Detox From Alcohol, Any Facilities In Chiang Mai Or Thailand?

[sk1max]

A friend from the UK wants to visit Thailand, he has a severs problem with alcohol and would like to get some help, It's difficult for him to get this treatment (detox) in the UK and was wondering if there is a private facility here in Chiang Mai or anywhere else in Thailand. Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions on this serious problem.

[jarhead50200]

go to your browser type in search CABIN CHIANG MAI

[tolstoy]

It is not in CM but there is a temple that has been treating drug addicts for years. It is free, they do kind of expect a donation but it isn't technically mandatory just "encouraged" I forget the name of it though. I am certain another member will know it. I believe that it is in Isaan.

There is Suan Prung Hospital but they are not experts. There is also an ad on TV but it is a little expensive.

There is AA here too if your friend wants to try that too. Perhaps some of those members would know more about treatment centers.

It seems that most of the members on this forum would know more about where to get a drink rather than where to clean up.

good luck to your friend

[impulse]

Strangely, every time I fire up TV, this outfit comes up on one of those irritating flashing ads:

http://alcoholrehab.com/

Or you can bypass the middleman and go direct to AA, even here in Thailand.

http://www.aathailand.org/

The majority of treatment centers are going to steer their graduates toward AA as their followup anyway, so he may as well give it a try first to save the $$$ of a treatment center.

I hear that only AA has a money back guarantee- because it's free.

[sk1max]

Thanks for the thoughtful replies, The Cabin looks promising, anyone know their prices, if not i"ll contact them directly, thanks again.

[hellodolly]

Strangely, every time I fire up TV, this outfit comes up on one of those irritating flashing ads:

http://alcoholrehab.com/

Or you can bypass the middleman and go direct to AA, even here in Thailand.

http://www.aathailand.org/

The majority of treatment centers are going to steer their graduates toward AA as their followup anyway, so he may as well give it a try first to save the $$$ of a treatment center.

I hear that only AA has a money back guarantee- because it's free.

I had heard they will also give you back all your misery. If you don't want what they have to offer.

As for treatment centers here in Thailand Western based ones run between $10,000 and as high as $15,000 which is cheap compared to the states.

As for the free Wat I have heard of it but they do not really consider alcohol as a drug. But if you go there you will in all likely hood not be able to drink while you are there. You would then be detoxed when you left.

I remember a few years ago about a fellow who had a thread on TV who detoxed at Ram Hospital and he said they would even take him to AA meetings in their ambulance.

[craigt3365]

A post promoting a business has been removed from view.

[NancyL]

They can do ICU-based detox at CM Ram if your friend is going to have physical problems in getting off alcohol, i.e. withdrawal symptoms. However, they're ready to discharge the patient in less than a week and they don't do good counseling follow-up. But, there is an very good English-lanaguage AA network in Chiang Mai with regular meetings, several times a day, in several locations around town. They are very supportive of people who are commited to stopping alcohol.

If your friend is going to need hospital-based detox, perhaps he can make contact with the AA people first and they'll come visit him when he's at the hospital.

[mesquite]

There is also AA in the UK.

Your friend has to want to get sober. Your wanting him to get sober isn't enough.

Edited April 5, 2012 by mesquite

[ThaiMaiYaak]

I had a friend who went to The Cabin last year and he hasnt drunk since so they must be doing something right. He was a big drinker and none of us thought it would be possible!!

[Mestizo]

There is also Breathing Space Thailand. Website here - http://breathingspacethailand.com/

-Mestizo

[chiangmaiexpat]

Wat Tham Krabok in Saraburi offers alcohol rehab. It's a fairly well known institution with quite a few Western patients. Very different from a Western rehab centre though.

Cheers, CMExpat

[hellodolly]

There is also Breathing Space Thailand. Website here - http://breathingspacethailand.com/

-Mestizo

Not sure they are in business any more. Heard they had moved and changed their name. In fact I know they are not at the same location any more.

[chaoyang]

They also have rehab and detox in the UK. If he comes to Thailand for a rehab program (the usual length is 28 days) and it works, he would need to immediately begin attending AA meetings. Ninety meetings in 90 days is suggested in the beginning.

As noted above, he will need to want it, and probably very badly, for it to work.

[jarhead50200]

if you search AA CHIANG MAI you get this www.chiangmaiinternationalgroupofaa.org good luck

[sk1max]

Thanks for all your suggestions, my friend has zero experience with Thailand. He contacted me for help, so he wants to take the step and stop drinking. The Cabin's fees are 3,500 pounds for a 14 day program and double for the 28 days. I will encourage him to stay after the detox and attend AA meetings if all goes well. At this point he's so dependent that he's worried about the flight, so getting here may be a challenge. Thanks again.

[tolstoy]

Usually people come to Thailand to start their addictions not end them. I am not quite sure if this would be his best option especially if he is going to live in the UK afterwards. It would be better for him to build his support network where he lives.

Also just remember that most detox places promise a lot but the long term success rate is pretty low. Even AA doesn't work for a lot.

good luck to you and your friend. It is a long difficult road. My grandfather battled with recovery for all of my life. He would go back and forth for decades.

[craigt3365]

Great replies. But I think this is best in the I Drink Too Much forum as the OP has mentioned anywhere in Thailand. So....Topic Moved.

[GrahamF]

FYI, you're friend could physically detox from alcohol in 3-4 days, I would suggest doing this under medical care. This doesn't mean he won't start drinking again, but a medically supervised detox would get him past the actual physical problems associated with withdrawal from alcohol. Yes, I'm sure that he could also detox whilst in a rehab facility but if he is set on coming to Thailand to go to rehab it's probably best he actually detox while in England before getting on a plane. Detoxing from alcohol can be a life threatening, I imagine that he would be able to get into a detox facility in Britain fairly easily, maybe not a full 28+ day rehab.

Good luck!

Have him call AA in his area and I'm sure they can advise him about getting into a detox facility.

Edited April 6, 2012 by GrahamF