30 Best Companies of the Year 2025
Business Fortune
Gaining people's trust requires time, heart, and consistency, and new trends appear overnight in the wellness industry. The road can be much more difficult for female entrepreneurs, especially for immigrant women. Overcoming cultural barriers, teaching others, and pursuing a passion despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles are all important aspects of operating a business.
Sabai Thai Spa was born out of that ambition. Nuttha Goutier founded their first spa in British Columbia in 2005 with the simple yet powerful goal: to share the beauty and depth of Thailand’s centuries‑old healing traditions with their new community in Canada. What began as a single, cozy location has developed into a multi-award-winning brand that is well-liked throughout Vancouver and is renowned for fusing the essence of Thai wellness with the elegance and professionalism that North Americans demand. And with exciting plans for franchising, Sabai Thai Spa’s journey is only just beginning.
In an exclusive Interview with Business Fortune, Nuttha Goutier, Founder & CEO, shared how Sabai Thai Spa blends cultural authenticity with modern wellness standards, the challenges it overcame in its early days, and how it continues to encourage guests to not just relax but to reconnect with themselves. Below is an excerpt from the interview.
INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS
Sabai Thai Spa has become a well-known wellness brand with deep roots in Thai healing traditions. What motivated the establishment of the business? Can you take us back to the inception of the company?
Sabai Thai Spa began as a very personal mission. I grew up in a small village in Chiang Rai, Thailand, where wellness wasn’t something you scheduled—it was something you lived. Every home had herbal balms, warm compresses, and routines to care for the body and mind. After moving to Canada, I noticed how fragmented the wellness industry felt. There was no consistency, no true standard—and Thai wellness was either misunderstood or underrepresented. That inspired me to start Sabai Thai Spa in 2005, with the goal of bringing Thai-inspired healing to North America in a way that was professional, elegant, and rooted in tradition. It wasn’t just about offering massages—it was about changing the way people think about care.
Can you share some of the challenges you faced during the early days of Sabai Thai Spa, and how did you transform them into growth opportunities?
Starting a business as a newcomer in a new country was already a challenge. I had no network, limited resources, and a lot to learn. On top of that, Thai massage carried cultural misconceptions that I had to actively educate people about. Many customers didn’t understand its benefits, or worse, viewed it through a stereotypical lens. I refused to compromise on quality or values, so I focused on creating strong operational systems and training programs. We built a culture of excellence from the inside out. Those early struggles taught me the importance of clarity, consistency, and heart-led leadership. Today, they’ve become the backbone of our franchising model.
Massages are a core service at Sabai Thai Spa. Could you explain the unique approaches or techniques that set our services apart from those offered at other spas?
Sabai Thai Spa isn’t just a place to relax—it’s a place to reset. Our services are built around the five senses of Thai wellness: sight, sound, scent, touch, and emotional awareness. From the moment a guest enters, they’re welcomed into an environment designed to soothe the body and uplift the spirit.
Our massage therapists are trained in both traditional Thai and modern therapeutic techniques, including stretching, pressure work, and personalized aromatherapy. Every movement is intentional—grounded in cultural tradition, but tailored to the guest’s unique needs.
What truly sets us apart isn’t just technique—it’s how we deliver care with heart. Every session reflects our commitment to meaningful touch, cultural respect, and a high standard of professionalism. It’s this consistency and compassion that keep our guests returning—and why Sabai Thai Spa is recognized not just for service, but for soul.
Your company offers Reflexology as one of its services. Could you please walk us through the benefits Reflexology provides to your customers?
This is one of the most powerful wellness practices we offer, based on the belief that every part of the body is connected to specific points on the feet. By applying targeted pressure, we can stimulate internal organs, improve circulation, and support the body’s natural healing process.
