Laos hostel linked to methanol deaths set to reopen
A backpackers' hostel linked to the deaths of six tourists is set to reopen under a new name.Bethany Clarke and her friend Simone White, who later died, fell ill after drinking free vodka shots in the town of Vang Vieng last November.It's suspected their drinks at the Nana Backpacker Hostel were laced with methanol - a deadly substance linked to bootleg alcohol.BBC Newsbeat has found evidence the hostel is due to reopen at the same address in August. Bethany believes the same management is still in charge.
Bethany says she and Simone, from London, became unwell a day after being offered drinks at the Nana hostel.They initially mistook symptoms for food poisoning but were eventually taken to hospital.Bethany recovered but Simone, 28, died several days later, as did five other tourists from Australia, Denmark and the US.
'Unbelievable'
The owners of the Nana hostel denied serving illicit alcohol but it has remained closed since the deaths.However, a listing for Vang Vieng Central Backpacker Hostel - taking bookings from 23 August this year - has appeared on travel websites Tripadvisor and Agoda.A link that previously took users to the Nana hostel's page redirects them to the amended page.Images showing the Nana Backpacker Hostel name painted on a sign and printed on menus remain on the page, as well as guest reviews naming the former hostel.TripAdvisor confirmed to Newsbeat the hostel was reopening with a new name.Bethany's concerned that the new business is being run by the same people it was before."I'm shocked. If it's the same management or ownership involved, I wouldn't trust them."It's just unbelievable because we know that was where we were poisoned."A Tripadvisor spokesperson said old photos and reviews could be deleted if it was informed of a change in ownership, although it's not a requirement. There is further evidence to suggest the Vang Vieng hostel and the Nana hostel are linked.
Building work is currently being carried out at the address, according to travellers staying in the area.Backpacker Frankie, who shared photos of the site with Newsbeat, says there was "building equipment everywhere" when she walked past on Tuesday."They're clearly refurbishing it," she says. In one photo, showing a sign reading Vang Vieng Central Backpacker Hostel, a phone number is visible.The same number appears in messages, seen by Newsbeat, sent between Bethany and staff at the Nana hostel. When a reporter called the number, the person who answered hung up.Further calls and messages, including those from BBC colleagues based in the region, were blocked. Frankie, 23, says it's "horrendous" to think the business could "carry on like normal". "[Vang Vieng] is kind of empty in terms of backpackers. People are drinking, but it feels a bit eerie and quiet."Frankie says people she's met on her travels are well aware of the methanol poisonings last year. "A lot of the backpackers we've met have mentioned the name of Nana hostel. There's definitely an awareness about it,' she says.She adds the name change makes her "very uneasy" and she'll tell her friends about it when they travel to the country.
Bethany, who previously called for more education on the dangers of drinking abroad, says she wants to warn others."I was not completely convinced we would end up getting justice for Simone and the other victims, so I thought the best thing I can do is to try and educate the younger generation."And while she waits to find out whether anyone will face action over Simone's death, what little hope she had for answers is starting to fade.
In November, authorities in Laos promised an investigation into the deaths of Simone and Australians Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones, both 19, Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, Freja Vennervald Sorensen, 21, both from Denmark, and US national James Louis Hutson, 57.Eight workers, including the manager of the Nana hostel, were detained for questioning by police. The manager denied any responsibility, saying hundreds of guests had been given shots without becoming unwell.Bethany shared a recent email sent by the UK Foreign Office stating that authorities in Laos had proposed charges against 13 people over food safety breaches.Newsbeat has seen an email from the Australian government with the same update and has approached its foreign office for comment. A Foreign Office spokesperson declined to comment on the email but confirmed the UK government was in contact with authorities in Laos and supporting the family of a British woman who died in the country. Newsbeat has contacted Agoda for comment.
Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times
2 hours ago
- Times
Bangkok has a new luxury hotel — next to the city's most peaceful park
Bangkok took the title of the world's most visited city in 2024, with 32.4 million travellers taking a bite of the Big Mango last year. Its recent starring role in The White Lotus season three has boosted its appeal further, and now the Thai capital has the ultimate luxury endorsement: an Aman hotel. Aman enjoys cult status within the hospitality industry. The brand invented the high-end boutique hotel concept almost four decades ago and has since expanded to 36 properties that remain the byword for exquisite taste. Aman is also famous, make that infamous, for charging truly eye-watering prices — just the thought of the £150,000 joining fee and £11,500 annual subs for gym membership at its New York property puts me in a cold sweat. Bank managers look away now, devoted Aman fans from Mark Zuckerberg to Kate Moss gather round: there's an argument that despite rates starting at £830 a night, its new Bangkok property is actually a relative bargain, at least compared with the group's two other urban properties. Rooms in New York are rarely less than £2,000 and those in Tokyo are north of £2,500. In Thailand you'll arrive in style because the rate includes a limousine transfer and fast-track service through Suvarnabhumi airport, where it can sometimes feel like 32 million of those 32.4 million visitors are in front of you in the immigration queue. The hotel throws in a complimentary minibar, restocked daily with everything from champagne to kombucha, and breakfast — the kimchi omelette is delicious. If that sounds something like sufficient bang for your buck, the question is: can this place deliver an authentic Aman experience? Aman, after all, is a Sanskrit-derived word meaning 'peace', and the group's enduring appeal hinges on its minimalist aesthetic and seamless service, conjuring a state of uncomplicated calm in even the most contrary guest. I did indeed feel ridiculously relaxed from the second I stepped into Amanyara's cathedral-like lobby in Turks and Caicos. I was perfectly chilled at the Acropolis-style Amanzoe in Greece and soporifically content amid the airy splendour of Amangalla in Sri Lanka. But peace and quiet in Bangkok, that 24/7 hot mess of belching traffic, human ant trails, go-go bars and general bedlam? Squirrelled away, though, in Pathumwan, the Mayfair of Bangkok, is a wondrous anomaly: Nai Lert Park. It is seven serene acres of botanical beauty and birdsong over which now tower the 36 sparkling storeys of the new Aman Nai Lert Bangkok. It's a promising location to give peace a chance. In the early 20th century Nai Lert, full name Lert Sreshthaputra, was Thailand's answer to Richard Branson, Conrad Hilton, Harry Gordon Selfridge and Willy Wonka rolled into one. He pioneered the city's public transport systems, cut the ribbon on Hotel de la Paix, one of Bangkok's first luxury hotels, opened its best department store and established its first ice factory, paving the way for all manner of sweet treats. Nai Lert's great-granddaughter Naphaporn Bodiratnangkura, who now runs the family business that includes the park, wanted to honour her ancestor's incredible legacy with an appropriately remarkable hotel, so she turned to Aman. Four and a half years and £144 million later and I'm greeted at the hotel's discreet entrance by a welcoming committee that has the poise and grace that ten years at a Swiss finishing school couldn't top. It's April 10, eight days after the launch and just two weeks after the Myanmar earthquake that brought Bangkok to a temporary standstill. I suspect there's a fair bit of swan action behind the scenes, but with an 'Amansanti'(eg staff member) to guest ratio of more than 4:1, there's never any hint of paddling in public. I'm whizzed up to the vast light-flooded lobby on the ninth floor, where the stunning triple-height atrium is anchored by a 12m sculpture, inspired by a century-old chamchuri tree in the park below and adorned with 6,000 gold leaves. It's a wildly impressive but surprisingly warm, unintimidating space. This area sashays into the glamorous 1872 bar (the year of Nai Lert's birth), which serves tea-infused martinis from a 3D-printed miniature replica of the entrepreneur's old water tank, and beyond to Arva, a romantic Italian restaurant where the truffle pasta is worryingly moreish. • Bangkok's best cocktail bars The fingerprints of the architect and interior designer Jean-Michel Gathy, renowned for his artistic interpretation of local heritage, are everywhere. Thoughtful details include the 3,000 spinning tops behind the reception desk that form the Thai numeral one in a nod to Nai Lert, the country's numero uno, tactile barklike bronze light fittings that echo the park's persimmon trees, while hundreds of metallic 'lasagne' sheets are suspended from Arva's ceiling. The 52 suites, on floors 11 to 18, are a masterclass in clean-lined understatement, a symphony of cream, toffee and taupe tones, with warm woods, baby-soft leather furniture and a mesmerising contoured installation, a sort of sexy spin on an Ordnance Survey map, across one wall. While the circular tub in the swanky bathroom is so huge, it probably should have a lifeguard on duty. Most overlook the park canopy. Mine also looks across to apartment blocks where I watch one well-groomed woman 'walk' her fluffy purse pooch on her balcony. Another more harassed female flounces into a hammock on hers while her toddler amuses himself underneath it. The fabulously cool 25m outdoor infinity pool's centrepiece is an intriguing elliptical void through which bursts an ancient sompong tree, thought to be Bangkok's third-tallest tree. Its branches create natural protection that throws every flavour of shade on your standard sun umbrella and contrasts spectacularly with a horizon of high rises. I do miss watching the procession of long-tail boats, water taxis and canal barges glide along the Chao Phraya River available from