Luxury resort and spa operator Banyan Tree has opened a new urban training centre in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Banyan Tree Thai Massage School has been designed to formalise the group’s policy of developing local talent and assist the company to further recruit and train qualified therapists for the global expansion of the Banyan Tree Spa and Angsana Spa brands over the next five years.

Trainers will select the most promising students to join either a Banyan Tree Spa or Angsana Spa, with a further training period of at least 10 weeks.

The school is located in a building in the Ladprao residential district of the city. Facilities include two lecture halls and three practical rooms containing massage beds.

The school is equipped to teach up to 30 students per course. The initial Thai Massage Course comprises 180 hours of theoretical and practical training delivered over one month, under the supervision and leadership of a headmaster and Thai five trainers.

More courses will be developed as the number of students increases. The school received certification from Thailand’s Ministry of Education in January.