Say hello to Sawai Thai Massage

Sawai Khampha came to visit a friend in Hassocks and noticed there was no Thai massage shop here. She’s lived in Rottingdean for about four years, and says, “I was driving to London to work, and my husband complained he never saw me!” She spotted an empty shop she thought might be suitable. She says: “I talked it over with my husband and we decided it was a good idea.” She says: “The people in Hassocks are very friendly. I’ve chosen the right place!” At the end of November, another masseur will join Sawai’s team which means they can do a couple’s massage if people want treatments at the same time.

Sawai was born in Thailand. She completed a training programme in Thai Massage with the Union of Thai Traditional Medicine Society and The Association of Traditional Thai Reflexological Massage. Her grandfather was a masseur, and she wonders if this influenced her to take up the profession. When she first came to England, around 2003, she continued training, and achieved a Level 3 Certificate Diploma in Massage Therapy and a Diploma in Pregnancy Massage from the Fami Hair and Beauty Institute. “I love this job,” says Sawai, and adds: “In the beginning, I trained to help my husband who had back ache: he was a paramedic who did lots of lifting, and then, one day, he couldn’t get up.” She helped him recover and he now works in A&E in University Hospitals Sussex. Once he was better, Sawai wanted to use her skills to help other people. “People come in with different problems, such as back pain, sciatica or migraines.” Sawai looks forward to looking after everyone in Hassocks.