In Bangkok, Thailand, a total of eight people have lost their lives and a considerable number have been admitted to hospitals after consuming illegally produced moonshine tainted with dangerous chemicals.
On the evening of September 3, reports confirmed the death of the eighth person, and six others remained under medical care. The last victim was pronounced dead around 6:30 PM on September 2 at a hospital in the Saphan Sung area.
The toxic moonshine, sold at roadside stalls across several Bangkok districts, was adulterated with methanol and isopropanol. This resulted in serious symptoms such as difficulty breathing, dizziness, and vomiting, typically indicative of alcohol poisoning.
Starting from August 22, 2024, at least 44 people aged between 22 and 69 were initially placed on life support. Public health minister Somsak Thepsutin reported that many required respirators to aid their breathing, half underwent kidney dialysis, and some suffered from blurred vision.
Investigators traced the source of the moonshine to a home in the Saphan Sung district, owned by Phatrasa, a woman who has long sold herbal liquor. Phatrasa claimed that the recipe inherited from her late father had not caused issues before. However, recent batches of the liquor, made by two brothers working for her, resulted in the deadly incidents.
Phatrasa expressed her shock at the fatal outcome of the latest batch. “When I tasted the latest batch of liquor, I had a little diarrhoea, but it wasn’t serious. Later, I found out that someone had died from drinking it and I was very shocked.”
According to Phatrasa, she had hired the brothers, Surasak Insam, 46, and Surachai Insam, 44, to produce rice whiskey. The brothers allegedly diluted the moonshine with ethyl alcohol to decrease its alcoholic content, but they denied knowing how the batch became contaminated with deadly methyl alcohol.
Police Major General Kiatikul Sonthinen, commander of the Metropolitan Police Bureau Division 3, announced that Phatrasa would face charges of negligent homicide and causing grievous harm, as well as violating the Excise Act by illegally producing and selling liquor.
The brothers, who were taken into custody alongside Phatrasa, continue to deny any involvement in the contamination. Authorities are also investigating a factory owner in Samut Prakan province, suspected of supplying a large amount of chemicals to the brothers, potentially leading to the deadly contamination of the moonshine.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has issued an urgent advisory to anyone who has consumed moonshine from any of the 18 identified locations, urging them to seek immediate medical help and reassuring them that they will not face arrest.
Methanol, a highly toxic form of alcohol, is commonly used in industrial applications as a solvent, antifreeze, or fuel. When consumed, it is poisonous and can induce blindness, organ failure, and death, even in small amounts. Isopropanol, another harmful chemical found in the moonshine, is usually used as a disinfectant or solvent but is also dangerous when consumed in significant amounts.
Thailand’s strict alcohol regulations, which restrict liquor sales to specific hours and ban them on religious holidays, have inadvertently given rise to a thriving underground market for cheap, unregulated alcohol. This locally produced liquor, known as “Ya Dong,” is often made in concealed distilleries without proper safety measures.
