Report 7 Russian Tourists Hospitalised After Eating Wild Fruit in Thailand

[webfact]

Picture courtesy of Daily News

 

Seven Russian tourists were rushed to hospital after eating unidentified wild fruit in a national park in Thailand's Surat Thani province.

 

The tourists, keen to sample exotic local flora, experienced severe chest pains and vomiting, prompting a swift response from local emergency services in Panom district.

 

On 5th May, emergency services in the Panom district were alerted to an incident involving foreign tourists at Khao Na Nai Luang Dharma Park.

 

The group, travelling from Phuket, reported feeling nauseous after consuming the fruit. The group of seven, comprising five women and two men, exhibited symptoms ranging from chest tightness and vomiting to frothing at the mouth.

 

Four of the tourists were admitted to Panom hospital, with two women kept for observation due to more severe symptoms, including dehydration. Doctors have contacted Mahidol University’s poison centre, sending fruit samples for analysis as the species remains unidentified.

 

Of the remaining tourists, two with milder symptoms were treated and stabilised, while three others experiencing slight symptoms were treated at Ban Takhun hospital.

 

These patients were discharged after receiving medical care, which included stomach pumping and first aid.

 

The tourists were on an excursion from Phuket, visiting the culturally significant Khao Na Nai Luang Dharma Park.

 

The park's terrain predominantly comprises forested hills, where the group reportedly encountered the mysterious fruit. It is suspected that contact with the fruit’s skin might have caused the reaction. Investigations by local health authorities are ongoing to determine the fruit's toxicity.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Daily News 2025-05-06

 

 

[Evil Penevil]

I hope some BM will keep us updated as to what fruit it was and whether the flesh of the fruit is actually poisonous or had been heavily doused with insecticide.  Many times children have been poisoned because they put "ornamental" fruit not meant for consumption into their mouths.

[spidermike007]

Darwin was absolutely correct, it takes a certain amount of survival skills to thrive in this world and to stay safe. Who would go into a tropical jungle and eat an unknown fruit? What kind of a person does something like that? 

 

It defies the imagination. 

[KhunBENQ]

4 hours ago, Evil Penevil said:

I hope some BM will keep us updated as to what fruit it was and whether the flesh of the fruit is actually poisonous or had been heavily doused with insecticide.  Many times children have been poisoned because they put "ornamental" fruit not meant for consumption into their mouths.

Let's hope that insecticides are not the problem in a national park?

[KhunBENQ]

That was not the tree of knowledge.

[Gottfrid]

5 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Who would go into a tropical jungle and eat an unknown fruit? What kind of a person does something like that? 

7 Russian tourists 😂

[ronster]

So there wasn't a Thai guide telling them not to eat or touch it ??

Or did they have a non Thai guide 😀🤔

[hotchilli]

10 hours ago, webfact said:

The tourists, keen to sample exotic local flora

Idiots.

[Hakuna Matata]

9 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Who would go into a tropical jungle and eat an unknown fruit?

 

Only those crazy Russians and Ukrainians

[john11k]

Hope they are all ok. 
But 

seven dumbo’s together, eating a fruit that the Thais can’t even identify ,  to me that’s brainless. !!

[factual monk]

Russian roulette in the jungle... 

[Lacessit]

Perhaps they were on a tight budget, the ruble isn't worth much.

[newbee2022]

10 hours ago, webfact said:

Picture courtesy of Daily News

 

Seven Russian tourists were rushed to hospital after eating unidentified wild fruit in a national park in Thailand's Surat Thani province.

 

The tourists, keen to sample exotic local flora, experienced severe chest pains and vomiting, prompting a swift response from local emergency services in Panom district.

 

On 5th May, emergency services in the Panom district were alerted to an incident involving foreign tourists at Khao Na Nai Luang Dharma Park.

 

The group, travelling from Phuket, reported feeling nauseous after consuming the fruit. The group of seven, comprising five women and two men, exhibited symptoms ranging from chest tightness and vomiting to frothing at the mouth.

 

Four of the tourists were admitted to Panom hospital, with two women kept for observation due to more severe symptoms, including dehydration. Doctors have contacted Mahidol University’s poison centre, sending fruit samples for analysis as the species remains unidentified.

 

Of the remaining tourists, two with milder symptoms were treated and stabilised, while three others experiencing slight symptoms were treated at Ban Takhun hospital.

 

These patients were discharged after receiving medical care, which included stomach pumping and first aid.

 

The tourists were on an excursion from Phuket, visiting the culturally significant Khao Na Nai Luang Dharma Park.

