Methanol Cocktails Leave Two Australian Women Critically ill in Thailand

[webfact]

 

The young women, from Melbourne, were travelling in Southeast Asia after graduating from school.

By Molly Magennis

It’s understood the girls had been travelling as part of a wider group who had also visited Laos.

Two young Australian women, believed to be about 19 years old, are critically ill after consuming cocktails suspected to be laced with methanol while on holiday in Southeast Asia.

 

The women, who graduated from Beaumaris Secondary College in Melbourne last year, first became ill after drinking the beverage on Friday while staying at a hostel near the border of Thailand and Laos.

One of the women has been flown to a hospital in Bangkok, with her family now by her side.

 

It’s understood the women had been travelling as part of a wider group who had also visited Laos.

 

Methanol is often deliberately added to alcoholic beverages as a cheaper alternative to ethanol, which is the normal alcohol used in alcoholic drinks.

 

Full story: 7NEWS 

-- 2024-11-18

 

 

 

 

 

 

[smedly]

jesus christ, that is shocking, I hope someone is facing charges for this

[webfact]

Two Aussie women are left fighting for life after methanol poisoning at a Laos hostel
 

Two Aussies on life support in Thai hospitals

By MAX ALDRED FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

Two young women from Melbourne are fighting for life in Thailand, suspected of drinking poisoned cocktails which reportedly had shots of 'vodka' while holidaying in Laos.

 

The best friends, both believed to be aged 19, were rushed to hospital from the Laotian capital, Vientiane - near Thailand's northern border - after their drinks were reportedly spiked with methanol. 

 

The young women are believed to have finished school in 2023 and had been travelling Asia during their summer university break.

 

It understood they attended Mentone Girls Grammar and Beaumaris Secondary College in Melbourne's Bayside suburbs.

 

They are both now on life support in separate hospitals in Udon Thani and Bangkok with their parents now making a mercy dash to be at their bedsides.

 

Full story: Daily Mail Online

-- 2024-11-18

 

 

[AnnaBanana]

Innocents abroad.

It seldom ends well when they leave their group tours.

The wrong kind of people often see them coming.

[Briggsy]

I wondered if this was a crude spiking attempt.

[dinsdale]

10 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

I wondered if this was a crude spiking attempt.

More likely methanol from poor distillation.

[hotchilli]

9 hours ago, AnnaBanana said:

Innocents abroad.

It seldom ends well when they leave their group tours.

The wrong kind of people often see them coming.

Best to have a beer served in a bottle with the top on... remove it yourself and be safe.

[bbbbooboo]

umm…. methanol is basically “methylated spirits” The alkies drink it mixed with orange cordial, and call it “steam”. 

[Pattaya57]

Thread headline and OP makes it sound like this happened in Thailand whereas it happened in Vang Vieng in Laos (130 km north of Vientiane)

 

I'd think naming the village would do more good for awareness to be careful

 

 

Edited 3 hours ago by Pattaya57

[Dcheech]

11 hours ago, dinsdale said:

More likely methanol from poor distillation.

Exactly

So many of these articles do not explain, or erroneously explain, what is going on. Bootlegging, distilling liquor which is then sold to tourists. A highly lucrative business. However if you do not know what you are doing, or don't care. Death happens.
 

Methanol is not added, it is a byproduct of distilling and must be discarded in the distilling process. That is what reputable distilleries do, and why there are government regulations. That is what bootleggers might not do because its just more liquid and more money so why not. And who cares if a person dies. 

Great facebook site - A drink to die from
Mainly concerned with Indonesia, but has information on the region.   

 

Edited 3 hours ago by Dcheech

[grain]

I'm missing something here: How did they get back into Thailand? If they got sick in Vang Vieng and were taken to Vientiane, presumably to a hospital there, why were they flown into Thailand (Udon Thani)? If they are on life support, why would the Thais allow them into the country in that condition? These girls may die at any moment, surely the Thais don't want foreigners coming in to die a day or two later, then Thailand has to deal with all that legal formality with deceased foreigners. Why weren't they just treated at the hospital in Vientiane. Things don't add up with this story.

[Pattaya57]

Press reporting 

"Two other tourists are feared dead and 10 more are ill from methanol poisoning in the area"

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/melbourne/article-14098623/Bianca-Jones-holly-bowles-laos-thailand.html

Edited 2 hours ago by Pattaya57

[Nick Carter icp]

27 minutes ago, grain said:

I'm missing something here: How did they get back into Thailand? If they got sick in Vang Vieng and were taken to Vientiane, presumably to a hospital there, why were they flown into Thailand (Udon Thani)? If they are on life support, why would the Thais allow them into the country in that condition? These girls may die at any moment, surely the Thais don't want foreigners coming in to die a day or two later, then Thailand has to deal with all that legal formality with deceased foreigners. Why weren't they just treated at the hospital in Vientiane. Things don't add up with this story.

 

    The insurance company may have arranged for them to be transported to Thailand 

[gearbox]

Thailand has nothing to do with the poisoning, it provides health care. It happened in Laos. Wrong headline. It was similar in Sydney Morning Herald, later they corrected it.

