A nightmare in Laos

[Manuel]

A nasty old business this and every parents worst nightmare.


Australian teen Bianca Jones has become the fourth tourist to have died in a suspected mass poisoning in Laos.The 19-year-old's family confirmed her death to the media on Thursday. Hours earlier, the US State Department told the media that an American man died in the tourist town of Vang Vieng.Two Danish women, aged 19 and 20, also died last week in Laos, Danish authorities confirmed, declining to share more due to confidentiality concerns.The deaths remain under police investigation, but news reports and testimonies online from other tourists suggest they may have consumed drinks laced with methanol, a deadly substance often found in bootleg alcohol.Jones's friend Holly Bowles is in hospital on life support, while a British woman is also reportedly in hospital. It is unclear how many more people have fallen ill from the suspected poisoning.Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the department of foreign affairs had confirmed Jones's death."Our first thoughts in this moment are with her family and friends who are grieving a terrible and cruel loss," Albanese said on Thursday afternoon."This is every parent's very worst fear and a nightmare that no one should have to endure."He said he hoped Ms Bowles, who is currently at Bangkok Hospital, would recover well.The US State Department said it was "closely monitoring" the situation with regards to the American victim, adding that it was up to local authorities to determine the cause of death.Nana Backpacker Hostel, where the two Australian women stayed in Vang Vieng, told the BBC that it was closed for police investigation.The hostel’s manager told the Associated Press that the two women were among more than 100 guests who received free shots of Lao vodka from the hostel. The pair then headed out for the night, he said, adding that no other guests reported health issues.The manager said he hoped the investigation would clear the hostel’s name, but said they have stopped giving free shots for now.In a statement to Australian newspaper the Herald Sun, Jones’s family expressed their "deepest gratitude for the overwhelming support, love, and prayers we’ve received from across Australia"."We kindly ask for privacy as we navigate through our grief and begin to heal," the statement said.Unlike ethanol, the key component of alcoholic beverages, methanol is toxic to humans. Bootleg liquor producers sometimes add it to their drinks, however, as a cheap way to increase alcohol content.Earlier this year, at least 57 people in India died after consuming methanol-laced liquor. Similar cases of mass poisoning have also been reported across the world, from the Philippines to Peru.Vang Vieng is a small riverside town in central Laos, and a hub for backpackers in Southeast Asia.

[lowlife]

This is terrible, no idea how parents, relatives and friends can cope with this. Never been to SE Asia and tbh it’s never been on my list.

So sad reading the stories/experiences of the people on here who have been there that you have to be that careful with what you drink. That type of discipline would get harder as you have more drinks. Just awful.

 I’ve never felt tempted to go, I’m sure there are many beautiful destinations but it’s the ‘party backpacker’ type that would put me off.

RIP

[southbankbornnbred]

It's so sad reading the reporting on this.

My (now) wife and I traveled around Laos in the 2000s and - as Mike Oxshaw says further down this thread - it's always been good advice only to drink properly sealed bottled beers. Many of those youngsters have no idea what the hell they're drinking.

Coincidentally, we turned up in Vang Vieng (on the way up to the capital, as we'd entered Laos via Cambodia) and heard so many stories about the local brews. Lots of youngsters getting very sick back then.

I liked Laos, but hated Vang Vieng. At that point, it was the worst kind of "party town". On our first evening we went out for some food and drink and walked past an open-air bar full of Yank college kid backpackers sitting in rows of seats watching mega-loud repeats of Friends episodes on a giant screen.

Turned to the missus and said: "We've got to get the fuck out of here."

[Far Cough UKunt]

This story is crazy, I was in Vang Vieng during the wild tubing days around 15 years ago. I know exactly what shots they would have had. Every couple of hours the come around with a tray of free shots called lao-lao, literally everyone got involved, the trays probably had 15-20 shots, then once empty another would go around. Crazy to think people have died from drinking one of those - they taste fucking awful as well, standard Asian rice wine/arak.

I remember a similar story when on Lombok of loads dying or going blind after drinking some home brew Arak. The local rice wines are right up there with the worst tasting booze found anywhere on the planet. 

Ethanol, OK. Methanol, not for drinking.

[WHUDeano]

This story is crazy, I was in Vang Vieng during the wild tubing days around 15 years ago. I know exactly what shots they would have had. Every couple of hours the come around with a tray of free shots called lao-lao, literally everyone got involved, the trays probably had 15-20 shots, then once empty another would go around. Crazy to think people have died from drinking one of those - they taste fucking awful as well, standard Asian rice wine/arak.

I remember a similar story when on Lombok of loads dying or going blind after drinking some home brew Arak. The local rice wines are right up there with the worst tasting booze found anywhere on the planet. 

[fraser]

This truly is awful.

Was reading a comment that the British girl had passed all her A levels, got through Uni, law school, got a job at a top law firm, but died drinking a shot in an absolute backwards shithole like Laos. I don't know how parents come to terms with that.

My Mrs law firm work with hers she was in IP law, they would have worked on the same stuff. 

[Manuel]

This truly is awful.

Was reading a comment that the British girl had passed all her A levels, got through Uni, law school, got a job at a top law firm, but died drinking a shot in an absolute backwards shithole like Laos. I don't know how parents come to terms with that.

[Sydney_Iron]

Just been reported that another Australian girl has died, best friend and travelling companion of the other girl, both from Melbourne.

RIP

[fraser]

A 28 Yr old British woman has now died 

[Mex Martillo]

Sounds like good advice Mike. I just told my daughter who is going to Indonisia, Philippines, Oz and  New Zealand travelling.
Thanks

[Mike Oxsaw]

Have one major rule when travelling in SE Asia: always bring your own church keys (bottle opener) and if drinking in somewhere unfamiliar, insist that your beer comes to you in an unopened bottle, at least for the first 2 or 3.

Open it yourself and if it don't sound right (some bars will open, spike, then put the cap back on), ask for another - pour the first away if you have to, to make a point. Genuine serving staff cotton on pretty quickly and subsequent beers will be delivered sealed as they will be expecting a tip to supplement their wages, at the very least.

What I suspect (but don't know) here was that the victims were partying in the street and caught unawares by a bootlegger masquerading as bar staff - it's not that rare in that part of the world.

[Russ of the BML]

Nasty stuff. Parents nightmare. 

[Mad Ferret]

Southeast Asia = Shithole

More at 10.

[fraser]

Was, just discussing this with the Mrs, awful business those poor kids. You'd think a lot more would have had it too and they were either unlucky or had too much of it. 

Must be very tempting to drink the cheap drinks, hopefully this will bring awareness and save some others. 

[Manuel]

An absolute nightmare, to think how everything changes in the few seconds it takes to sink a shot. You're right about Laos, still very backwards even today.

I'm hoping there has been some kind of 'fuck up' here rather than pure evil taking place, not that it will bring them back.

[Sydney_Iron]

All very sad and yes every parent's nightmare, but i can remember my days roaming around SE Asia and Laos even back then had a dodgy reputation when it came to "cheap cocktails" and be careful what you drink (alcohol) stick to bottled beer or reputable places to buy or consume.

the full moon party had some dodgy goings on when it came to moonshine but more likely to make you vomit or feel like shit for a few days than kill you, but Laos was the place you needed your wits about you.

RIP