A 61 year old grandmother from Swansea found herself stark naked and wandering her hotel, allegedly after downing a tainted bucket of booze in bustling Bangkok.
Janet West’s unnerving adventure adds a chilling chapter to the ongoing saga of suspected deadly drinks across Southeast Asia.
West’s bizarre evening unfolded amid the wild festivities of the new year on Bangkok’s buzzing Khao San Road. Initially, the mother-of-two thought she was sipping on a casual whisky and coke. But when she went to bed that night, she never guessed she would wake to the mortifying tale of wandering the hotel naked for four agonising hours.
“At first, I thought I dreamt the whole thing, thinking hotel staff guided me back to my room. Turns out, it wasn’t just a dream.”
The staff confirmed her shivering realisation: she’d been caught in the buff, all for the world to see.
“I was lucky to survive and have no side effects but I’m frightened to drink the local spirits in Thailand now.”
This jaw-dropping revelation comes as police investigate the tragic deaths of six tourists in Laos, suspected to have succumbed to methanol poisoning: an industrial-grade alcohol added to stretch cheap drinks.
Among these victims was Simone White, a 28 year old from Orpington, Kent, cruelly cut down by deadly shots in a hostel.
West’s escapade has had lasting effects. Though retired and braving the solo travel life since 2022, she now steers clear of local spirits, opting instead for trusted imports or bottled beer on her return visits to the region.
She dreads the memory of believing she was a pregnant teenager seeking transport to a delivery unit, a bizarre hallucination she learned of from hotel staff once reality set in.
“At the time, we were buying buckets of whisky and coke but I haven’t a clue what we were really drinking. People later told me it was ethanol, due to improper distillation.”
With horror stories of blindness and death making the rounds among travellers, the British grandmother issued a warning to others.
“It’s really difficult because shots are just poured down your neck in Thailand. They knock on your door shouting ‘free shots’, and nobody questions them.”
Simone’s mother, Sue White, spoke to The Sun, unveiling a disquieting pattern at the hostel in Laos where dangerous free shots flowed nightly. Despite fervent denials from management that methanol was added to their spirits, the loss of her ‘kind, fun-loving’ daughter casts a shadow on their reassurances.
“Simone and her mates had six shots each, with Sprite, before falling ill.”
For two harrowing hours, the hostel pushed free shots of Tiger Vodka to a merry crowd of 100, including Simone. Although management insisted the booze was procured through proper channels, the grim reality paints a darker picture: medics mistook Simone’s symptoms for food poisoning, dismissing serious concerns until it was too late.
By the time medical aid advanced, Simone was already delirious, said her mother.
“I think, basically, it had already affected her brain.”
West added that she feels for the families of those who lost loved ones in Laos.
“I feel so sad for the unfortunate travellers in Laos and so disgusted with the people who made the alcohol and sold it.”
As families stand heartbroken and investigations persist, West has one sobering message for fellow travellers.
“Steer clear of the dodgy concoctions and keep your wits about you. Your life could very well depend on it.”
The story Bucket list gone wrong: Swansea gran’s naked Bangkok escapade as seen on Thaiger News.
