Pete Doherty, ex-frontman for British band Babyshambles was recently asked to leave a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in Thailand because he was “not ready to stop using,” said the clinic.
Alastair Mordey, director of The Cabin Chiang Mai clinic said Pete was discharged for therapeutic reasons and that is was “important to maintain the integrity of the treatment program for the other clients to have a good chance of recovery.”
Pete had a history of drug and alcohol abuse. Although Thailand has had a reputation for being a center of illicit drugs at various points in time, currently it has become a center for drug rehab programs. This seems ironic to the scores of visitors who travel to Thailand for the famous full moon party in Ko Phangan, Thailand. However, while many tourists may think Thailand is a free-for-all country where drugs can easily be purchased they will find Thai drug laws can be severe in certain cases. Even if visitors can get easy access to marijuana in Thailand along with other drugs, the legal consequences may be much more serious than what was expected.
Thailand’s history of drug tourism has been a known issue among the media as well as celebrities which has only amped up the drug hype. Many people go to places such as Pattaya and the infamous Full Moon party where illegal substances are more prominent.
The following video discusses Thailand’s drug tourism in depth:
