BOOKING YOUR FLIGHT

The Monastery is closed to new admittances from 16th March each year for Tudong.  Thamkrabok re-opens its doors to addicts and visitors from 5th May each year.

If affordable and possible, you should buy a DIRECT flight to Bangkok.  Try not to buy a very cheap flight that may involve a stopover or change of airplane on route. Your goal is to keep your total travelling time from home to the Monastery as short as reasonably possible.

If flying to Thailand, you should try to arrive in Bangkok BEFORE noon (12:00).  This is to ensure that you will get to the Monastery in time for Sajja (the sacred vow) at 16:00 and your first treatment at 17:00. This advice cannot be emphasised enough... if you get to Thamkrabok after 17:00 you will have to wait 24 hours or longer before you can take the medicine.

SELF-MEDICATION BEFORE DEPARTURE

You are not going to Thamkrabok Monastery to 'give up' drugs but you are going there to stop taking drugs. There is a difference.  By now, you must have already made up your mind to get clean so there is no point in any last 'party' or 'binge' or 'treats' that all carry the risk overdose or worse.

Don't do anything stupid in your home country that will stop you traveling to Thailand and don't do anything on the journey that will stop you getting into Thailand. If you turn up stoned or drunk or if you just look intoxicated they will just put you straight back on an airplane home.

You should have been cutting down your use of drugs and/or alcohol before leaving for Thailand.  If you do this there will be less risk of you getting arrested before you leave home etc; there will be less risk of you being turned away and sent home by Thai Immigration Officials etc; and your journey and detoxification treatment at Thamkrabok will be a whole lot easier.

Take your last hit before leaving home or on your journey to the airport. Dispose of any drug paraphernalia sensibly and safely. Just take enough to get you from home to Thailand. Do not even think about taking ANY drugs into Thailand.

Do not drink alcohol on the journey unless absolutely necessary. ALCOHOLICS should have cut down or stopped drinking completely before travelling to Thailand.

BEFORE and DURING YOUR JOURNEY

You should avoid any drinks with caffeine (Coke, Pepsi, Tea and Coffee) for a couple of weeks BEFORE leaving for Thailand; throughout your treatment and for several weeks after getting home after detox.

In you hand luggage you should keep a change of cloths (or at least a change of underwear) and a toilet roll. Some journeys can be delayed and withdrawal symptoms can set in all too quickly. Also, keep some plastic bags and tissues handy in case you are travel sick.

ON ARRIVAL IN THAILAND

On arriving in Bangkok:  Keep your Airline Boarding-Pass (it has your name and seat number on it along with the flight number etc.) with your passport and present this to the Thai Immigration Officer when you eventually get to the front of the queue.  This proves that you have arrived from London or wherever.  [I have seen people - whole families - sent back to the Airline Offices/Desks to get replacement boarding passes!!!]

Once you arrive in Bangkok you will need to get to the Monastery as quickly as possible.  Please don't think about going into Bangkok city to chase that one last hit... it may turn out to be your last!  Just get yourself to Thamkrabok. Follow this link for some advice and directions for getting to Thamkrabok.

It is possible to arrange for the Monastery to send a car to collect you. Just e-mail Mae Shee Rambhai  rambhais[at]hotmail[dot]com for details and costs.