Women backpacking in Thailand have been given an urgent warning as two teen girls have been left fighting for their lives.
The two Aussie tourists became seriously ill after drinking ‘free shots’ in Vang Vieng, a popular tourist town in Laos, and it’s believed they have methanol poisoning.
And now a tourist has shared a desperate plea in a backpacking Facebook group for the area, begging female travellers to avoid “all local spirits” as it was suspected they contain methanol – a cheaper alternative to ethanol.
Methanol is purposely added to alcoholic drinks in suspected countries where taxes on ethanol are too high. The Methanol Institute explained that just 25-90 milliliters of methanol can be seen as deadly. One of the girls affected has been taken to Bangkok, where they are in a serious condition.
The two victims had been travelling as part of a bigger group of around 10 women who also visited the tourist area. One of the tourists wrote on the Facebook page: “Urgent, please avoid all local spirits. Our group stayed in Van Vieng and we drank free shots offered by one of the bars. Just avoid them as so not worth it. 6 of us who drank from the place are in hospital currently with methanol poisoning.”
The post added: “Personally I was very fatigued and then fainted. I just felt nauseous and then my liver started to shut down. I got to the private hospital in time but underwent many infusions and tablets and days of recovery.”
According to Melbourne radio station 3AW Drive, one of the young women had been flown to a hospital in Bangkok, and her father said she was in a “grave” condition. A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told News AU: “The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to two Australians and their families in Thailand. Our thoughts are with them at this deeply distressing time. Owing to our privacy obligations, we are unable to provide further comments.”
The two girls, believed to be 19, graduated from Melbourne’s Beaumaris Secondary College last year and were on their dream backpacking trip when tragedy struck. Back in August this year, six people died in the Thai capital, Bangkok, while a further 31 were hospitalised after drinking a herbal liquor spiked with methanol.
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