BACKGROUND:
Not far from Bangkok’s main international airport, Tria – one of Asia’s leading medical spas – opened in 2008 and is owned by and located next to the private Piyavate International Hospital. The hospital offers everything from organ transplant to gene therapy, as well as aesthetic surgery such as breast augmentation and non-invasive beauty treatments like Botox and laser hair removal; while Tria focuses on complementary medicine and was developed for those interested in taking a proactive approach to health and ageing. Tria also offers a wide array of spa treatments by Pevonia and Comfort Zone. The us$15.4m (€11.7m, £9.5m) three-storey building covers 140,000sq ft (13,000sq m).

Tria attracts medical tourists, local members and a day spa clientele who have an average age of 45-60.

THE OFFER:
The philosophy of Tria, meaning ‘three’, is that true wellness lies in the harmony of three essential components – structural, elemental and emotional wellbeing. Structural addresses movement, exercise and improving the body’s physical alignment. Elemental is related to the body’s biochemistry and nutritional state, including hormonal imbalance and toxins. Emotional is focused on mental wellbeing and how patients think about their bodies and health.

At first glance, Tria’s 150-plus treatments and programmes can seem overwhelming, but are split into more navigable categories such as weight management, movement and body shaping, anti-ageing, detoxification, mind and emotions, rehabilitation and pain management. The most popular programmes, I was told, are those relating to anti-ageing and detoxification.

Using physician consultations along with lab work and advanced screening and diagnostic methods, Tria’s team of physicians, naturopaths, chiropractors, Chinese medicine specialists, bodywork therapists, personal trainers and health coaches help guide clients along the way.

In Thailand, massage prices range from us$8-150 (€6-114, £5-93) an hour depending on location and skill level of the practitioner. At us$72 (€55, £45) for a 60-minute essential oil massage, Tria’s pricing is more than reasonable for the market – particularly considering the facility and amenities.

WEBSITE:
Tria’s website, in Thai and English, is packed full of information and I was impressed to see a library of articles and scientific research and videos demonstrating alternative therapies (although these were only in Thai). This is exactly how an integrative medicine centre should market itself. It’s clear that, unlike in the US, Asian consumers are very educated about complementary medicine as it’s very much a part of the culture.

The online booking system could have been more effectively presented, but is helpful and relatively easy to navigate.

LOCATION & ACCESS:
While Tria is conveniently located, my local taxi driver had trouble finding it with the English map from the website. I was dropped off at an entirely different hospital! A Thai version would prevent such a situation.

DISABLED ACCESS:
Tria is beautifully designed to cater to individuals with disabilities.

DESIGN:
The facility is large, inviting and thoughtfully planned. Guests are greeted with soothing natural tones along with modern yet comfortable furniture, a lovely water feature and a calming aromatherapy scent. Although five years old, the timeless design gives the impression that it is recently opened.

The first floor features the main reception and waiting area, retail boutique, organic café, changing rooms, 50 treatment rooms – including couples rooms and water suites with baths and Vichy showers – four hydrotherapy wet areas, an infra-red sauna, steamroom and gym. It felt like a luxury resort.

The second floor houses the diagnostic and consultation areas, physician offices, lab services and reception area for medical services. While it’s decorated in the same inviting tones, it felt more like a beautifully-designed and highly professional medical centre.

Taking into account the number of treatment rooms, I suspect Tria is over-built for current levels of business. However, with an aim to attract corporate groups – conference facilities are available too – it’s been built with a long-term perspective.

CLEANLINESS:
The centre is meticulously maintained and kept fastidiously clean.

THE STAFF:
While friendly and helpful, there were language barriers with some of the spa and medical reception staff. But with the high levels of Thai hospitality, I knew I would be properly cared for.

THE EXPERIENCE:
After lengthy exploration of the myriad options, I settled on an anti-ageing Cryo Stem Cell Facial and emailed Tria with a query I had along with my desired date and time. Within eight hours, I received a call to say that treatment was no longer available. As I specifically wanted an anti-ageing facial – rather than a straightforward spa treatment – the polite woman suggested I schedule (and helped me book) a us$25 (€19, £16) consultation with Dr Chaiyaporn, an anti-ageing and hormone specialist. Considering Tria’s philosophy of helping people optimise their health, a consultation is key and I was impressed they suggested this approach and did so in such a sincere way that didn’t make it feel like an upsell.

I voiced my concern that I wouldn’t get a treatment at all, but was reassured there would be plenty of therapists on staff who would surely be able to fit something in on the day I was there.

Due to the taxi conundrum, I was 25 minutes late but this didn’t seem to be a problem. I was immediately escorted up to the medical services floor, sat in a comfortable chair and presented with a cup of tea. Dr Chaiyaporn soon greeted me and guided me to his office where he asked a series of quick, simple questions related to exercise, nutrition, sleep patterns, stress levels and general moods. I told him I thought my hormones might be out of balance as I’d been feeling much more tired and less cheerful than usual, so he suggested blood work and analysis for an accurate diagnosis. This would take a couple of hours, so he recommended I used the hydrotherapy facilities for free while I wait as they have therapeutic qualities. The advantages of heat and wet experiences are nearly always overlooked in the west and, once again, I was struck by Tria’s more open-minded approach.

I decided to indulge a bit more and booked a 90-minute us$75 (€57, £46) Thai herbal massage, but not before having a delicious salad and smoothie. The food was organic, flavoursome and reasonably priced at just under us$10 (€8, £6). I had 30 minutes to enjoy the herbal steamroom, infra-red sauna and various vitality pools before my treatment and by the time I entered the well-appointed room for my massage, I was deeply relaxed.

My therapist was highly skilled, spoke excellent English and delivered a wonderful treatment combining Thai massage with yoga moves and herbal poultices. She was strong, understood the body and what I needed and worked intuitively. I was then led to a beautiful relaxation room to rest with a hot cup of tea before collecting my blood results.

Dr Chaiyaporn took great care to explain what my tests showed and answer my questions. He also had easy-to-read printouts identifying my key biological and hormonal levels. While I don’t want to go into detail about the diagnosis, I will say that he prescribed a course of hormonal and vitamin supplementation that I could buy from a pharmacy (either onsite or elsewhere). He thoroughly explained his recommended course of treatment, the anticipated outcome and how long it would be before I would feel a difference, before leading me to the reception desk to schedule a follow-up appointment for me.

I felt lousy for the first two and a half weeks of taking the supplements, and it would have been nice to have been warned about that. But four weeks on and I’m seeing results. My energy levels have increased and I have a significantly improved sense of wellbeing. I feel great! And the best thing is it didn’t break the bank. The blood tests and analysis cost was us$200 (€153, £124), whereas in the US it would just be too prohibitive and not typically covered by insurance.

SUMMARY:
I was pleasantly surprised with my experience at Tria. There were more patients/guests than I would have expected to see for a Tuesday afternoon. And I was astonished to see how receptive and proactive they were about health and wellbeing. Although, considering how ancient healing traditions are so ingrained in the culture, perhaps I should not have been.

In the end, I spent over six hours at Tria. Lab-work was performed and analysed. I spent one and half hours with the doctor, ate a delicious meal, enjoyed world-class spa amenities and had an exceptional massage all for just under us$400 (€305, £248). I now feel empowered about my health and plan many more visits.