 

The park's terrain predominantly comprises forested hills, where the group reportedly encountered the mysterious fruit. It is suspected that contact with the fruit’s skin might have caused the reaction. Investigations by local health authorities are ongoing to determine the fruit's toxicity.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Daily News 2025-05-06

 

 

Stupidity hurts😱😳👍

[Magictoad]

This is terrible news

[Magictoad]

6 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

Let's hope that insecticides are not the problem in a national park?

Really?

[smew]

More like three liters of cheap vodka and now blaming fruits, putin sheep 

[chilli42]

Maybe they can start a Thai jungle foraging website now that they have one confirmed “avoid” delicacy.

[Burma Bill]

13 hours ago, webfact said:

after eating unidentified wild fruit in a national park in Thailand's Surat Thani province.

 

A possibility:-

 

The third season of “The White Lotus” wrapped Sunday night, capping off the popular HBO show’s most viewed season yet, which averaged about 15 million viewers per episode.   A major point of conversation online over the past few weeks has centered on the “suicide” tree featured in the show and the poisonous fruit it produces.  

The suicide tree is very real and can be very dangerous, explains Jing-Ke Weng, a Northeastern professor of chemistry and chemical biology and the inaugural director of the Institute for Plant Human Interface, which studies the toxin made by the suicide tree plant and its relatives.  While he doesn’t watch “The White Lotus,” Weng says he appreciates the show spotlighting the pong pong tree. 

 

https://news.northeastern.edu/2025/04/08/suicide-tree-white-lotus/

[sikishrory]

Used to have a "suicide tree" in the garden at lumpini naklua.

The fruit looks quite similar to mango except with bonus cardiac arrest.

 

[NativeBob]

Latest update: from https://www.matichon.co.th/region/news_5169206
Briefly:

The tourists have severe symptoms of dehydration. 

It was reported that the fruit eaten by the group of tourists was the fruit of the tamarind family (Diospyros).

2 hospitals: 2 women stays 2 men refused treatment; another hospital: 2 men refused 1 man stays. 

 

Hm, interesting "dehydration" 

BTW: first report was at Thairat

[Evil Penevil]

According to Thai news sources, the fruit was Gold Apple from the Diospyros decandra tree.  It's a type of persimmon with fruit that is supposed to be edible.  Diospyros decandra is common in some parts of Thailand and is the provincial tree of Chanthaburi and Nakhon Pathom provinces.  The Gold Apple is grown commercially and sold  in markets.        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diospyros_decandra

 

There's no explanation as to why it proved poisonous to the seven Russians.

 

   

 

 

[worgeordie]

Maybe one of Putin's men , they like to poison people,

maybe a warning to get back to Russia and join in the war.

 

Regards worgeordie

[thaipo7]

21 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Darwin was absolutely correct, it takes a certain amount of survival skills to thrive in this world and to stay safe. Who would go into a tropical jungle and eat an unknown fruit? What kind of a person does something like that? 

 

It defies the imagination. 

If this were America, these people would be Democrats and would vote for Biden and or Harris.

[Nick Carter icp]

4 minutes ago, thaipo7 said:

If this were America, these people would be Democrats and would vote for Biden and or Harris.

 

  Did well there mentioning USA politics in a thread about Russians eating food in Thailand 

[gargamon]

Probably smoking marijuana and got the munchies.

[StandardIssue]

23 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Darwin was absolutely correct, it takes a certain amount of survival skills to thrive in this world and to stay safe. Who would go into a tropical jungle and eat an unknown fruit? What kind of a person does something like that? 

 

It defies the imagination. 

There are also a huge number of expat punters going bareback into Thailands sex worker fruit without any thought of the trouble they can cause their temporary partners or themselves. Darwin at work there too yea? What kind of person does that? Let em' get crouch rot yea?

[watchcat]

On 5/5/2025 at 9:09 PM, webfact said:

Seven Russian tourists were rushed to hospital after eating unidentified wild fruit in a national park in Thailand's Surat Thani province.

 

Perhaps they were watching utube videos which told  them to eat this fruit and you'll get high?

[SAFETY FIRST]

On 5/6/2025 at 3:09 AM, webfact said:

Seven Russian tourists were rushed to hospital after eating unidentified wild fruit in a national park

Once they recover they'll probably get a big fine. 

 

Collecting flowers in Thailand's national parks is generally illegal. The National Park Act of Thailand prohibits the collection of any natural resources, including flowers, leaves, and fruits, within the park boundaries

[steven100]

send them back to Zheleznodorozhny and then to Crimea and put them in the hole

[steven100]

maybe the group is keen to sample exotic cocktails ....  or how about exotic sex in the bar ...   or what about exotic time in jail  ...