Phuket Post :: Article :: Back to the Source

A fall in registered sales to foreigners in the property market, and conflicting reports about tourist arrival numbers has done nothing to slow the burgeoning medical tourism sector, which greets another arrival with the recent opening of The Source Spa & Detox.

Situated on a small private lake in Kathu, The Source epitomizes the increasing professionalism and investment into what was until recently, considered by many to be a �fringe therapy�.

The team behind this business billed as Phuket�s Premier center for wellbeing, has drawn a tremendous amount of support from both the established medical fraternity, and those from the arena of complementary therapies. One of the investors behind the project, Michael Massey explains how this has been possible.

�Firstly it�s important to understand our core principles, because it is from this foundation that everything we have created to date, and are in the process of creating, stems from. We committed from the very beginning to be focused on the benefits and results for our clients, rather than profit, knowing that if we really take care of people, the profit will be there for us eventually�, Michael says.

�Operating like this enables us to really laser in and focus on treating every client with total respect and consideration, as opposed to being concerned with the yield from each person, and thereby losing the opportunity to treat them with the appropriate care.�

When pressed to describe specific differences between The Source and other Detox Centers operating in Thailand, Michael refers to the investment in state of the art colonic hydrotherapy units, as opposed to the less hygienic �open systems� employed by most other centers.

He goes on to explain the differences between the various protocols of herbs and supplements available, and the benefits of the programme delivered at The Source over and above the benefits experienced on other programs.

�Probably the greatest difference between us and other centers, is not the equipment and the protocols, but the manner in which we support people through their programs. For many people, this is a new experience, and they rightly have a lot of questions and curiosity about the processes involved. We spend whatever time is necessary to educate every client individually about the program, and what they can expect to experience. Likewise during the programme, questions will arise, our clients feel comfortable to approach us at any time to listen to their questions and concerns, which are handled courteously and professionally.�

And what of the benefits that are supposedly attributable to Detoxing? Bolder and bolder claims seem to appear in the media daily of some celebrity�s miraculous cure thanks to 10 days in a detox program.

Michael is swift to clarify, �We do nothing more than create an environment that supports the body to heal itself. The human body is perhaps the most amazing example of engineering on the planet, and we make no assertions to understanding it fully�

�What I can tell you is that our clientele so far have had excellent results, whilst some of these are anecdotal, a great many are measurable. The reason they are measurable is that we insist that all of our clients undergo a pre-program medical at the Phuket International Hospital.

�Most importantly, this ensures that clients have prepared themselves adequately for the program, and as a secondary benefit, it provides credible third-party evidence of the state of the clients health prior to commencing the program.

�Examples of measurable results so far include; weight loss, (one client lost 17kg at the end of a 28-day programme), dramatic reductions in cholesterol levels, significant improvements in blood pressure measurements. Associated with these benefits are; increased sense of energy and vitality, and a resultant more positive outlook.�

Another point of difference appears to be the willingness of The Source to embrace other practitioners of complementary medicine and alternative healing on Phuket.

�We are in the final stages of building what will be called �Visiting Practitioner Suites� these will provide a venue for home-based practitioners on the island to offer their services from a convenient central location, and at the same time afford our clients a broader range of treatments than might otherwise be available. The business of rejuvenation and purification will continue its strong growth, and we believe that there is plenty to share�, Michael confirms.

�It�s probably fair to say that most people are aware that in the West there is an ageing population who have more time, and more resources to take care of themselves, and at the same time, in the East we have a massive population experiencing an explosion in incomes and the pressure and stress associated with earning these higher salaries.

�Both of these groups are very aware of the necessity to take good care of their health, to ensure quality and longevity of life. Here in Phuket, we are ideally located to provide services that will support that process for these clients.�

Although renovations are still underway, work is anticipated to be complete by November. �Of course the ambience of our location will be greatly enhanced once renovations and landscaping are complete, however the core principles of service and genuinely caring about each individual are of primary importance.