Deadly alcohol poisoning casts shadow over the Laotian backpacker town

A little town known as a backpacker paradise in northern Laos has come under spotlight for a mass poisoning case that has killed at least six tourists and potentially injured scores of others.

News broke earlier this week that two Australian teens became critically ill after a night out drinking in the town of Vang Vieng. They died in Thai hospitals, with one confirmed case of methanol poisoning. A British woman was also confirmed dead. An American and two Danes also died, though their exact causes of death have not been released. A New Zealander has been sickened.

Since then, many tourists have become worried as it’s unclear how many have been affected, said Neil Farmiloe, a New Zealander who owns a restaurant in the town.

The incident has stirred up dark memories of the town once known for reckless partying involving young backpackers. But despite the tragedy, the town, especially at night, was packed by visitors in its main neighborhood bustling with bars, restaurants and food stalls. During the daytime, many kayaks floated along the river, with tourists shouting and splashing water at each other.

Frida Svedberg left Sweden five weeks ago for her big Southeast Asia trip with no firm return plan. She said she had heard about the news just before she arrived in Laos and has been bombarded with messages from concerned family members and friends. She still went ahead with her original plan to spend three nights in the town. She found it as beautiful as expected.

“Obviously it’s like a famous backpacker place. You go from Thailand Luang Prabang and then to Vang Vieng and then you keep going. I’ve just heard good things about it and it’s where most people go,” the 24-year-old said.

Vang Vieng used to be more dangerous

Landlocked Laos, a one-party communist state, is one of Southeast Asia’s poorest nations and a popular tourist destination, particularly Vang Vieng.

Soutjai Xayphankhaun, who has run his Sout Jai Guesthouse in Vang Vieng for 17 years, said the town back in 2005-2006 started to become popular among European backpackers, who were attracted by serene nature and activities like river tubing, where tourists sit on a tube and float along the Nam Song River, stopping to party at many different bars on the banks.

It could get rowdy with cheap booze, illegal drugs and river sports sometimes turning deadly. People drowned or took a fatal blow after jumping into the river on a rope swing. In 2011, the town recorded 27 deaths related to river activities, forcing the government to step in with regulations.

After that, Farmiloe said Vang Vieng has been receiving much more eclectic groups of tourists who enjoy a wider range of activities aside from nightlife. There are still a lot of young Western backpackers, but the town is also visited by many Chinese and South Koreans.

Tour agencies scattered along the main streets advertised a range of packages offering the clear turquoise water of the Blue Lagoon, serene mountaintop views and many different caves. Those more adventurous try kayaking, zip line, paragliding or hot air balloons. Tubing is still there, but with far fewer riverbank bars to visit than in the past.

Locals worry the incident could hit tourism

Vang Vieng received more than 600,000 tourists in 2023, and expected to see even more this year, the state-owned Laos News Agency quoted the district governor as saying earlier this year.

But with the latest tourist deaths, guesthouse owner Soutjai is a little worried.

“It’s about tourists and the confidence of tourists. The news was all around the world. There will definitely be an impact,” he said.

Swedish tourist Anton Honkanen said what happened did affect his experience.

“I think it destroys the value of backpacking a little bit. Because everyone just enjoys this time. Maybe meeting some new people at the hostels, taking some drinks with all kinds of people from all around the world. And now I won’t do it today because of the poisoning,” he said.

Svedberg, however, said what happened was unfortunate and shouldn’t stop people from coming. “Things can happen anywhere, everywhere. So I think it doesn’t have to affect tourism. Just be cautious.”

The Nana Backpacker Hostel, where the two Australian teens stayed, shut its gate on Saturday. It had not been allowed to take new guests since early this week and was accommodating the remaining visitors until Friday. Its manager and owner, who are Vietnamese, have been detained for questioning by the Lao police.

Methanol is sometimes added to mixed drinks at disreputable bars as a cheaper alternative to ethanol, but can cause severe poisoning or death. It is also a byproduct of poorly distilled homebrew liquor, and could have found its way into bar drinks inadvertently.

The Laotian government on Saturday officially acknowledged the case and promised to bring the perpetrators to justice. INTAMAS SAKSORNCHAI, VANG VIENG, MDT/AP