The shots stop flowing in Laos party town amid fears for 12 ‘poisoned’ tourists

Six foreign backpackers including Simone White, a British lawyer, have died after drinking contaminated alcohol in Vang Vieng

Copy link
twitter
facebook
whatsapp
email
Copy link
twitter
facebook
whatsapp
email
They have stopped serving shots in the backpacker bars of Vang Vieng.
The night spots of this south-east Asian tourist town would normally be full of young travellers downing traditional Lao whiskey, a strong rice-based spirit, bouncing from bar to bar and partying until dawn.
But the mood on Saturday night was sombre – and with good reason.
Six foreign tourists including Simone White, a 28-year-old British lawyer, have died in the last two weeks from suspected methanol poisoning after drinking contaminated alcohol in the town.
“We are not really scared,” said Aron Stephen, an Australian tourist, while sipping a mango shake in downtown Vang Vieng. “They don’t give shots anywhere now. We couldn’t find any in the past few nights.”
Holly Bowles, Mr Stephen’s fellow Australian, died aged 19 in a Thai hospital just a day after her best friend Bianca Jones. Two Danes and James Hutson, a 57-year-old American, are also dead.
It is believed at least 12 others fell ill, requiring hospital treatment, including travellers from the UK, the United States and New Zealand.
All the victims were staying at the Nana Backpacker Hostel, and their deaths have been linked to both the hostel and Jaidee Bar, a nearby watering hole.
The backpackers were seen returning from the bar to the hostel on Nov 12, the day before a number were found unconscious in their rooms.
Ten days later, the Laos government confirmed methanol contamination in the guesthouse’s beverages.
While unofficial reports suggested both the hostel owner and manager had been detained, three sources in Vang Vieng told The Telegraph that only Yueng Van Huan, the Vietnamese manager, was in custody.
Mr Huan told ABC News (Australia) that he is certain the poisoned drinks were not sold at the Nana Backpacker Hostel bar.
He also strongly denied adding methanol to the drinks at the hostel’s bar, and said police had checked his business.
The authorities have yet to respond to requests for comment.
The Nana Backpacker Hostel was closed for business but not deserted when The Telegraph visited on Saturday. Its blue gates remained ajar, and accessible to passers-by.
Five staff members were staying at the hostel, which has its own swimming pool and warnings on the bedroom doors about the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption.
The owner had left the property in their care, according to a housekeeper, who spoke anonymously for security reasons.
“We have no guests now. The bosses all went to Vientiane [the capital]. I only clean the rooms but I have a job outside too. I am out most of the day. The police came already, but I don’t know how many times,” she said.
A short walk away, the Jaidee Bar remained open for business on Saturday night, with staff declining to comment.
A group of five British men there, in their early 20s, said they were taking precautions on their evening out but would not let the incident ruin their visit.
“We arrived yesterday and all we know is what is already in the news,” said one. “We’ll be fine as long as we stick to beer and be careful. We are not scared of what happened.”
Two Israeli backpackers, who also wished to remain anonymous, believed that as long as they drank from previously sealed bottles, there was no cause for concern.
While these tourists and the international community seemed to accept the Laos government’s explanation of the deaths – tainted alcohol – one local business owner questioned the official line.
A Norwegian, he has lived in Vang Vieng since 2004 and owns a coffee shop a few hundred yards down the road from Jaidee Bar. He said investigators should be be looking into drugs as well as “bad alcohol”.
“People here don’t drink a lot, but they use lots of drugs. All kinds of drugs. It’s easy to find,” he said, claiming visitors knew where to find places which had a “special menu” offering illicit substances.
But a nearby restaurant owner insisted alcohol remained popular among her customers, giving more credence to the official version of events.
“I have heard what happened, and it’s quite usual for backpackers at Nana Hostel to have parties and drink a lot. It’s always like that,” said the Laotian woman in her 50s, who owns a restaurant yards from Jaidee Bar.
“Now that people have died the hostel is closed. But the Jaidee Bar is still open. We don’t sell Lao whiskey, so I don’t know where other bars get it from or what they do with it.”
The Laos Ministry of Foreign Affairs released an statement expressing deep sorrow about the deaths on Saturday.
As the statement came out, visitors were still tubing or trekking in Vang Vieng – but the long-term implications for tourism were not clear.
In 2011, a spate of deaths by drowning in the town, which involved alcohol and drugs, led to a police crackdown.
Since then, Laos has tried to rebrand Vang Vieng as a quieter eco-tourism and adventure destination, attracting families and tour groups, especially from South Korea and China.
But the latest tragedy will no doubt raise fresh concerns about the safety of backpacker tourism.