Thai Traditional Liquor Fatal In Cold Snap, Official Warns
By Khaosod English


A group of tourists pose for photograph with thermometer showing subzero temperature on the peak of Doi Inthanon mountain at dawn today.

BURIRAM - Consumption of Thai traditional herbal spirits can be fatal in the cold weather, a public health official warns, as parts of rural Thailand are facing the annual cold snap.

Thada Wannathanapiyakul, a senior official of the Ministry of Public Health in Buriram province, said the common belief among Thai rural residents that drinking ya dong can harden human bodies against the cold weather is misguided.

"It's a misunderstanding," Thada told Khaosod today, "The result is the opposite: the liquor can damage the liver and the stomach. It can cause infection in the intestine and the stomach, especially for the elderly people."

In the worst case, she said, drinking ya dong in a particularly cold day can even cause deaths. "There are many fatalities and illnesses related to spirits drinking in the winter each year," he said.

The official added that ya dong is even more hazardous than other types of alcohol because it features venomous creatures such as vipers, centipedes, and scorpions.

"Drinkers may catch virus or venom from these animals," Thada said.

According to Thada, officials in the northeastern provinces are warning residents to refrain from using ya dong as medicine in the cold, and advising them to keep themselves warm and exercise frequently.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1417162627


-- Khaosod English 2014-11-28

Hmmmm..........Maybe a hot toddy would be the order of the day instead.

I'm surprised Russians drinking vodka in the Siberian wastelands aren't dropping like flies if this piece of "medical science" is even remotely close to the truth.

Infection, venom, poison, liver damage, porcupines, broken glass, fire hazards, tornado, untied shoelaces, earthquake... you name it.

It doesn't matter if it makes no sense, I just need to look busy!
- Unnamed Thai Official

"...the common belief among Thai rural residents that drinking ya dong can harden human bodies against the cold weather is misguided."

So are the beliefs that drinking alcohol doesn't affect ones driving ability or bring out violent tendencies.

But drinking non traditional alcohol is ok.

The only thing I find being a problem with Yaa Dong ia that it sometimes contains loads of those red terrible centipedes, or as stated vipers and scorpions (although I have never aeen those two in any drinks except the ones sold to tourists).

But usually it seem to be made from the same stuff every time, serves with some bpai tey water (or padan leaf or whatever they are called in english) and some mango on the side.

Im from sweden, while there is no doubt people die from drinking in the winter it's usually a result from being too drunk and falling asleep outaide in the snow.

Thais may experience january cold here, be we are not talking minus 20 celsius. Of course there is always risks involved when drinking while having a cold or the flu, especially if being a senior. But this seems like quite some fear mongering.

Life is dangerous, you can die! Live with it...

Don't laugh.

This is how these ministers justify their bloated salaries and budgets.... By spinning BS that they made up.

Hmmmm..........Maybe a hot toddy would be the order of the day instead.

I'm surprised Russians drinking vodka in the Siberian wastelands aren't dropping like flies if this piece of "medical science" is even remotely close to the truth.

they do...numbers in the thousands each year...though maybe it's true?

The official added that ya dong is even more hazardous than other types of alcohol because it features venomous creatures such as vipers, centipedes, and scorpions.

Those critters are just vitamin and protein additives.

I have worked in Alaska, and have been in 60 below zero fahrenheit. Always amusing

to see Thais bundled up and talking about a cold snap at 30 degrees...... :-)

Unbelievable.

Another shade tree expert, making noise. Probably does less harm doing this than she does in the kitchen or entertaining her husband/boyfriend.

I'd try it actually,...

Nonsense. The homeless use booze all over the world, in brutally cold and harsh environments, and no one dies from it. They say they drink it to stay warm.

Where do the people who make these statements go to school?

no 'Ya Dong' OR moonshine drinks.. This might lead to a 'major hub ' of low class or no class drinkers ! LOL

Don't laugh.

This is how these ministers justify their bloated salaries and budgets.... By spinning BS that they made up.

And with a new article from Buriram accompanied with a picture from Doi Intanon <deleted>?

There are other countries nearer to Buriram than that thermometer in Doi Intanon

Hmmmm..........Maybe a hot toddy would be the order of the day instead.

I'm surprised Russians drinking vodka in the Siberian wastelands aren't dropping like flies if this piece of "medical science" is even remotely close to the truth.

They are. They're mixing it with pure ethanol because it's cheaper. Very good BBC doc on it while back.

A worker died on an adjacent farm last week.

He was drinking ya dong from the time he finished work until around midnight when he decided to sleep outdoors on the farm. Some combination of alcohol and hypothermia I guess.

no 'Ya Dong' OR moonshine drinks.. This might lead to a 'major hub ' of low class or no class drinkers ! LOL

It's not a joke. Many Thais don't live past 50 due to these 'low class drinks'. All local hospitals keep a supply of DMSO to counteract it. They should ban the poison, same pocheen in Ireland, and make less harmful alcohol more affordable. People are always going to drink.

There is some truth in what these boffins are saying but certainly not to the extent they are making out. Alcohol at a certain level causes the blood vessels including all the capillaries to dilate. So the body radiates more heat. ie loses heat to the environment. On a cold day with some persons this could be dangerous.

My favorite winter stipple is a cup of hot Bonox with a nip or two of Captain Morgans Rum. In Australia its called a "Mum and Dad". Really warms the O'l cockles.

no 'Ya Dong' OR moonshine drinks.. This might lead to a 'major hub ' of low class or no class drinkers ! LOL

It's not a joke. Many Thais don't live past 50 due to these 'low class drinks'. All local hospitals keep a supply of DMSO to counteract it. They should ban the poison, same pocheen in Ireland, and make less harmful alcohol more affordable. People are always going to drink.

It certainly isn't a joke. I have lived in the Buriram panhandle for more than 30 years. Although the home-made rice rums (Lao Khow) have been around forever, they didn't seem to be doing much damage when I first came to the village. Cultural restrictions and taboos were still in place and controlled it. But now with Thai cultural restraints breaking down the consumption of these rums and store-bough cheap "whiskies" has gone shy high. And these spirits are deadly.

They are not distilled properly and are full of aldehydes, ketones and other crap. At the best they will give you a nasty headache, but addicts get all kinds of diseases. Live and kidney failure and cancer. They age before your eyes. In my little village there now are very few young or middle aged men. They are all dead, or incapacitated and unemployable. It's tragic to watch. Most of the alcoholism now comes from store bought spirits, sold by the shot. And who promotes this consumption to all the corner shops, a couple of wealthy families.

But drinking non traditional alcohol is ok.

The difference is in the tax.

Ya dong is fatal in a cold snap?

That's what She said...

......

But usually it seem to be made from the same stuff every time, serves with some bpai tey water (or padan leaf or whatever they are called in english) and some mango on the side

........

Ya Dong is made of the same Ruang Khao distilled from molasses as the one sold at Tesco Lotus for 85 Baht per 0.64 liter bottle with alcohol by volume 40%.

Snake Ya Dong mostly comes from Laos and China I believe...

It's amazing that someone would dare to drink this cocktail!

Any excuse to drink vs any government story to get them not to drink.

"There are many fatalities and illnesses related to spirits drinking in the winter each year," he said.

The official added that ya dong is even more hazardous than other types of alcohol because it features venomous creatures such as vipers, centipedes, and scorpions.

"Drinkers may catch virus or venom from these animals," Thada said.

"But, don't worry or think too much, because I have a supply of amulets that will take care of all these problems. Just contact me at [email protected], khap!" he added.

Hmmmm..........Maybe a hot toddy would be the order of the day instead.

I'm surprised Russians drinking vodka in the Siberian wastelands aren't dropping like flies if this piece of "medical science" is even remotely close to the truth.

Never heard they spice it with snakes or scorpions though

Anyway a silly article. Must read: stop drinking this bull.... at all times and leave the snakes alone.

Superstitious nonsense not only in Thailand. China is even worse.

That stuff is just as lethal on the surface of the sun as it is on Antarctica.

Nonsense. The homeless use booze all over the world, in brutally cold and harsh environments, and no one dies from it. They say they drink it to stay warm.

Where do the people who make these statements go to school?

The question is, "Where did you go to school? Any idiot knows alcohol dialates blood vessels, brings blood to the surface and skin, away from the internal organs, causing hyerthermia. At the same time it gives one the feeling false of being warm, impedes judgement and causes drowsiness. Falling asleep out side, especially at night is how you die in cold weather. Thousands upon thousands die EXACTLY like that every year.

Nonsense. The homeless use booze all over the world, in brutally cold and harsh environments, and no one dies from it. They say they drink it to stay warm.

Where do the people who make these statements go to school?

The question is, "Where did you go to school? Any idiot knows alcohol dialates blood vessels, brings blood to the surface and skin, away from the internal organs, causing hyerthermia. At the same time it gives one the feeling false of being warm, impedes judgement and causes drowsiness. Falling asleep out side, especially at night is how you die in cold weather. Thousands upon thousands die EXACTLY like that every year.

Tokay you are ill-informed and ignorant of physiological fact. Unlike many of the comments in this forum your comments are NOT harmless. Do a Google on the subject you may learn something.