ABOUT US
Our mission is to empower Thai women in Sweden, focusing on women working in Thai massage.
We are raising the standards of Thai massage businesses in Sweden. Our network of certified salons makes it easy for customers to find a salon they can trust .
What is Nuad Thai Nordic (NTN)?
Nuad Thai Nordic (NTN) is a non-profit certification network operated by the Thai Women in
Sweden Empowerment (ThaiWISE) project under Hela Människan i Malmö.
ThaiWISE works in close cooperation with Malmö Stad, the Royal Thai Embassy in Stockholm,
and other social partners in Sweden to promote professionalism, ethics, and safety within the
Thai massage sector.
Background
A 2019 study by Noomi – Hela Människan i Malmö identified over 1,000 Thai massage salons in Sweden, employing an estimated 3,000 Thai women. In 2024, Swedish police reported that the total number of massage salons nationwide has now exceeded 2,000, with around 80% suspected of links to sexual exploitation.
This reflects a complex reality: many Thai women working in the sector lack knowledge of labour rights and available support systems, making them vulnerable — while at the same time, many salon owners genuinely want to operate legally and professionally but receive little guidance or recognition.
To respond to both protection needs and professionalism goals, Hela Människan i Malmö launched ThaiWISE in collaboration with Malmö Municipality, creating Sweden’s first Certification Programme for Ethical Thai Massage, now known as Nuad Thai Nordic (NTN).
Purpose of the NTN Network
The NTN certification aims to:
- Raise professional and ethical standards in the Thai massage industry in Sweden,
- Build trust and ensure a safe, high-quality experience for both clients and practitioners
through clear professional guidelines, and - Promote Nuad Thai – traditional Thai massage – as part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, strengthening its positive and credible image as a
respected health and wellness practice.
The NTN certification follows a transparent and rigorous process that includes documentation
review, legal compliance checks, workplace inspection, ethical screening, and skill assessment.
Only salons that meet all criteria are granted the “Certified Nuad Thai Nordic” status.
Certification Process
- Application: The salon owner submits an application. Nuad Thai Nordic reviews and investigates the salon’s background.
- Official Inspection: Once the application has been approved, the salon will receive an official inspection. This visit ensures that the salon meets the standards required by the relevant authorities and follows professional and ethical practices.
- Mandatory Courses: Participants are required to complete two online courses: the Social Orientation Course, which provides essential knowledge about Swedish society, available services, and participants’ rights and responsibilities; and the Business Management Course, which helps salon owners understand the key rules and regulations for running a business in Sweden.
- Certification Ceremony – Salons that pass the official inspection and complete both mandatory courses become members of the Nuad Thai Nordic network. Successful participants are invited to a friendly ceremony where they receive the Nuad Thai Certified logo to use in their salon.
- Ongoing Support and Follow-Up: certified salons receive on-going training, individual business coaching and support from Nuad Thai Nordic. Salons are monitored to ensure that they maintain high standards
Important to Know
NTN is not a friskvård (wellness benefit) platform such as Epassi or Benify, and it does not
decide which salons are approved within those systems.
However, the NTN certification is currently the only recognized standard in Sweden that aligns
with the ethical and professional requirements applied by these platforms when assessing Thai
massage businesses.
Salons certified by NTN often find it easier to join such platforms because they have already
undergone a thorough process covering legal registration, workplace standards, and ethical
compliance.
Expanding the Network
ThaiWISE is a small project with limited resources, supported by Malmö Stad, the Royal Thai
Embassy in Stockholm, and other partners. Due to high demand, certification is carried out in
stages. Salons on the pending inspection list will be contacted once we have sufficient capacity
to continue the process. When resources allow, we will open a new round of applications and
announce it on the ThaiWISE Facebook page.
Our goal is to expand the NTN network steadily so that more professional and ethical Thai
massage businesses across Sweden can become part of it.
In Summary
Nuad Thai Nordic (NTN) stands for quality, integrity, and professionalism. A certified NTN salon
demonstrates compliance with Swedish laws, hygiene and safety standards, and ethical
business practices — helping preserve and promote Nuad Thai as a respected and trusted part
of Thailand’s cultural heritage.
Partners
ThaiWISE – Hela Människan i Malmö and its initiative Nuad Thai Nordic are funded by the Gender Equality Agency (Jämställdhetsmyndigheten), Malmö Munincipality (Malmö Stad), the Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen), and the Royal Thai Embassy in Stockholm.
Malmö Stad has been a partner in the program since 2019 through a formalized collaboration agreement (Idéburet offentligt partnerskap (IOP). The Environmental Department of Malmö Munincipality (Miljöförvaltningen), which has the mandate to inspect massage salons in Malmö, plays an important role in our certification programme.
We have the support of several of the most popular female Thai influencers in Sweden. These women lead some of our activities and promote our work to their followers. Their profiles can be found at this link: www-thaiwise-se.translate.goog/about-thaiwise/our-colleagues
NyföretagarCentrum Öresund is a pool of experts on business incubation. They provide free technical support to start-up entrepreneurs in more than 200 municipalities throughout Sweden. LEVEL in Malmö is an international business incubator that provides business coaching. In this project, ThaiWISE collaborates with both NyföretagarCentrum Öresund and LEVEL to guide and support the owners and and managers of Thai massage salons.
