Another challenge facing the industry is finding qualified staff.
"Just like any business where demand is greater than supply, people are poaching staff," Naphalai said.
In an attempt to provide some of that supply, Thailand's first destination spa, Chiva Som in the seaside town of Hua Hin, this month opened an academy offering internationally certified courses.
The most comprehensive course runs for 600 hours, and for a fee of 90,000 baht (US$2,093), students learn "anything you need to know to work in spa and beauty salons," says marketing communications manager Emma Gonzalez.
The school hopes to tap into the huge demand for skilled Thai staff not just in Thailand, but regionally.
"Neighboring countries are expecting us to supply staff, but we can't," Gonzalez said. "We have some very good people, but not enough of them."
The spa boom is not just for visiting tourists or cashed-up expatriates, according to operators who report a growing demand from Thais themselves.
At Palm Spa in Bangkok, which opened last year and is due to start a second branch soon, half the clientele are Thai, says Dolchai Boonyaratavej, one of 15 friends and business partners who conceived the home-style center.
"Life is too stressful for people," Dolchai said. "They want to relax, reward themselves at the end of the day. Going to a spa has become another option, instead of going to a restaurant, bar or a movie."
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