The illegal steroid trade in Thailand is fuelling a vibrant black market and endangering the health of amateur bodybuilders, according to a former New Zealand bodybuilding champion. The Aucklander, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said many of his clients from Australia and New Zealand took steroids in Thailand to push their muscle mass to the next level. Often, they combined them with dangerous weight-loss drugs in a practice known as ‘stacking’.

Anabolic androgenic steroids are synthetic variants of the naturally occurring male sex hormone testosterone. They are usually combined with other substances like growth hormones and human chorionic gonadotrophin to maximise their muscle-building effect. In addition, steroids increase the speed of protein synthesis and burn fat, and enhance sexual function. The illicit steroid trade is global, with international criminal networks exploiting weak links in the supply chain to export steroids overseas. According to the ACC’s Illicit Drug Data Report, Thailand is a prominent embarkation point for illegal steroids being shipped to countries such as Australia.

Mr Ward, who operates a gym in Pattaya, said most pharmacies selling anabolic steroids in Thailand did not require a prescription. However, he said clinics in the city _ such as the ones that issue medical certificates for drivers’ licences for 100 baht _ would not hesitate to write one for a fee. He said many of the steroids sold in Thailand were counterfeit and that even legitimate products such as oral steriods like methandienon (known in Australia as Dianabol) can cause harm. Steroids Thailand