The Thai government is petitioning UNESCO to add Thai massage to its list of 'intangible cultural heritage'. The Minister of Culture says the submission makes the case for Thai massage as a font of centuries-old folk knowledge about the workings of the body. UNESCO will decide in November if Thailand has made the case for inclusion on the list, but its unlikely to affect the popularity of this uniquely Thai therapy, as Tony Cheng reports.

The sparkling Stupas and golden pagodas of Wat Po, one of Bangkok's most famous temples. But this is also the home to one of Thailands great treasures, one that predates even the arrival of Buddhism in the kingdom.

This is the home of Thai massage and a holy grail for many tourists who visit.

On the walls are instructions, written by King Rama III in the early 19th century, recording the unique skills and techniques of Thai massage.

In fact, massage is an integral part of Thai medicine, incorporating herbal presses and other traditional remedies. And the techniques can be applied to everything from helping new mothers to lactate, to pain relief in the old and infirm.

SERAT TANGTRONGCHIT, DIRECTOR WAT PO THAI TRADITIONAL MEDICAL SCHOOL "The philosophy of Thai medicine is really similar to Chinese medicine and Ayurveda traditions of India combined, and we also developed our own local knowledge in Thai medicine in the way we treat other people."

The temples Thai massage school trains more than ten thousand students a year in these ancient techniques.

Many come from overseas, like Bruno who runs a spa in Paris.

Although he's trained in many different forms of massage, he believes that the Thai tradition is the one that brings the most health benefits.

BRUNO DIAS STUDENT MASSEUSE "Thai massage is massage very complex. You work your whole body the nerves of the whole body. You feel better in your whole body."

The spa industry is already big business in Thailand, bringing in revenue of more than a billion dollars a year and hugely popular with tourists and locals alike.

But being added to UNESCO's list of 'intangible cultural heritage' isn't a marketing tool. Rather, it's about recognizing unique skills that are to be cherished and shared.

MONTAKARN SUVANATAP KITTIPAISALSILP CULTURE UNIT, UNESCO "The list in itself is not a patent, or an intellectual property right. It's actually one way to help different countries show their recognition of community culture, not national culture, not national pride, but the cultures of different communities in their countries."

But if you think Thai massage is about soft pipe music and being gently lulled to sleep, think again.

The therapists at Wat Po will leave no stiff joint or knotted muscle unattended.

TONY CHENG BANGKOK "One of the things about Thai massage is that it has this beneficial health aspect and while it is relaxing up to a point, there's no chance you'd fall asleep while doing this."

In some cases inclusion on the UNESCO list is for protection of an art or practice under threat.

No danger of that here, what could be more natural on a visit to Thailand than going for a massage?

Tony Cheng CGTN Bangkok.