At Sabai, this treatment combines gentle pressure techniques, warm towels, and soothing aromatherapy to create a deeply restorative experience. Many of our guests seek it for relief from sleep disturbances, stress, headaches, digestive imbalances, and even arthritis. While it may seem like a simple foot massage, when delivered with care and precision, the results can be truly transformative.
Sabai Thai Spa provides customized facial treatment to its customers. Can you tell us how you decide what treatment is best for a customer?
We take pride in our ability to combine advanced skincare knowledge with the art of massage. At Sabai Thai Spa, our spa therapists are trained to evaluate each guest’s skin condition through careful observation and consultation. We don’t follow a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, we tailor each facial to support what the skin actually needs—whether it’s firmness, clarity, balance, or calm.
What sets us apart is our ability to integrate facial massage techniques, including lymphatic drainage, into every treatment. This not only boosts circulation and detoxification but also helps reduce puffiness and promote natural radiance. Because we’re experts in both massage and skincare, our facial treatments deliver more than surface results—they create a sense of renewal from the inside out. That fusion is what makes the Sabai experience unique.
You recently launched Sabai Essentials, your own line of wellness products. What inspired that move, and how do you see these products contributing to the Sabai Thai Spa ecosystem?
We launched Sabai Essentials five years ago with a clear intention: to create products that support daily wellbeing—not just luxuries, but essentials for living well. The name reflects our belief that wellness should be woven into everyday life, just like essential vitamins or good sleep. These products are designed to bring the heart of Thai-inspired care into people’s homes.
We use ingredients rooted in Thai traditions and modern needs—like ginger, lemongrass, and coconut oil—carefully chosen for their therapeutic properties. Whether it’s our massage oils, body scrubs, or body wash, every item is crafted to calm the mind, support the body, and fit beautifully into a self-care routine. Sabai Essentials has also become a strong retail offering for our spa and franchise partners, allowing us to extend the Sabai experience beyond the treatment room and into people’s daily rituals.
What’s next for Sabai Thai Spa? Are there any new products, services, or initiatives you’re especially excited about as you look toward the future?
We’re preparing to open our first franchise locations by the end of 2025, with over 100 territories available across Canada. This milestone will allow us to share our Thai-inspired spa model with more communities while empowering others to build meaningful, heart-led businesses.
Looking ahead, our focus is on enhancing the effectiveness of our products and elevating the customer experience. Rather than expanding our range, we’re deepening it—infusing each formula with more Thai elements, richer sensory experiences, and deeper cultural storytelling. We’re also developing new signature aromatherapy blends and wellness tools that embody our brand’s Explorer archetype: rooted in tradition yet always curious and evolving.
At every step, we are guided by one question: How can we help people feel better, live better, and reconnect with themselves? That’s the future of Sabai—more meaningful, more immersive, and more connected than ever.
Would you like us to highlight something important happening in your company that we may have missed asking about?
Yes—impact is a big part of who we are. At Sabai Thai Spa, we believe wellness should extend beyond the spa and into the community. That’s why we’ve launched a simple yet meaningful initiative: we plant one tree for every massage performed.
We also support local schools, hospitals, and charitable causes in the communities where we operate. These efforts reflect our core values - kindness, generosity, and cultural care. While we haven’t yet formalized these initiatives into a foundation, giving back is already an integral part of our DNA.
About | Nuttha Goutier
Nuttha Goutier is the founder and CEO of Sabai Thai Spa, a fast-growing Canadian wellness brand rooted in Thai traditions. Born in Chiang Rai, Thailand, she began her entrepreneurial journey selling coffee and eggs at the age of eight. After moving to Canada, she launched Sabai Thai Spa in 2005 with a mission to bring Thai-inspired wellness to the Western world.
Today, she leads a team across seven locations, with franchise expansion underway and a signature product line, Sabai Essentials, designed to extend the spa experience into everyday life. Nuttha is also a speaker and mentor who shares her story to inspire other women to lead with purpose. Her leadership is grounded in heart, humility, and the belief that business can be a platform for positive change.
