The practice of amateur bodybuilders and sportsmen from Australia, the UK and other parts of Europe coming to Thailand for a “steroid holiday” to bulk up has become a serious problem. It was highlighted last year when Australian amateur bodybuilder Aziz Shavershian, nicknamed Zyzz, died in a sauna at a Pattaya gym after using illegal steroids bought on the black market.
In contrast to the strict laws in Australia, where the illegal importation of steroids is punishable by up to $110,000 and five years in prison, pharmacies in Thailand often dispense anabolic-androgenic steroids without a prescription. Those drugs are classed as dangerous drugs under the Drug Act BE 2510.
At Tops Pharmacy on 2nd Road in South Pattay, one source says, customers were given a visual catalogue featuring various types of steroids and walked through the process of choosing what they wanted by a staff member. The pharmacy was raided by police in 2010.
While some of the side effects of anabolic steroids are reversible, for men the list includes a decrease in sperm count, baldness, high cholesterol and acne. Women can experience breast growth, enlargement of the clitoris, infertility and problems with the menstrual cycle, all of which are not reversible.
The easiest way to combat the steroid problem, experts say, is by raising awareness and educating young people about the dangers. And, if that fails, enforcing the law by increasing penalties for importing and selling steroids. Steroids Thailand