Diamond Rehab Thailand to open outpatient mental health clinic in Hua Hin

Hua Hin-based luxury rehab to launch its first outpatient services in January
New clinic at The Hub Hua Hin will focus on anxiety, trauma, depression and relationship issues
Services aimed at local residents and expats, not only people with addiction

A leading luxury drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre in Hua Hin is set to expand its services with the opening of a new outpatient mental health clinic in the city.

Diamond Rehab Thailand, fully licensed by the Thai Ministry of Public Health and founded by Theo de Vries and his wife, Panwadee de Vries, will begin offering outpatient counselling and psychological services at The Hub Hua Hin from January.

The move marks the first time the centre has formally opened its services to the local community, with a clear focus on mental health support as well as the early stages of addiction.

Theo de Vries and his wife, Panwadee de Vries

Theo said the decision reflects a belief that mental health issues are far more common than many people realise. “Ten percent of the world’s population has mental health issues,” he said. “That means one in every ten people you see has some kind of problem. It could be anxiety, trauma or depression.”

He added that this reality also applies locally. “If there are 5,000 expats living here, that means around 500 people probably need help. And that’s not even counting Thai residents.”

The new outpatient clinic will provide one-to-one sessions with psychologists, psychotherapists and clinical counsellors from Diamond Rehab Thailand’s therapeutic team. Services will include treatment for anxiety disorders, trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, executive burnout, relationship problems and couples therapy.

“You won’t find that in Hua Hin in English,” Theo said, referring to EMDR, CBT and DBT treatment. “We have a specialised team of therapists who can do that work.”

While Diamond Rehab Thailand is best known for its residential programme, Theo stressed that outpatient clients do not need to be addicts to seek support.

“I want to make it very clear that people do not have to be addicts to come to us,” he said. “Someone might be suffering from burnout, depression or trauma. They can come for one-to-one sessions. It’s about fixing the core issue.”

Theo, who is himself a recovering addict, said his personal experience has shaped the centre’s approach. “I went to rehab myself for addiction and mental health issues in 2010. I got clean, I got my life on track,” he said. “There’s no better way to help addicts than ex-addicts, because we understand what they go through. We’ve been there.”

He founded his first rehabilitation centre in Koh Samui more than eleven years ago, gradually expanding operations before later co-founding centres overseas. He said the scale of Diamond Rehab Thailand has been deliberately kept small.

“We only treat 12 clients, but with a lot of staff, so clients get a lot of individual attention,” he said. “Everything we learned over eleven years, what is good and what is not good, we put into Diamond. That’s what we offer: very high-level, made-to-measure treatment.”

The inpatient programme combines medical supervision, psychology and addiction counselling, with a strong focus on daily structure and healthy routines. “We rebuild healthy habits,” Theo said. “Sleep, exercise, eating properly. The day starts with yoga, a hike or a walk, then therapy sessions, education groups, gym and evening programmes.”

For outpatient care, the aim is to address problems early and reduce reliance on substances as coping mechanisms. “Alcohol or drugs are just medication,” he said. “Let’s say someone has anxiety. At first, two or three drinks help them cope. But at some point, that doesn’t work anymore. The problem is not the alcohol. The problem is the anxiety.”

Success, he said, is not simply abstinence. “Success is that they actually find the core of the problem,” Theo said. “If you fix the anxiety or the trauma, they often don’t even want to drink anymore.”

He also emphasised the importance of finishing treatment. “This place can look like a holiday from the outside, but it’s definitely not a holiday,” he said. “People cry here. People laugh here. There are days when the cravings are very strong. Success is that they stay, they sit with that feeling, and they do the work.”

For those unsure whether they need help, Theo encouraged people to reach out. “You don’t need to be an addict,” he said. “If you’re struggling with anxiety, trauma or depression, just call and talk. Mental health should be normal to talk about.”

The outpatient clinic at The Hub Hua Hin is scheduled to open in January, with sessions available by appointment only.

For more information, contact:
Tel: +66 (0)96 582 3832
WhatsApp: +66 96 582 3832
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