How deadly is Lao Khao?

[Lacessit]

There are several mentally-impaired teenagers in my GF's village. Fetal alcohol syndrome, quite a few heavy drinkers. Lao Khao is favored, inexpensive and has more kick to it than whisky or rum. I tried a taste of it once, practically pure alcohol IMO.

My GF is at the house of a neighbor, the younger brother, 47 yo, has just died of alcohol poisoning. She is helping out with the usual masses of food prepared for guests. The brother's family has just driven from Buriram to Chiang Rai in a pickup to attend the funeral, ten people, draw your own conclusions.

60 - 70 baht buys one bottle of beer. For that money, one can buy enough Lao Khao to get absolutely plastered.

I'm just wondering if the health authorities keep any statistics on how many people die from Lao Khao, how much toxic methanol is in it, and what the average alcohol content is.

[Halfaboy]

I heard stories that lao kao is brewed at home. To give it a special flavour sometimes rat poison is added during the brewing process....

[Donekys]

Try pouring a little on the tile floor and putting a lighter to it...it lights on fire. However, it's only 20% alcohol by volume. Not sure how toxic it is, but our small village has the same story of death bu alcohol (lao kao) of two young men.

[onebir]

18 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

I'm just wondering if the health authorities keep any statistics on how many people die from Lao Khao, how much toxic methanol is in it, and what the average alcohol content is.

Apparently you need a license to produce it, and there are heavy penalties for unlicensed production. Also it's taxed, so there should be production stats at least.

[ctxa]

That sh*it is worse than poison. Never have and never will try that. 

[Orton Rd]

It's 40 degree not 20, ok if you soak ginseng in it for a couple of months. Ya dong which they sell on the road side is around 20%, some is better than others, some have honey mixed in. That's 50 baht for a small bottle and 30 for an M150 size bottle, never bought a larger one. 

[1FinickyOne]

do they die of the booze or the motorcycle accident? Hard to keep stats... 

[Catkiwi]

47 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

There are several mentally-impaired teenagers in my GF's village. Fetal alcohol syndrome, quite a few heavy drinkers. Lao Khao is favored, inexpensive and has more kick to it than whisky or rum. I tried a taste of it once, practically pure alcohol IMO.

My GF is at the house of a neighbor, the younger brother, 47 yo, has just died of alcohol poisoning. She is helping out with the usual masses of food prepared for guests. The brother's family has just driven from Buriram to Chiang Rai in a pickup to attend the funeral, ten people, draw your own conclusions.

60 - 70 baht buys one bottle of beer. For that money, one can buy enough Lao Khao to get absolutely plastered.

I'm just wondering if the health authorities keep any statistics on how many people die from Lao Khao, how much toxic methanol is in it, and what the average alcohol content is.

Sad circumstances Mate. I doubt any official records are maintained or that any one else pretty much gives a hoot about it. I do know two Expat Mates who's wives both died of severe liver problems, attributed to the LK brew. Just bloody sad!! RIP.

[zzaa09]

I trust that most don't use the comparisons with the benzine/chemically-induced <deleted> that passes as commercial Lao Khao and real traditional home brew.

 

Not even close. Two different beasts. 

 

More authentic will be the proverbial Ya Dong made with real home/community Lao Khao.

For everyone that's makes Ya Dong, there's a different manner in which to create. 

 

 

[katana]

If it's not distilled properly it can contain methanol in addition to ethanol, which is poisonous.

Improper distillation is far less likely to occur in a legitimate brewery rather than some illegal still.

[Saraburi121]

Three died before 50 years old in my village probably due to drinking, all drank lao khao every day.   One I never seen sober a day over years, the human body is amazing that they lasted that long.   See so many folks here get up and go to bed drinking lao khao.  

[onebir]

33 minutes ago, katana said:

Improper distillation is far less likely to occur in a legitimate brewery rather than some illegal still.

Apparently stills made of aluminium or tin produce more methanol than steel & copper.

[Lacessit]

8 hours ago, Donekys said:

Try pouring a little on the tile floor and putting a lighter to it...it lights on fire. However, it's only 20% alcohol by volume. Not sure how toxic it is, but our small village has the same story of death bu alcohol (lao kao) of two young men.

The proof  concept originated from whether a spirit distillation would burn or not. Because whether an alcohol/water mix burns is highly dependent on the temperature of the fluid, proof can vary wildly from 40% alcohol to 90% alcohol.

I doubt very much 20% alcohol would burn, wines are up to 15% alcohol. Unless the fluid temperature was raised to something like 50 to 60 degrees C.

At 22 C, an alcohol content of 60% by volume is required before the mixture will burn. Nowadays, nearly all commercial alcohol is labelled with the alcohol by volume content. Never seen any labelling on Lao Khao.

 

[Lacessit]

5 hours ago, onebir said:

Apparently stills made of aluminium or tin produce more methanol than steel & copper.

Interesting, I did not know that. Aluminium and tin as metals are corrosion resistant, forming passive surface oxides. Steel and copper do not. A difference in valencies, perhaps.

[PatOngo]

9 hours ago, ctxa said:

That sh*it is worse than poison. Never have and never will try that. 

But it's good for cleaning rusty nails! Oh, and dirty toilets! Like coca cola!

 

 

Edited January 31, 2021 by PatOngo

[tonray]

9 hours ago, Donekys said:

Try pouring a little on the tile floor and putting a lighter to it...it lights on fire. However, it's only 20% alcohol by volume. Not sure how toxic it is, but our small village has the same story of death bu alcohol (lao kao) of two young men.

We should merge this thread with the "How I cleaned by mouldy Tile grout in the shower"

[northsouthdevide]

I don't know how deadly it is, but a spoonful go's into wy windscreen wiper water along with a drop of detergent. 

