For some, the infamous Thai beach resort of Pattay is all about sun, sea and sex. But for amateur bodybuilders, it’s also a hub for drugs that allow them to quickly and cheaply achieve the ultimate “ripped” physique. And as the popularity of these so-called steroid vacations grows, the risks are becoming increasingly alarming — both for those who use them and the local community.

Despite the fact that it is illegal to possess steroids in Australia, many young Australians still travel to Thailand on what are known as’steroid vacations’ to buy performance-enhancing drugs and growth hormones. Typically, the drugs are taken in a process called ‘cycles’, where different combinations of steroids are consumed for periods of up to two months in order to maximise muscle gains.

Although some of the drugs sold in Thailand are legally prescribed for medical conditions such as mass muscle deficiency caused by cancer or Aids, it is against the law to dispense them off-label (ie for purposes other than those for which they are authorised to be given). Yet some pharmacies have been found to be supplying steroids to young Australians under the false pretence that they are legal medicines for weight training.

One pharmacy in South Pattay on 2nd Road, which was raided by police last year, stocked a variety of anabolic androgenic steroids at its counter. It provided customers with a visual catalogue and talked them through the process of bulking up if they weren’t sure what to purchase. Steroids Thailand