5 Reasons Why People Rehab in Thailand

by Brittany Wallace

Taking the first steps on the road to a clean and drug-free life is never an easy, or straightforward task to accomplish and the reasons why people feel they want to overcome their drug addiction are widely varied. Whether it be for health or financial reasons or whether they want to have a more trusting and meaningful relationship with a family they may have neglected over the years—whatever the reason, a person needs the right kind of support and an environment will promote their success, this has led to a recent trend in people traveling abroad to receive treatment for their addiction. One of the most popular countries at the moment being Thailand.

Most know Thailand as a beautiful and relaxing holiday destination with world class beaches, exotic wildlife and unique and interesting culture which draw millions of regular tourists from all across the world. However, according to Clarity, a drug rehab in Thailand, many medical tourists are now coming for something other than the usual low-cost cosmetic surgery the country is normally known for and is now becoming something of a rehabilitation hub in the region. Here are some of the reasons they cited for this increase.

1. Known as a medical tourism hub

Along with Vietnam, Thailand is one of the world’s leading medical tourist destinations for westerners looking for dental treatments, cosmetic surgeries and a whole host of other medical services. It’s partly due to this that positive attention has been focused at the country, with Thailand quickly becoming known as a medical hub in a region famous for being considerably cheaper than western countries. So much so that more people are considering kicking their drug habits in one of the countries many rehabilitation facilities. Many people regard this choice as being similar budget-wise to rehabbing in their own country with the added benefit of being in a new and exciting environment, away from many negative influences.

In addition to this, the perceived quality of private healthcare in Thailand is considerably higher than that of many western countries, as most private medical facilities are very well managed and employ very experienced and well-qualified staff.

2. Distance from home

For many people, the act of actually giving up their drugs of choice and moving on to a cleaner and healthier way of life can be very challenging. Especially when they feel that you are close enough to those negative influences that you could easily give up and go right back to square one at any time. This a lot of the time is the reason people relapse after giving up, due to their proximity to negative influences. They have to accept that distance from certain people and situations will be beneficial for their recovery, hence why many rehabs are residential in nature.

However, for some, it is not enough to simply be a lengthy car or train ride away in the same country, some feel that putting as much distance between themselves and their negative influences is for the best and most experts agree with them. Psychologically speaking, in a moment of weakness, one could potentially sit through 5 hours of traffic to get back home on a whim because they have given up. However, when you are talking about being on the other side of the globe, it becomes substantially more difficult to drop everything and quit.

3. Thailand’s laws and attitudes on drugs

As well as all the other fantastic things that Thailand is known for, as a country, they are known for having fairly tough sentences for drug traffickers and addicts caught using drugs in the Kingdom. The maximum sentence that can be handed down for traffickers is the death penalty and people caught in possession of illegal substances can face up to 10 years, even for personal use.

This means that the vast majority of Thai people do not use illegal drugs and hard drugs are quite difficult to come by. Yes, certain things like marijuana and “magic shakes” can be found in some party destinations such as the islands of Thailand, but knowing the risks for getting caught is enough to put most people off.

4. Thai Culture

Easily one of the most beautiful and fantastic things about Thailand is the culture and the people of Thailand. You would be hard pressed to find a nation of happier, more contented and more easy going people than here! This is actually one of the things many people talk about after getting clean in Thailand. That experiencing Thai culture first-hand and learning how people live their lives differently is an eye-opening and inspiring experience. The main source of the Thai attitude to life and living is built upon an idea known as “mai pben rai” which roughly translates to “it’s no problem”.

Many people feel that they have completely forgotten about the stresses and worries that they faced back in their home countries, and this is something that they can take forward with them. That it is possible to live your life worry-free, without using drugs.

5. Beautiful Surroundings

Thailand is a country that is renowned worldwide for its stunning beauty. From the mountains of Chang Mai to the sandy beaches of Koh Phi Phi, it offers a vast array of scenic locations to visit and explore. This is especially helpful for those suffering through withdrawal symptoms as this provides a large scope for potential replacement activities to essentially distract them and give them events to look forward to. This will help them break up the periods in which they will be receiving treatment and counselling to help them process their addiction-related trauma.

Everybody struggles at some time or another during rehab, however, having a solid routine and calendar of trips, events and new experiences to look forward to will help most people settle in and deal with the potential pitfalls of withdrawal and emotional counselling.

There is no denying that Thailand has recently seen a surge of interest from those seeking drug rehabilitation services and no doubt this trend will maintain for the foreseeable future.

 About the Author

Brittany Wallace is the Content Manager for Clarity Thailand, a clinically proven addiction rehabilitation located in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

• Thailand rehab
• Thailand tour
• treatment in Thailand