Keeps the insects off the window, and a bottle lasts a couple of years. 

[Bangyai]

Talking about the mass produced Lao Khao then in my opinion it is no worse than Vodka, Tequila, Gin or rum etc.

 

Every country throws up its own cheap potent spirit to give the <deleted> heads something to drink.

 

Go to Russia and see the devastation vodka causes there. It's the same as here.

 

The problem lies not in the drink itself but in the degree it is abused. Sometimes I go out on my bike in the morning and see the locals staggering about drunk before I have had breakfast. For some, they will start as soon as they wake and continue through the day drinking their way into oblivion.

 

Any alcohol drunk to excess will produce an alcoholic and can lead to death  either by poisening or misadventure.

 

However, there is some scientific evidence that clear alcohol is less harmful than colored alcohol. Apparently , alcohol with color has additives intended to enhance the taste and appearance that increase things like hangovers etc.

 

Another problem with Lao Khao is its cheap price. If the tax system was changed and Lao Khao became more expensive, whereas the price of Hong Tong etc was halved then Hong Tong would be seen as a deadly killer.

 

Cheap booze kills because of its price.

 

On a personal level I drink it regularly, about 3 times a week. As a mixer I use bitter lemon and water.

 

However,  I never ever drink anything at all before 6.30 pm or after 9.30pm.

 

Never have a hangover. However, ever time I drink beer here it boosts me out and gives me GERD. 

 

I would prefer to drink a decent wine but the indecent prices don't encourage it.

[ChakaKhan]

Pfffft!    Lo kao make you mao mao!  

 

I tried it once---ugh....thats for LOSO folks

 

Us HISO folks such as myself enjoy a nice snifter of Sangsom after a nice plate of rice!  

 

pass the crickets please!    ????

[EVENKEEL]

I've had it probably 5-6 times. Local guys thinks it's great fun to see farang drinking Lao khao till the old lady gives me the stink eye. We would mix the whiskey with various leaves to give red color and call it medicine ahahaaa. But many of home remedies has lao khao as ingredient. I don't live in Issan any longer so really don't try it any more. Where I'm at now folks have more money and tend to drink more expensive alcohol.

 

A couple of small shots followed with water chaser will give a buzz.

[ChakaKhan]

1 minute ago, EVENKEEL said:

till the old lady gives me the stink eye

Ahhh Young Love! ❤️ 

[UncleMhee]

10 hours ago, ctxa said:

That sh*it is worse than poison. Never have and never will try that. 

Since you've never tried it, and say you never will; you've just made that up.......

[ChakaKhan]

Also curious about Sangsom as I like it and have had thais tell me it will make me crazy..

 

And the Elusive Sangsom Similan which was marketed as an export but not sure if it ever got out of the country and where its being stockpiled as ive found a few dusty bottles..

 

I also have come upon the Blue label Premium Sangsom...seems a bit lighter...and also dusty bottles that are 8 yrs old...aged!!!!  555 ????

 

Premium is a lighter version so less hangover it seems..the similan is more vanilla coconut and more of a hangover in my exclusive studies!

 

Both seem hard to find as most thais dont even know about similan and the bottles are dated from 8 yrs back....im on the hunt!   180 bt for a large

 

Edited January 31, 2021 by ChakaKhan

[Saltire]

I would agree, Lao Khao is a regular killer in the villages. As others have mentioned, many locals drink it all day, every day. At any point in time I'd say 50% are drunk. The poo yai frequently announces a 'death by lao khao'.

 

Wife lost her father a month ago and her 76 year old, alcoholic, stepmum seems on track to be the next announcement.

 

 

[ThailandRyan]

When I lived in a village outside of Wang Sam Mo many years ago, there were M-150 bottles at all of the mom and pop stores stacked many bottles deep and in rows, full of the stuff.  Sold for 20 baht a bottle, and there were plenty of drunks laying around still drinking it by 9 am n the morning, and then begging for more money to buy another bottle.  Others would buy a bottle, shoot it, and head to work in the fields.  I personally had a bottle I kept for antiseptic purposes of cleaning out wounds on the dogs as it was a hell of a lot cheaper than isopropyl alcohol.  

[soi3eddie]

 

I'd say Lao Khao causes many problems for Thais. It's way too cheap for the strength and damage it does. In the village, a few of the locals were always drunk with one guy totally incoherrent and stumbling about. How he lived until nearly 60 is amazing. Typically it was the shop bought stuff but occasionally it was a the "underground" brew from a jungle still. I tried both and one sip is one too many. Total gut rot. Also tried the Yaa Dong which is a bit more palatable due to the herbs and honey. The Thai government should forget about taxes on wine and instead tax Lao Khao at 1000% or more for the deadly damage it does. That's just in health let alone it's effect on dunk driving casualties. Amazing Thailand.

 

[cooked]

Cause of death: here it will be 'heart', 'old' or 'Lao Kao'. Oh, and 'motorbike' of course.

[Moonlover]

2 hours ago, northsouthdevide said:

I don't know how deadly it is, but a spoonful go's into wy windscreen wiper water along with a drop of detergent. 

Keeps the insects off the window, and a bottle lasts a couple of years. 

We used to do that with duty free vodka in Germany. It was cheaper than screen wash.

[sipi]

I don't drink the stuff but I think it gives the village a strange sense of personality.

Getting drunk and dancing in the rain to blaring music.

It just wouldn't be the same if they were drinking pots of Earl Grey tea.

[TSF]

Lots of local men drink it where I am (rural Korat) most are demented, they're like village idiots, but most are inbred anyway, you can see it in their features. When they take a wife they get a woman from the same village or the next one 5km away.