At least six people have now died and more than 20 have been hospitalised after drinking methanol-laced bootleg alcohol, authorities said.
The deaths happened mainly in Khlong Sam Wa district in Bangkok, where authorities found 19 illegal roadside alcohol stands, the Thai capital’s administration said.
Six people have died and 22 more were in critical condition yesterday, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration said.
“After drinking, my father said the symptoms reminded him of gas reflux and the next thing he remembered was that he was at the ICU,” one of the drinkers’ relatives told local media.
Somwang Chaiprakraiwan, the top local official in Khlong Sam Wa district, said authorities had cracked down on illicit alcohol shops in the area.
“Police and the department of excise have arrested and detained them,” he said.
Thailand has strict alcohol laws, restricting liquor sales to certain hours of the day and banning them on religious holidays.
But critics say the rules drive a thriving black market for cheap alcohol made in unregulated backstreet distilleries, locally known as “Ya Dong”. — AFP
