BANGKOK: At Bangkok’s Reclining Buddha temple Krairath Chantrasri says he is a proud custodian of a 2,000-year-old skill - the body-folding, sharp-elbowed techniques of Thai massage, which this week could be added to Unesco’s prestigious heritage list.

From upscale Bangkok spas and Phuket beach fronts to modest street-side shophouses, “nuad Thai” — or Thai massage — is ubiquitous across the kingdom, where an hour of the back-straightening discipline can cost as little as $5.

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