Beware "very dangerous" fake Johnny Walker headed for Bangkok

[Sir Swagman]

Duty free at the old airport was reportedly rife with fake booze. Once I was told I made a point of smashing bottles as (again I was told) this was the hardest part of selling fake booze. 

[wotsdermatter]

11 hours ago, mauGR1 said:

2 very different whiskies with the same label, none of them deadly though.

A friend used to work for Hiram Walker, not related to JW, in Windsor, Ontario where it is the only distillery they produce Canadian Club and he told me that the company customised their beverage for different countries.  For example, for Mexico, they spiced things up a little with hot chilli peppers.  Could be the same with what you purchased.

 

'nuf sed

Edited November 17, 2018 by wotsdermatter
added information

[StayinThailand2much]

13 hours ago, Misterwhisper said:

Why?

 

Is it "lao khao" colored with sugar molasses, perhaps? If that's the case I can only agree with that statement.

 

And what's "fake alcohol" anyway? Either it's alcohol or its not. If anything, it might be "fake Johnny Walker". 

Methanol, perhaps?

Edited November 17, 2018 by StayinThailand2much

[ChakaKhan]

14 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

Thats why I drink Sangsom these days, for the purity

True story I used to put my sangsom in JW bottles to impress the ladies..until.....555

[wisperone]

When I read the headline, my first thought was coming from China as they produce a lot of fake hard liquor and beer. Very dangerous stuff.  Then it said Thailand so thought different...but then it said foreigner, so am wondering where he learned his trade. If he was from Africa, they would have stated that. Perhaps he is Chinese, and since they don't want to upset the Chinese anymore, they just say foreigner.

[FritsSikkink]

18 hours ago, ravip said:

As often we hear in this forum that Thais cant think etc...

By people who can't think themselves.

[Lacessit]

18 hours ago, Misterwhisper said:

Why?

 

Is it "lao khao" colored with sugar molasses, perhaps? If that's the case I can only agree with that statement.

 

And what's "fake alcohol" anyway? Either it's alcohol or its not. If anything, it might be "fake Johnny Walker". 

Illicit alcohol is extremely dangerous if methanol is substituted for ethanol, or is present in the product from sub-standard distillation. It is metabolized in the liver to formaldehyde and formate, and can cause blindness and death. There were about a dozen deaths in Indonesia a few months ago from moonshine containing methanol.

[Geoffggi]

19 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

Beware Johnny walker full stop, horrible stuff. 

Could not agree more, their marketing department is first class but the stuff they bottle is absolutely crap no matter of which colour it is

[jobsworth]

we don't know that the JW contained dangerous methanol.

all we know is that the JW was not JW.

 

[Old Croc]

Hope they don't get their bulk supplies from Indonesia

 

https://www.voanews.com/a/indonesia-deaths-illegal-alcohol/4346422.html

[BEngBKK]

So... How can you know if your cheap sangsom, black bird, hong or JW contain methanol ?

I remember many times in Euroupe that italian and spanish vine producers spikes up their vine so it is everywhere....

[xylophone]

5 minutes ago, BEngBKK said:

So... How can you know if your cheap sangsom, black bird, hong or JW contain methanol ?

I remember many times in Euroupe that italian and spanish vine producers spikes up their vine so it is everywhere....

Have had some "strange" experiences with spirits served in bars here, getting severe headaches with medium amounts of some recognisable brands so stay away from them in general.

 

And having had experience with brewing "white lightening" in the Sahara and having a few borderline batches I am aware of the headaches, as well as knowing that the stuff can kill you. 

[mauGR1]

46 minutes ago, BEngBKK said:

So... How can you know if your cheap sangsom, black bird, hong or JW contain methanol ?

I remember many times in Euroupe that italian and spanish vine producers spikes up their vine so it is everywhere....

Perhaps it's better not to drink too much in general, but if one wants to get drunk, better stick to some safe, good quality alcohol.

I don't know how much methanol one has to drink to get damaged, but i remember a couple of headaches from just a glass of 'lao khao'.

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, BEngBKK said:

So... How can you know if your cheap sangsom, black bird, hong or JW contain methanol ?

