Bangkok, Thailand, where they can still be seen today.
It appears that the origin of Thai Massage has its roots in the ancient medicine of Indian Ayurvedic practice. The influence of Yoga is also apparent from the positions and Yogic stretches performed in Thai Massage.
Thai Massage is not based on the Western system of anatomy. Dissection was forbidden until the introduction of Western medicine so that reference to the body structures was based solely on external observation.
In our modern times, Thai Massage is used to not only support and maintain wellness and a full functioning life, but also to treat and assist the reversal of degenerative conditions.