Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Names carry meaning. We chose Asiatic not for its uniqueness, but because it reflects our Thai roots, Asian bodywork traditions, European influences, London identity, and our aim to move beyond the typical Thai massage business.
Our journey started with Thai massage, before we became Asiatic. Our first Upper Street studio was called Kobkun Thai Therapy, a name that showed our Thai bodywork roots. That part of our story is still important, especially at 93 Upper Street, where we’ve welcomed clients since 2009.
Over time, the London massage scene changed. Many Thai massage places started to look and sound alike, with similar names, designs, and language. We wanted a name that respected our Thai roots while also allowing our brand to grow.
That’s how the name became Asiatic.
A word with wider roots
The word Asiatic has a long linguistic history. It derives from the Latin Asiaticus, meaning “connected with Asia.” Similar forms of the word appear in many languages: Italian Asiatico, French Asiatique, Spanish and Portuguese Asiático, and Greek Asiatikós.
For Ben Pianese, our co-founder, the word Asiatic meant something special. With his Italian background, sense of style, and deep interest in Asian bodywork traditions, Asiatico felt bigger than just one country. It pointed to Asia as a whole world of bodywork—Thai massage, Tui Na, Shiatsu, acupressure, energy work, movement, pressure, and touch.
The word “Asian” means different things in different places. In the UK, it often refers to South Asian communities, while elsewhere it can mean East, Southeast, Central, or West Asian backgrounds. We know it’s a complex word, so we chose Asiatic with care.
To us, Asiatic isn’t about reducing Asia to a single idea. It’s about respecting many bodywork traditions, while staying true to where we started—with Thai massage, Thai hospitality, and skilled hands.
From Kobkun to Asiatic
When we changed from Kobkun Thai Therapy to Asiatic in 2021, it wasn’t about leaving our past behind. It was about finding a name that fit who we had become.
By then, our work had moved beyond just one treatment style. We created a more refined Massage Boutique & Wellness studio—still rooted in Thai bodywork, but also shaped by our London clients, our founders’ standards, our design, our service, and a broader view of Asian bodywork.
The name Asiatic gave us room to express that evolution.
It lets us honour Thai massage without being limited by the usual look of a Thai spa. It also helped us create a distinctive identity in Islington—calmer, more mature, more focused on design, and more true to the people behind the brand.
Thai hospitality, wider Asian influence
Apple Jatikate, our co-founder and Managing Director, brings the Thai heart to Asiatic. She grew up in Bangkok and brings the warmth of Thai hospitality, Metta, a strong sense of service, and attention to detail that make clients feel truly cared for.
Ben Pianese brings another part of the story: a long-standing curiosity about bodywork across Asia and the wider East. His interest in Thai massage, Tui Na, Shiatsu, acupressure, somatic awareness, and hands-on remedial work helped shape the brand’s broader direction.
Together, these influences created the foundation for Asiatic: Thai in its roots, Asian in its broader sense, London in its setting, and founder-led in its standards.
Created for London, with deep roots in Islington
We chose the name Asiatic because we wanted something that could grow along with London.
Our first studio, Asiatic Angel at 93 Upper Street, has welcomed clients since 2009. Over time, people have come to us not just from Angel and Islington, but from Central London and beyond. Many have stayed with us for years, returning at different stages of life, work, and wellbeing.
When we started Asiatic, the London massage scene was different. There were fewer dedicated massage boutiques, and clients had limited options for skilled, professional bodywork in a calm and thoughtful setting.
That lasting connection means a lot to us. Asiatic started on Upper Street, but our story has always reached beyond just one neighbourhood.
Our second studio, Asiatic Highbury at 262 Upper Street, offers a different atmosphere while maintaining the same respect for craft, detail, and calm, hands-on care. Both Upper Street studios are in older Islington buildings, linked to skilled trades and personal services.
Our local heritage is why we see our approach as more like an Atelier than a typical spa. An Atelier is a place of skilled hands. This idea fits well with the name Asiatic: a Massage Boutique & Wellness studio shaped by bodywork, hospitality, design, and care.
Why the name still matters
A name should do more than identify a business. It should hold a direction.
Asiatic tells our clients that we are rooted in Thai massage but not limited to a single familiar spa style. It tells them that we respect Asian bodywork traditions without pretending to represent every culture within Asia. It tells them that our work is shaped by founders, not by trends. And it tells them that what happens inside our studios is meant to feel considered, personal, and handcrafted.
In a busy London wellness scene, we wanted a name with depth.
Asiatic is that name.
It carries our history, our wider vision and our belief that skilled touch, sincere hospitality and thoughtful design still matter.
