Janet West, 61, from Swansea, Wales, is warning people about the cheap local spirits in the popular tourist destination after drinking a ‘spiked’ bucket in 2019
British gran Janet West has told how she blacked out and ended up completely naked in her hotel after sipping what she believed was a spiked booze bucket in Thailand. The 61-year-old from Swansea is sounding the alarm following an investigation into the deaths of six tourists, including a Brit student, near Laos, suspected to be linked to methanol-laced shots and booze buckets.
Celebrating Thai New Year on Bangkok’s buzzing Khaosan Road, Janet thought she was knocking back a whisky and coke but woke up to learn from hotel staff that she had been parading nude for hours. Janet was told she likely consumed ethanol-spiked drinks and now warns others.
She said: “I was lucky to survive and to have no side effects but I’m frightened to drink the local spirits in Thailand now,” adding, “The local alcohol is not distilled properly and, although it’s cheap, it’s not worth the risk – stick to imported spirits or bottled beer.”
She also shared harrowing stories from fellow tourists about the lethal consequences of the infamous buckets: “Other tourists on that trip told me about people dying or going blind after drinking from the buckets.”
Janet also highlighted the party culture dangers: “It’s really difficult because shots are just poured down your neck in Thailand.
“They just knock on your door shouting ‘free shots’, and nobody questions them. I feel so sad for the unfortunate travellers in Laos, and so disgusted with the people who made the alcohol and sold it.”
Janet, a retired Brit who’s been a soldier, bar worker, and bank employee has been joyfully trotting the globe since 2022. Getting bitten by the travel bug after swooning over Thailand’s delectable cuisine and stunning shores in 2016, she had a nightmare trip in April 2019 but bravely returned in 2023.
Nowadays, she’s wary of the local booze. Recounting the chilling event when she believes she was drugged, Janet revealed that staff later informed her she strolled out naked from her room after bedtime.
She bizarrely thought she was an expecting teen needing a ride to the maternity ward. Snapping back to reality as hotel employees corralled her back to her stay, she later found out.
Janet added: “On that visit we were buying buckets of whisky and coke but I haven’t a clue what we were really drinking.”
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