1 Man Dead & 20 People Hospitalised After Drinking Illegal Alcohol in Bangkok

By
Chew Ming Hui
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If you’re an avid drinker looking to kick back and relax in Bangkok over the weekend, we have a tip for you — a life-saving one.

Be cautious of illegal homebrews and drinks in Bangkok. One man passed away and 20 more people were hospitalised last weekend in Bangkok, after drinking alcohol that reportedly contained methanol.

Here’s what happened, and why alcohol that contains methanol is dangerous.

1 Man Dead & 20 People Hospitalised After Drinking Illegal Methanol-Containing Alcohol in Bangkok

On Saturday (24 August), one man passed away after drinking alcohol which allegedly contained methanol on a night out in the Min Buri district. 20 more were hospitalised for the same reason. All of them suffered from methanol intoxication.

Yes, you read that right. Not one, not two, but 21 people in total were affected by this “methanol intoxication” on the same night, and it was all caused by drinking illegal alcohol which allegedly contained methanol.

Aside from one 69-year-old man, all those who were affected were men aged between 30 and 40 years old.

13 of the patients are currently being treated at Nopparat Rajathanee Hospital, five at Navamin 9 Hospital, one at Rajavithi Hospital, one at Kasemrad Ramkhamhaeng Hospital, and the last, who unfortunately passed away, was at Synphaet Serirak Hospital.

Image: Department of Medical Services

But, how exactly did this happen?

All 21 people had reportedly drank alcoholic brews containing methanol. They suffered from cardiac arrest afterwards, and six of them had to be revived via CPR.

Now, the patients scattered across the different hospitals are being treated for all sorts of symptoms, including dizziness, stomach ache, vomiting, impaired vision and seizures. But that’s still not the worst piece of news yet — some patients’ kidneys still aren’t “revived”. If that’s so, these patients might have to receive kidney dialysis for the rest of their lives.

When it comes to alcohol, really cannot play play.

18 Stalls Closed After Authorities’ Probe

Following the incident, authorities found that the shops which sold these alcoholic brews to the patients were concentrated in Min Buri and Khlong Sam Wa districts, especially in Soi Hathai Rat 33.

So, the authorities did what the next most logical step was — collecting liquor samples from some stalls in these districts for examination.

In fact, the Excise Department’s Office of Prevention and Suppression collected liquor samples sold at three stalls in the districts and found that all of them contained methanol.

Uh oh… That’s not great news for those of us looking to head to Bangkok… 

The authorities also inspected a factory in the Saphan Sung district and found that the factory mixed methanol with water to create 40% proof liquor — in other words, making illegal alcoholic brews to create alcohol with a high ABV; the kind that gets you drunk, quick.

And since it contains methanol, it’s also the kind that destroys your health, quick. 

If you didn’t already know, methanol is toxic to humans— as little as 10ml of pure methanol could cause effects such as permanent blindness, and 15ml could potentially be fatal. Thankfully, what you usually find in your alcoholic drinks is ethanol, not methanol.

However, some manufacturers choose to add methanol instead of ethanol to their alcoholic drinks, given that methanol is a cheaper alternative to ethanol.

And then the drink that comes out is, literally, a drink to die for. 

The factory sold its methanol-containing brews to 18 stalls across six districts, including Min Buri, Khlong Sam Wa, Lat Krabang, Prawet, Khan Na Yao and Nong Chok. The authorities have since ordered these 18 stalls to be closed.

But that doesn’t mean that those 18 stalls were the only bad eggs lah. For all we know, there are more stalls selling methanol-containing drinks which we just don’t know of yet. So, the next time you’re in Bangkok, stay safe and avoid illegal homebrews without an excise stamp lah.

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Chew Ming Hui
Email: [email protected]