Navy drug-rehab school celebrates latest graduates

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The Royal Thai Navy’s drug rehab school in Sattahip has graduated its latest class of reformed addicts, sending 120 people arrested for narcotics use back to their families where it’s hoped they’ll remain clean.

Rear Adm. Traikhwan Krairith congratulated the patients for completing their 120-day drug rehabilitation program at the Air and Coastal Defense Command facility Aug. 15.

Rear Adm. Traikhwan Krairith congratulates the patients for completing their 120-day drug rehabilitation program. Rear Adm. Traikhwan Krairith congratulates the patients for completing their 120-day drug rehabilitation program.

During the ceremony, Wiwat students pledged in front of a statue of Prince Khet Udomsak that they would not get involved in drugs again. They also promised to stay true to their words before monks blessed the grads, sprinkling them with holy water and wishing them good luck before sending back out into the world.

Krairith said the students underwent both physical and mental rehabilitation due to the degenerative impact of drugs. All people, he said, deserve a second chance and the school works to make addicts productive again. For that reason, drug users are sometimes sent to Wiwat Polamuang rather than prison.