Udon Thani city is normally the ultimate treatment resort for the rural villagers of Ban. It is a journey which is only undertaken if everything else has failed. At the same time Udon Thani city is of course often the first treatment resort for the urban slum dwellers of Ban Motak.

Udon Thani is a fairly big city. There are numerous shops of all types, hotels, restaurants, brothels as well as a large military base and an airport. There are secondary schools and a teachers’ college. Traffic is dense with samrois, motorbikes and cars crowding the streets.

More detailed information will be given on some of the treatment possibilities in Udon Thani city, although collecting information in the city often proved to be very difficult. Since most public doctors also work in the private sector, some information on private practice was obtained from them when interviewed at Udon Thani public hospital. Only one doctor at the selected private hospital agreed to talk with the research team. Some of the pharmacies in Udon city also refused interviews. In general, the closer is the city, the more secretive did the private sector become. Maybe this was because the providers were closer to state authority and tax officials.