You Can Barf Your Way to Sobriety in Thailand

In Thailand, one can pretty much get any kind of medical procedure you need, from having your teeth replaced all the way up to having your gender changed. But increasingly, Thailand has become a popular destination for those wanting to rid themselves of addictions to drugs, alcohol, or both. It’s called ‘rehab tourism’, and just like any other kind of tourism one can opt for the humble, inexpensive way, or the lavish and very pricey way. On the humble end of the spectrum, there are spiritually-based treatment programs such as the one run at Tham Krabok Monastery in Saraburi Province. Here, the lodgings are simple, inexpensive and austere, and treatment focuses on enlightening the spirit while detoxifying the body. A big part of detoxifying the body involves a special herbal concoction the monks have created which one ingests every day at 6 p.m. to induce vomiting. But apparently, though very unpleasant, this method has a high success rate. It does not work for everyone, however. One of the monastery’s more famous patients, English musician Pete Doherty, reportedly lasted less than a week of Tham Krabok’s four-week program before leaving to allegedly go get some drugs. You can read more about Tham Krabok, Doherty, and more expensive Thai sobriety treatment options at the link. (CNNGo – Hurl to Be Happy in Thailand) If you’re interested, you can see the monastery’s official website here.