The Intricacies of Traditional Thai Massage The therapeutic art of stretching, pushing, pressing and relaxing is explored in detail here Traditional Thai massage has its origins in India during the Buddha's lifetime, about 2,500 years ago. The founder of the practice was Shivaga Komarpaj, a doctor and some say, a friend and personal physician of the Buddha. He is commonly referred to as "the Father Doctor" by present day Thai massage practitioners who begin their day with a Pali prayer asking him to guide them in their work. Komarpaj was a central figure in Buddhist medical philosophy and this is recorded in Indian, Tibetan and Chinese writings, which illustrate different perspectives of his life, deeds and specialist knowledge of medicine.