other luxury waterfront properties such as the Mandarin Oriental, but, in compensation, Pathumwan is close to upmarket dining and shopping malls such as Siam Paragon and Gaysorn Village. • 21 of the best hotels in Bangkok With such great Thai food on the doorstep, the hotel has decided not to compete. Apart from the excellent Italian cucina, the Aman also has Hiori, a lively teppanyaki restaurant with a carefully curated list of sakés and Japanese craft beers, and Sesui, an intimate eight-seat omakase counter where I'm entranced by the two chefs as they create 19 tiny courses of perfection before my eyes, including surgically sliced goldeneye snapper, delicately flavoured black throat sea perch and matcha ice cream. Wellness is a central pillar of the Aman ethos. In Bangkok it has partnered with the Hertitude Clinic, responsible for tweaking Thailand's rich and famous, to offer jet lag-slaying cryotherapy and IV infusions, while the main Aman spa menu offers a lullaby to blissful sleep. I have to peel myself off the treatment bed after my jasmine-scented Lert Siam massage. I don't have time for the three-day detox devised by the tennis star Novak Djokovic, Aman's recently appointed and first global wellness adviser. His programme includes Pilates, yoga, a circulation-improving beating with birch sticks and … flower meditation — you make a garland to lay at a spirit house in the park. • 10 of the best things to do in Bangkok Djokovic is undoubtedly a brilliant athlete but he's only ever one dodgy line call away from an on-court hissy fit so I'm not convinced he has ever made a floral tribute for the gods. But if he manages to remain in a state of uncomplicated calm at Wimbledon this year, I'll take that back and give thanks to Aman. This article contains affiliate links that can earn us revenue Susan d'Arcy was a guest of Aman Nai Lert Bangkok, which has B&B doubles from £830 ( Fly to Bangkok
Times
4 hours ago
- Times
Bangkok is better — and cheaper — than Center Parcs for a celebration
Last week I flew to Bangkok for a group holiday that had been years in the making and involved about 679 different messages with flight times, hotel bookings and memes about The Hangover. To borrow the Gen Z parlance, the trip finally made it out of the WhatsApp group. We were seven women, arriving from various parts of the world (London, Paris, Hong Kong, how terribly international). Our connection was that we once lived and worked in Hong Kong together, almost a decade ago in what now feels like the last glory days of Asia's world city. For this long-planned trip we considered various cities in Europe (too expensive),as well as Dubai (too hot), before eventually settling on the Thai capital (cheap, fun). When some of you are welcoming your fifth decade on Earth, the vibe is very much go big or go home — which meant I could swallow the 6,000 miles it took to get there. • 21 of the best hotels in Bangkok It turns out I'm part of a trend to supersize milestone celebrations. According to research from M&S Bank, we are shelling out an average of £2,650 on luxury trips to mark a big birthday, such as, ahem, turning 40; and 42 per cent of the survey's 2,000 respondents said they were planning a big trip in the next five years. I'm still recovering from my Bangkok bender, so I'm not planning on doing another one for at least the next half decade, but it got me thinking. First, about the cost. The great thing about choosing Thailand is that it cost me nowhere near £2,650, despite staying in the lovely Shangri-La hotel right on the Chao Phraya River. The flights were the biggest outlay, but still cost just £600; I had four massages over as many days; plus there was the shopping in chichi Chinatown. I spent £1150 in total. In August that won't even stretch to four nights at Center Parcs. Second, it made me think about the etiquette of big group trips, and navigating different interests and needs now that we're embracing middle age. Seven years ago, in a villa outside Hoi An in Vietnam, we drank the bars dry and didn't go to sleep until the sun came up. Now, with young children and serious jobs, bedtimes were … well, an entire working day earlier. Most of us got up to use the gym before breakfast; some of us even wanted to see some temples — unthinkable a few years ago. The most action took place in the bill-sharing app Splitwise, which diligently tracked our spending. Rather than eating street food on the backpacker party strip of Khao San Road, we spent evenings in posh Thai restaurants in quiet residential areas. Out went the Thai moonshine buckets in banging nightclubs: instead it was cocktails with live jazz in the Mandarin Oriental. (It wasn't all classy — one night I did manage to strong-arm the group into a party minibus and on to Soi Cowboy, one of the sleaziest strips in the city, to carry on the night. When in Bangkok!) • Read our full guide to Bangkok But of course the most important lesson is the mawkish one. Take the trip. Spend time with your friends. A decade on from meeting in Hong Kong, our group's lives are scattered across the world; having a few days to create anecdotes to feed the WhatsApp group for a few more years feels like the ultimate privilege. Let's do it all again for our fiftieths?
Daily Mail
11 hours ago
- Daily Mail
I'm a solo traveller who has been to 60 countries. These are the places you MUST visit and the very popular destinations to skip - including the region I'll never go back to: EMILY LUXTON
Boarding a flight to Bangkok back in 2016 – the beginning of my first ever solo trip – I remember thinking: I don't think I can do this. Arriving in the hectic, humid city to a cacophony of voices screaming 'TAXI!' wasn't much comfort, either. But I was there for a reason. A few months previously I had split from my boyfriend, realising we wanted different things (him to settle down, me to see the world). After a good few weeks vegetating on the couch, it was my younger brother who finally gave me the courage to take the plunge and head out travelling – all on my own.
