Methanol poisonings in Vang Vieng, Laos, kill foreign backpackers

In November 2024, a group of young foreign travellers fell seriously ill in Vang Vieng, a Laotian river town popular with backpackers. Many had drunk free shots and cocktails at a hostel, and the drinks were later linked to methanol, a toxic industrial alcohol sometimes used to make cheap spirits go further.

Several people died, including British lawyer Simone White, who was 28 and from Kent. Two Australian teenagers, Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones, and two Danish women were also among the dead, and an American man was reported to have died as well. Others were taken to hospital in Laos and neighbouring Thailand. Reports of the number of deaths varied in the early days.

The case drew worldwide attention to the risk of spiked or counterfeit alcohol in popular tourist areas. The UK Foreign Office, along with the Australian and other governments, updated its travel advice to warn visitors about methanol in drinks. Lao police detained several people for questioning, and the hostel involved was closed. The poisonings became a reference point for later official warnings about bootleg alcohol abroad.