The Royal Thai Navy’s “drug rehab school” in Sattahip has graduated its latest class of reformed addicts, sending 65 people arrested for narcotics use back to their families where it’s hoped they’ll remain clean.
Capt Wasan Sathornkit, director of the rehab center, congratulated the patients for completing their program at the Air and Coastal Defense Command facility June 15.
Graduates line up to receive their certificates for finishing their requirements for “drug rehab school”.
In the ceremony, Wiwat students pledged with holy water 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, wishing them good luck before sending back out into the world.
They closed the ceremony by singing “Sieow Cheewit”, a song celebrating unity and thankfulness.
Wasan 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.
