A Watford man with a history of drug abuse has drawn on his life experience to help set up an off-grid addiction clinic in Thailand.

Clifford Edwards, originally from South Oxhey, bought a one-way ticket to India in February 2015 with the intention of travelling around the sub-continent for six months.

However after eight weeks in India he was offered a job at a drug rehab centre near Bangkok, Thailand.

Despite this being a departure from his previous plan, Clifford’s workplace experience at a similar facility and his personal history of substance abuse convinced him to take the plunge.  

It was during this time that he met his future partner Wanvisa, who owned a 14-acre facility and was looking to use it to help people battle addiction utilising her knowledge of traditional Thai herb healing.

From their fusion of Western expertise and local knowledge, the banyantree21 residential addiction treatment clinic was born.

Set in the mountains of northern Thailand, the small centre is entirely solar powered and even has its own fresh water supply.

Since setting up banyantree21, Clifford has lost seven stone through the methods and techniques taught at the centre.