I remember many times in Euroupe that italian and spanish vine producers spikes up their vine so it is everywhere....

The only way to know is laboratory testing with a GCMS ( gas chromatograph/mass spectroscopy )

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, mauGR1 said:

Perhaps it's better not to drink too much in general, but if one wants to get drunk, better stick to some safe, good quality alcohol.

I don't know how much methanol one has to drink to get damaged, but i remember a couple of headaches from just a glass of 'lao khao'.

Ironically, the cure for methanol poisoning is to drink more pure ethanol, so the methanol is flushed out of the liver rapidly before it is metabolized.

[mauGR1]

9 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Ironically, the cure for methanol poisoning is to drink more pure ethanol, so the methanol is flushed out of the liver rapidly before it is metabolized.

Good to know, just in case, but i'm still wondering what can be a lethal quantity of the nasty stuff, and if it's possible to get some permanent damage even with little quantities.

Not really worried though, few months ago i decided to stay dry for some time, and i've never been a heavy drinker.

[sammieuk1]

Hunt him down and bottle him????

[fruitman]

On 11/17/2018 at 2:05 PM, ChrisY1 said:

This stuff has been available for years....thb 700/litre for Black.....

A gang was busted 2 years ago.....a couple of petty fines, but of course, kept up production....very professional and hard to tell from the original.....with Malaysian "duty not paid" stickers.

 

My wife said it's sold for a long time in BKK...they all know it and even can distinct the fakes. It also gives a headache next day.

 

It's sold in almost all restaurants....Also the patrons mix half empty bottles with something to make them full again...now they bring their own bottles and pay the 300 baht opening fee.

 

 

[ParadiseLost]

I discovered years ago that Jamesons is the best whisky as it has a distinctive smell and taste so difficult to rip off. It's also yummy...

 

The last bottle of Smirnoff Vodka I purchased here was definitely not real., it gave everyone a headache. That one was from Makro.
 

Don't even get me started on the elephant p1ss that poses as beer here.

 

Actually it is a good thing for me as I have almost completely given up drinking alcohol, living in the land of fakes.

[ChakaKhan]

So who can give the scoop on SANGSOM...ESp the elusive Sangsom Similan, which I kinda like but oh man, takes me 3 days to recover from a sangsom bender..am I dying????  ????

[Nyezhov]

4 hours ago, ChakaKhan said:

So who can give the scoop on SANGSOM...ESp the elusive Sangsom Similan, which I kinda like but oh man, takes me 3 days to recover from a sangsom bender..am I dying????  ????

Never have more than 8 and you will be ok

[fullcave]

The locals won't know the difference.

[stanleycoin]

11 hours ago, ParadiseLost said:

I discovered years ago that Jamesons is the best whisky as it has a distinctive smell and taste so difficult to rip off. It's also yummy...

 

You need to do, way,  way more research.

it's highly enjoyable as well, but can be a tad expensive. 

[lamyai3]

On 11/17/2018 at 11:30 AM, rooster59 said:

The man behind the fake booze is a foreigner.

Must be Johnny Foreigner. 

[ParadiseLost]

6 hours ago, stanleycoin said:

You need to do, way,  way more research.

it's highly enjoyable as well, but can be a tad expensive. 

Allow me to correct myself, what I should have said was; I discovered years ago that Jamesons is the best affordable whisky...  The best are way out of my price range ????

 

I discovered Jameson Red Breast in Belfast, that is really special.

 

Definitely more research needed...

[ChakaKhan]

19 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

Never have more than 8 and you will be ok

I can put down a small bottle on a good night.....next day...uuugghhhhhh

[Nyezhov]

6 minutes ago, ChakaKhan said:

I can put down a small bottle on a good night.....next day...uuugghhhhhh

I am not worthy!????????

[zzaa09]

20 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

Never have more than 8 and you will be ok

Lightweight 

 

????

[Nyezhov]

6 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

Lightweight 

 

????

another "im not worthy" for you!

[BEngBKK]

But are there many examples of blindness here because of methanol poisoning ?