NEWS: Thai Travel for Addicts: Puke It, not Phuket

CULTURE: Thai Travel for Addicts: Puke It, not Phuket

Pete Doherty spent three days there, and it was too much for him. Since 1959, nearly 100,000 addicts have gone through a controversial rehabilitation program at Wat Tham Krabok, a Buddhist monastery in central Thailand. Far removed from the bright sun and blue sea of Thailand's beach resorts, addicts arrive at Wat Tham Krabok as a last resort.

The detox program includes the ingestion of a potion and regular, ritual vomiting.

The treatment and the accommodation in the monastery are free. This video will blow your mind and turn your stomach.

Thailand was the culmination of my Bipolar Mania. It was the last stop and the end of the line, yet it was also the beggining of the end for even more. Yeh there were drugs before and after thailand. And there was sex. Oh, and I was married and basically took off with a buddy for Thailand.

My point? (I know you're all wondering) I wish I woulda known about this. I would've tried it then. Well, maybe i wasn't in the right frame of mind so who knows. But i'd sure as hell try it now.

Sure there's other remedies for addictions, but I don't know. This strikes something in my core.

I think it comes down to the fact its a free programs. I think its high time for America to come around and offer some sort of programs. Maybe not this extreme, but maybe so.

Long post, I rambled. Sorry.

I've always pronounced it 'Fuckit'

i would try that sometime to see what good effects it would have on my body

I think I'll skip the vomiting video.

Likewise. Probably a good idea for addicts though. It's simple enough to work.

It's actually not that disgusting. Mainly it's a tour of the monastery, an interview with a Belgian monk there, and just a few clips of the ritual vomiting process.

Heh. Cool.

Wrong part of Thailand, anyway. North. Go north.

70% success rate? That seems high. Anyone know what the average American rate is? I'm sure it's much lower.

Psh. We've got a magic puking potion here, too. It's called ipecac. Probably a lot cheaper than a trip to Thailand, even if the treatment itself is free once you get there.

I don't think it comes with Thai monks when you buy it at the drug store, though, so there's that to consider.

That sounds disgusting, though--communal puking into a giant drain? Holy ick.

Actually, the source article says 30%, and the majority of the people who end up there are from Thailand. but I believe that is still fairly high.

I'm a bit skeptical about this for long-term relapse prevention.