Woman issues urgent warning as best friend dies after they both drank three shots in Laos

A woman has issued an urgent warning after her best friend tragically died after they both drank three shots in Southeast Asia.

In an Instagram video posted yesterday (23 July), Bethany Clarke explained that it had been eight months since her best friend, Simone White, died 'tragically and unexpectedly' in Vang Vieng, Laos.

The pair had been travelling together in Southeast Asia in November 2024, when she and Simone 'consumed three vodka shots during our hostel's happy hour on the 12th of November', adding that the next day, they both felt 'violently unwell'.

After Simone vomited and Bethany fainted, the pair were taken to a local public hospital, where doctors thought they were suffering from food poisoning.

"But a few hours later, Simone was gasping for air and she couldn't talk," Bethany explained.

"That evening, we managed to get to a private hospital where we were diagnosed with metabolic acidosis. Simone was rushed to the ICU, but after hemodialysis and brain surgery, Simone never woke up and remained in a coma."

According to the BBC, the drinks were supposedly laced with methanol, which can sometimes be found in bootleg alcohol.

It was later reported that five other tourists from Australia, Denmark and the US who were staying at the same hostel, Nana Backpacker, had also died after supposedly drinking the same methanol-laced shots.

After discussions with doctors and the UK consulate, Simone's mum, Sue, had to turn off her daughter's life support on the 21st of November.

The hostel's manager denied any wrongdoing, and twelve people, including eight hostel employees, were arrested by police, but no charges were made at the time (via The Independent).

Simone White (left) tragically lost her life after she fell ill from supposedly tainted alcohol (Instagram/@simonewhitemethanolawareness)

In her video, however, Bethany claimed that Laotian authorities were 'preparing new charges, including the elimination of evidence, violation of food and health safety and unlawful business operations', before adding that there are 'no murder or manslaughter charges'.

She further claimed that the hostel 'will be reopening under another name'. Both the BBC and ITV News reported that a listing for Vang Vieng Central Backpackers Hostel had appeared on travel websites, with the BBC adding that a link which had previously redirected to Nana's hostel page redirected users to an amended page.

ITV News further reported that reviews for the hostel made references to Nana, and the photos on the listing shared a striking similarity to those previously featured to Nanas Backpacker Hostel.

Since moving back to Australia, Bethany has launched the UK parliamentary petition and the Simone White methanol awareness campaign.

Bethany is now petitioning to raise awareness for people travelling abroad regarding methanol poisoning (Change.org)

Just last week, Bethany shared, she found out that the campaign achieved its goal with the UK petition, and from September 2026, it will be mandatory for young people in schools to be educated about the dangers of methanol poisoning.

"However, we still need more awareness," she outlined. "Our work hasn't stopped, as we still need awareness in airports like Australia have been doing, and that's why I set up the Change.org petition to encourage the UK to adopt a number of measures such as posters and leaflets about the risks of methanol poisoning and the symptoms that may arise if counterfeit counterfeit alcohol is consumed.

"We would also like to see airlines including warning warnings in their in-flight magazines about the risks of methanol poisoning."

You can sign the petition here.

Tyla has contacted Khaosan Pathet Lao for further comment.