SIMONE White is the fifth tourist to have passed away after allegedly drinking free shots laced with deadly methanol during a holiday in Laos.
The British lawyer was among several holidaymakers who became dangerously ill while staying in the popular resort town of Vang Vieng. Here’s what we know about Simone:
Who was Simone White?
Simone White was from Orpington, Kent.
The 28-year-old was an associate lawyer specialising in technology and intellectual property at the London office of the American law firm Squire Patton Boggs.
After completing her A-levels at St Olave’s Grammar School in Orpington, she studied law at Newcastle University before taking the fast-track course at the BPP law school.
According to her Facebook page, she had studied abroad at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands in 2017.
What happened to Simone White?
In November 2024, Simone, along with other holidaymakers, were reportedly ‘poisoned’ at the Nana Backpacker Hostel in the popular resort town of Vang Vieng in Laos.
At least 11 people, including Brits, remain in hospital after allegedly being served laced drinks at a bar.
Australian woman Bianca Jones, 19, has also died in the horrific incident alongside two Danish women in their 20s and a 56-year-old American man.
Simone’s friend, Bethany Clarke, a healthcare worker also from Orpington, took to the Laos Backpacking Facebook group to warn other travellers.
She said: “Urgent — please avoid all local spirits. Our group stayed in Vang Vieng and we drank free shots offered by one of the bars.”
Bethany continued: “Just avoid them as so not worth it. Six of us who drank from the same place are in hospital currently with methanol poisoning.”
She added that she was “very fatigued and then fainted, then just felt nauseous and then my liver started to shut down”.
She continued: “I got to the private hospital in time but underwent many infusions and tablets and days of recovery.”
She had been rushed to a hospital in neighbouring Thailand but could not be saved.
Her friend, Holly Bowles, also 19, was with her that night and remains in the hospital on life support.
A Thai police official told Reuters: “The physician who examined her said the cause of death was methanol poisoning, from fake liquor.
“The amount of methanol in her body was high, leading to swelling of the brain.”
Governments in Australia and Britain have previously warned travellers to exercise caution with alcoholic drinks in Laos.
Methanol, a toxic alcohol used industrially as a solvent, pesticide, and fuel source, can be deadly when consumed, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Duong Duc Toan, the manager of the hostel where Bianca had stayed, confirmed that over 100 guests were served free shots of Lao Tiger vodka, mixed with ice and Coke Zero.
He insisted the alcohol came from a certified distributor and had not been tampered with by staff.
“Right now the police [are telling] every hostel and hotel and bar to stop selling drinks in Vang Vieng,” Toan told the Associated Press.
He added in an interview with the Australian broadcaster ABC: “The police in Vang Vieng and [the capital] Vientiane already came to the hostel to check, the shop [where] we buy the vodka, check the shop [where] we buy the whisky.
“We don’t do anything wrong, for sure. I really take care of all of the customers [who] stay with our hotel and our hostel.”
Laos police have launched an investigation into the alleged poisoning.
In response, the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) issued an urgent warning about counterfeit alcohol in the region.
“Methanol has been used in the manufacture of counterfeit replicas of well-known alcohol brands or illegal local spirits, like vodka,” the FCDO said.
“You should take care if offered, particularly for free, or when buying spirit-based drinks. If labels, smell, or taste seem wrong then do not drink.”
Travellers are advised to only purchase alcohol from licensed liquor stores, drink at licensed venues, and avoid homemade alcoholic beverages.