[grain]

10 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

    The insurance company may have arranged for them to be transported to Thailand 

OK that makes sense then, they had top tier travel insurance. 

[Keeps]

When you see these roadside cocktail stalls knocking out a cocktail with maybe 3 or 4 shots of spirits for 60-80 baht do you really think the spirits are going to be the 'real deal'?

[VR333]

39 minutes ago, grain said:

Why weren't they just treated at the hospital in Vientiane. Things don't add up with this story.

The standard of medical care available in Laos is not as high as in Thailand. If they had travel insurance, Bangkok or Singapore is where they will medivac you to. 

[lordgrinz]

Another reason to avoid mixed drinks or hard liquor while out, especially while vacationing in a 3rd world country, stick to beer in a bottle that you see opened in front of you.

[SAFETY FIRST]

4 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Best to have a beer served in a bottle with the top on... 

I'm getting thirsty. 

 

[KannikaP]

15 hours ago, webfact said:

Two Aussie women are left fighting for life after methanol poisoning at a Laos hostel
 

Two Aussies on life support in Thai hospitals

By MAX ALDRED FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

Two young women from Melbourne are fighting for life in Thailand, suspected of drinking poisoned cocktails which reportedly had shots of 'vodka' while holidaying in Laos.

 

The best friends, both believed to be aged 19, were rushed to hospital from the Laotian capital, Vientiane - near Thailand's northern border - after their drinks were reportedly spiked with methanol. 

 

The young women are believed to have finished school in 2023 and had been travelling Asia during their summer university break.

 

It understood they attended Mentone Girls Grammar and Beaumaris Secondary College in Melbourne's Bayside suburbs.

 

They are both now on life support in separate hospitals in Udon Thani and Bangkok with their parents now making a mercy dash to be at their bedsides.

 

Full story: Daily Mail Online

-- 2024-11-18

 

 

Why do we need to be told which schools they left last year?

Edited 1 hour ago by KannikaP

[Burma Bill]

12 hours ago, dinsdale said:

More likely methanol from poor distillation.

 

Thanks and very much so. From the crude distillation method (an example below) poisonous methanol is the result and not ethanol.

I have seen such crude stills when I lived in Lanna.

In this sad incident, LAO KHAO from LAOS!

 

 

 

[Miez Chen]

1 hour ago, Dcheech said:

Exactly

So many of these articles do not explain, or erroneously explain, what is going on. Bootlegging, distilling liquor which is then sold to tourists. A highly lucrative business. However if you do not know what you are doing, or don't care. Death happens.
 

Methanol is not added, it is a byproduct of distilling and must be discarded in the distilling process. That is what reputable distilleries do, and why there are government regulations. That is what bootleggers might not do because its just more liquid and more money so why not. And who cares if a person dies. 

Great facebook site - A drink to die from
Mainly concerned with Indonesia, but has information on the region.   

 

Methanol doesn't come from "wrong" destilling. That's a myth. Either they have to much wooden parts in the base, or they add industrial alkohol (methanol).

[madone]

4 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Best to have a beer served in a bottle with the top on... remove it yourself and be safe.

handy advice, if the story were about drinking beer, that is. 

[madone]

6 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Why do we need to be told which schools they left last year?

 

good to see you focus on the important questions. 

[hotchilli]

19 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

I'm getting thirsty. 

 

Great idea, it must be 5 O'clock somewhere. 🍻

[hotchilli]

12 minutes ago, madone said:

handy advice, if the story were about drinking beer, that is. 

The moral of my post was, if I don't see where it's coming from I don't drink it.... goes for all manner of beverages and cocktails.

[Burma Bill]

40 minutes ago, Keeps said:

When you see these roadside cocktail stalls knocking out a cocktail with maybe 3 or 4 shots of spirits for 60-80 baht do you really think the spirits are going to be the 'real deal'?

 

Thank you for your comment and true in many cases. I have witnessed empty gin and vodka bottles being refilled with a "clear" liquid (ethanol) being poured from large plastic containers. The full bottles were then put back onto the optics for use in the "happy hour" cocktail specials. I will not state the location for fear of litigation. It was a high grade hotel and not a backpackers doss house. I do not drink cocktails anywhere in this part of the World.

Edited 1 hour ago by Burma Bill
additional information

[mokwit]

13 hours ago, dinsdale said:

More likely methanol from poor distillation.

Is that possible? Fermentation produces Ethanol only, otherwise you wouldn't be able to drink wine or beer.

[mokwit]

Just now, Burma Bill said:

 

Thank you for your comment and true in many cases. I have witnessed empty gin and vodka bottles being refilled with a "clear" liquid (ethanol) being poured from large plastic containers. The full bottles were then put back onto the optics for use in the "happy hour" cocktail specials. I will not state the location for fear of litigation. I do not drink cocktails anywhere in this part of the World.

Exactly, it is added, as per recent case.

[madone]

9 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

The moral of my post was, if I don't see where it's coming from I don't drink it.... goes for all manner of beverages and cocktails.

 

not what you said tho was it?

but thanks for the advice there captain obvious.