Several local media reports have been circulating recently suggesting that some forms of the popular herbal remedy, Tapee Tea, may contain steroids or other adulterants. Tapee Tea is made from a combination of different plant extracts and is used for a range of medical conditions including joint pain, arthritis, low blood pressure, oedema and weight loss. All products sold in Thailand containing herbs, spices or other natural ingredients must undergo rigorous and thorough testing before they can be approved for sale. The Thai FDA also conducts regular unannounced facility and product inspections of producers.
Steroids are legal in Thailand, where they are commonly dispensed by pharmacists for off-label use. But in an area like Pattaya where weight training is extremely popular, people are taking them without the prescribed guidelines and are at risk of serious side effects.
The seedy beachside town of Pattaya is a mecca for amateur bodybuilders from across Australia and the UK, who flock there for “steroid holidays” to bulk up with a cocktail of performance-enhancing drugs. But the drug-and-gym regimen can have dangerous and even deadly results. Aziz “Zyzz” Shavershian, a famous Australian amateur bodybuilder who became a celebrity in the sport after moving from Australia to Thailand, died of an undiagnosed heart condition while at a Pattaya sauna last year.
Amid the warnings of health experts and police, many ordinary gym-goers are taking the gamble, hopping on planes to Asia and stacking a dangerous cocktail of steroids that include powerful veterinary medicines as well as fertility treatment. And pharmacies in Pattaya sell some brands at prices up to 10 times less than they cost on the Australian black market. Steroids Thailand