A Budapest wellness salon wanted to offer authentic Thai massage, but trained, experienced Thai massage therapists are almost impossible to find in Hungary. The solution was three specialists from Thailand.

Demand for Thai massage has been growing in Hungary for years, but an authentic service needs therapists who learned the technique at home, through long practice. Our client, a wellness salon in Budapest, spent months trying to find the right people on the Hungarian market: most applicants had picked up their skills on short courses, and guests were quick to sense the difference between a genuinely experienced pair of hands and a superficial routine. In the end, the owner decided to look for experienced therapists at the source, in Thailand.

During the needs assessment we clarified which types of massage the candidates had to be fully at home with (traditional Thai, oil and foot massage) and that the salon wanted to take on a team of three at once. Through our contacts in Thailand we approached a number of experienced therapists; after professional screening, video interviews and checks with previous employers, we selected three specialists, each with several years of experience. Arriving together proved an advantage here too: the therapists could support one another and settle in as a team in a country that was entirely new to them.

Once the selection was made, we handled the entire immigration procedure for the residence permit for the purpose of employment, and coordinated travel, accommodation and post-arrival paperwork. This left the salon free to focus on opening and welcoming guests while we took the burden of permits off its shoulders, and we also helped the team bridge cultural and language gaps in their first weeks.

The three therapists settled in within a few weeks, and the salon could finally offer what it had set out to: authentic, high-quality Thai massage delivered by real specialists. Guest feedback improved noticeably, appointments filled up faster, and the salon gained a stable, committed team. It is now planning to expand its range of services further.

M. G. · 13 May 2025