kikipeepers asked
An obscure Buddhist monastery in central Thailand that advocates a secret herbal potion and ritual vomiting for drug addicts has become a final source of hope for thousands of Thais and Westerners. Since its foundation in 1959, Wat Tham Krabok, 85 miles north of Bangkok, has put nearly 100,000 addicts through its “cold turkey” detox program and given them a grounding in meditation to help them stay on the straight and narrow. The treatment — a far cry from the picture-postcard beaches, jungle trekking and wild nightlife that draw millions of visitors to Thailand each year — is not for the faint-hearted. Dressed in red hospital-style overalls, patients have to stay for a minimum of 10 days, during which they are subject to a strict regimen of leaf-sweeping, steam baths, herbal medication and group vomiting. “Invariably, the people who end up here come as a last resort,” said Phra Hans, a Swiss psychologist who became a Buddhist monk — with the title “Phra” — after visiting Tham Krabok seven years ago. “Everybody who comes here must come as a warrior, ready to fight for their life.”
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