A growing number of amateur sportsmen and bodybuilders from Australia, the UK and other countries are visiting Thailand to take advantage of lax regulations and cheap drugs to boost their muscles. But what appears to be a holiday for many is not without its dangers, as this article reveals.
Steroids are synthetic hormones that mimic the effects of natural testosterone in the human body, which can lead to an increase in muscle mass and strength. But the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns that steroids can also cause serious damage to other organ systems, including the heart, liver, kidneys and blood vessels. In some cases, such damage may be irreversible.
In Thailand, possession of anabolic steroids is illegal, but pharmacies abound with drugs that are available for sale over the counter without prescription. A visit to one in downtown Bangkok yielded a variety of medications, from oral steroids to the narcotic oxycontin. The pharmacy stocked all of the drugs in plain sight behind the counter.
The situation is similar in Pattaya, where steroids are readily available over the counter at most pharmacies. Spectrum visited two pharmacies in the city and was able to buy steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs within minutes. Both of the stores, at Charoen Road and Sukhumvit Road, were crowded with customers at 6pm on a Tuesday. The drugs were displayed in the windows and the staff were eager to help amateur bodybuilders choose what to buy. Steroids Thailand