massage, Thai midwife-nurse, Thai pharmacy, and Thai medical practice. Thai massage is also taught and practiced in other countries. Some schools have merged the course material to include understanding of clinical approach like chiropractic adjustment, posture assessment along with energy balance to give a complete understanding of Thai yoga bodywork. This trend has led to opening new schools in Europe, India and Nepal. Effectiveness All types of massage, including Thai massage, can help people relax, temporarily relieve muscle and/or joint pain, and temporarily boost a person's mood. However, many practitioners' claims go far beyond those effects well demonstrated by clinical study. Some clinicians dispute its efficacy. Dangers According to the Thai Public Health Ministry, massage can be dangerous for women at different stages of pregnancy. A physician at the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine cautioned that women in their first trimester "should avoid massage because it may lead to miscarriage." Those who are more than six months into their pregnancy should "also be cautious about getting a massage." The warnings came on the heels of a case where a pregnant 25-year-old suffered a miscarriage and fell into a coma while getting a foot massage. Massage and sex services Massage is big business in Thailand. It is regulated by the Ministry of Public Health . The Commerce and Tourism and Sports Ministries have set a target of 20 billion baht per year to be generated by the spa business, but only 500 of the estimated 2,000 spas nationwide are legally registered with the authorities. The legal difference between a "spa" and a "massage parlour" is unclear. The Federation of Thai Spa Associations (FTSPA) in 2016 urged authorities to clamp down on sexual services being offered at some massage parlours. The FTSPA maintains that influential figures have used legal loopholes to open "pretty spas" or massage parlours where clients can buy sexual services. References Manual therapy Traditional medicine Thai culture Massage therapy Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity