VANG VIENG – Two Australian tourists are being treated in Thailand for suspected severe alcohol poisoning after consuming tainted drinks in neighboring Laos, Australian media reported Tuesday.
The two 19-year-old women were on a backpacking vacation in Laos when they became ill in the tourist town of Vang Vieng, The Age newspaper in the women’s hometown of Melbourne reported.
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Duong Duc Toan, manager of the Nana Backpacker Hostel, said Tuesday that staff were told by other guests that the two women were unwell after they failed to check out as planned on Nov. 13, and they arranged transport to a hospital for them.
He said that two days earlier the women had joined more than 100 other guests for free shots of Lao vodka offered by the hostel as a gesture of hospitality. He said no other guest reported any issue, adding that the women had then gone for a night out, returning in the early hours of the morning.
Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed that it was providing consular assistance to two Australians and their families in Thailand, but couldn't provide further information for privacy reasons.
“Our thoughts are with them at this deeply distressing time,” the office said.
They were then transported to Thailand and are being treated at hospitals in Bangkok and Udon Thani, The Age reported. Their parents have flown in to be with them.
It wasn't clear what the two drank, but methanol is sometimes used as the alcohol in mixed drinks at disreputable bars and can cause severe poisoning or death.
Australian media also reported that two Danish tourists died after consuming tainted alcohol in Vang Vieng at the same time as the Australian women, but it was not immediately possible to confirm details.
Asked about media reports, Denmark’s Foreign Ministry told The Associated Press that “two Danish citizens have passed away in Laos” but that it could not provide specifics for “reasons of confidentiality in personal matters.”
Vang Vieng is a tourist town particularly popular among backpackers seeking partying and adventure sports. Businesses appeared to be going on as usual Tuesday evening in the surrounding neighborhood of the hostel bustling with bars and food stalls.
Jasmine Antonius, a Dutch tourist who has been in Vang Vieng for three days, said that she tried to become more careful with drinks after she heard about the case.
“I think sometimes you’re not really watching how your drinks are being made,” she said. “I feel now it’s a wake up call for many people since this happened. So I hope people would take more precaution because it’s really sad.”
It wasn't immediately possible to verify reports that other tourists were also poisoned in the same incident.
Toan, the hostel manager, said he hoped the investigation would clear its name, but for now the hostel has stopped giving free shots to its guests.