Fish are employed in the latest treatment to nibble off imperfections.
Fish that nibble play a role in providing a treatment to clean up debris on hands and feet. The new treatment session are all part of the Fishmania experience introduced for the first time in Pattaya.
Fishmania, a new concept natural therapy spa, employs tiny fish with no teeth that nibble away at dead skin. The shop offering this gruesome treatment opened 11 August.
Fishmania managing director, Arphiradee Boonsom, said: “Our spa has a homely atmosphere, different from other spas. Guests require tranquility when they receive a treatment. Here, they can chat while having a fish therapy.”
She got the idea for a fish nibbling therapy when travelling to several countries where fish spas are popular such as in the US, Korea, Japan, and Singapore. Therefore, she decided to establish the first in Pattaya to see if it would prove popular.
At present, the target customers are mostly international visitors, mainly Russians, who are introduced to it by travel agents. Now as the grand opening takes place this month, more walk-in guests will come to use this service.
As for group therapy, the spa can accommodate 10 to 12 people at a time. Full time therapy takes 50 minutes, of which 20 minutes is for fish therapy and 30 minutes is for standard treatments.
Fish therapy originated from the fish called Garra Rufa or Doctor Fish in the river basins of Turkey. The idea is for the fish to nib the affected and dead skin areas in order to let the healthy skin grow. However, the fish works in this spa is called Siam Doctor Fish due to Thailand’s import policy and the export restriction enforced in Turkey.
“After I consulted with the Department of Fisheries, they suggested a near relative fish species to the Doctor Fish that can be found in the waterfalls in Thailand. We carefully researched this so it does not harm guests. Some fish becomes violent when it dwells in a limited space. Finally, we found Siam Doctor Fish which works like Garra Rufa and has a gentle disposition,” she explained.
Visitors can choose whether they want to receive a group therapy in the public pool with 1,000 fish or private therapy in a bath with around 200 to 300 fish. A 50 minute treatment package is available for walk-in guest at Bt1,200 (feet) and Bt900 (hands).
For more information and reservation, tel: 089 936 0272 or o86 3142068.
