Thai Massage, however, does not pretend to be anything like Chinese Acupressure or Chinese Acupuncture. It is a different science. The original precepts of Ancient Thai Massage were recorded in the Pali language of early Buddhist texts. The original practitioners were Buddhist monks in northern India in the 2nd and Ist centuries B.C. Prior to modern times in Thailand, the Wats (Buddhist temples) served as Thailand's predominant centers of education, healing and social life. While today some of the Buddhist temples in Thailand and in Laos still maintain the practice of monks and nuns administering Ancient Thai Massage, it is now generally practiced at Thai Massage centers or institutes which also teach the art.
Certain features are characteristic of Thai Massage. It is performed on a mat, on the floor, rather than on a raised table. This allows for many movements and procedures that are not practical or effective in table work, and sometimes impossible. Specifically, mat work allows for maximum effective use of the practitioner's balanced body weight, rather than mere muscular force used in other types of massage. Through balanced body weight applied with control pressure, force and energy are applied and transmitted by the practitioner to the client.

The work of the Thai Massage consists primarily of pressure on the body's energy lines and pressure points, along with a variety of stretching movements. While the energy lines and pressure points are the central feature of Thai Massage, one must not make the error of assuming it is similar to Chinese acupressure. The body charts of both are quite similar, but the practices are respectively quite different. In Thai Massage the energy lines and pressure points are worked within a comprehensive whole body massage that may be performed in a period ranging from one to three hours. One hour is actually too short, whereas one and one-half to two and one-half hours is considered reasonable, and two and one-half to three hours is considered ideal. Thai Massage is not a quickie toning of the muscles and loosening of the joints. It is a whole body massage which helps nearly all parts of the body.
The energy lines in Thai Massage are the most crucial feature. They are called "Sen" and although they appear similar to the meridians of Chinese acupressure, the energy theory of which is similar, the "Sen" follow energy flow through the form of the body whereas the meridians of Chinese acupuncture represent the energy flow associated with specific body organs . In the tradition of Ancient Thai Massage there are 72,000 "Sen", but in practice there are ten "Sen" which serve as the foundation of all the energy lines. The practitioner exerts pressure on these lines and on pressure points along the lines with the palms, the thumbs and the feet, and occasionally the elbows are used. This is always done, however, with the practitioner's whole body weight serving as the pressure force.