Gold Leaf Thai Massage

Every day, Arunrat Wanngern wakes up with a smile, ready to make someone’s day great.

“I love my job because I help people to feel better. It’s very satisfying to find that one muscle causing a person’s pain and then be able to fix it,” she says with enthusiasm.

Arunrat, commonly known by her nickname Ice, is the co-founder of Gold Leaf Thai Massage. Together with her husband Phil, they’ve turned Ice’s passion and expertise into a thriving business in Victoria Street.

When Ice arrived from Thailand to Melbourne in 2016 on a student visa, she had big dreams.

“It was tough,” she recalls. “I was studying leadership and working as a massage therapist part-time to support myself and send money back to my family.”

It was during this time that her life took an unexpected turn. Phil walked into the massage business where Ice worked and became a loyal client. Their connection grew quickly, leading to marriage in 2018 and a shared dream of opening their own business.

The 2020 pandemic slowed their plans, but it also gave Ice the time to perfect her remedial massage skills.

By late 2022, they were ready. They purchased their Victoria Street premises from another massage business, convinced by the easily accessible location, steady flow of foot traffic and high shopfront visibility.

They’ve added their own touches to the two-storey building to create a warm and welcoming space for relaxation and wellness.

Thai massage is at the heart of their offerings, a technique that combines dry compression, stretching, and precise pressure techniques. Ice explains, “In Thai massage we use our elbows, knees, and hands to find and fix problems deep in the muscles.”

Clients are constantly amazed by Ice’s ability to feel muscle tone and pinpoint problems, often before they even realise something’s wrong. That expertise has earned Ice a loyal following, with some regulars traveling all the way from Bendigo.

“She doesn’t just treat symptoms—she solves the problem,” Phil explains admiringly.

Today, Gold Leaf Thai Massage is thriving, with a small, dedicated team of skilled therapists working alongside Ice. Looking ahead, Ice and Phil are eager to continue building strong relationships within the community.

“The word-of-mouth support and goodwill from locals has been incredible,” Phil notes.
“This work makes my heart full,” Ice says, “and every day I learn something new. It’s a dream come true.”