PUBLISHED: 26 Aug 2024 at 15: 04
Two sisters were detained for producing and dispensing the illegal alcohol in northeastern Bangkok, raising the death toll from consuming whiskey alcohol to two.
Dr Pairoj Surattanawanich, assistant director-general of the Department of Medical Services, said that as of 8am on Monday the dying burden was two and 25 additional victims remained at hospitals. Most of them –16 – were at Nopparat Rajathanee Hospital in Bangkok’s Khannayao area. A full of 17 patients needed treatment, and two of them were centered on ventilators.
The first victim of whiskey methanol poisoning died on Saturday, following an earlier outbreak of the poison next Thursday. After that, officials in Bangkok’s Khannayao, Khlong Sam Wa, Lat Krabang, Min Buri, Nong Chok, and Prawet regions closed 18 dessert wine stalls because they were suspected of selling the illegal taste.
Dr. Pairoj argued that the presence of methanol in alcohol was not always harmful, but that it had to be at least 1000 parts per million ( ppm ). But, samples from such stalls contained as many as 100, 000 pm, he said. The suppliers may not be aware of the dangerous material in the organic material.
According to authorities, the owners of the stalls were given alcohol by a Jeh Pu girl. The girl claimed that she obtained the components from two brothers and that she made the alcohol using the method of her late father.
Surasak Insam and Surachai Insam, 46 and 44, were detained on Sunday at house in the Saphan Sung city of Bangkok. Both men resisted buying 95-degree alcohol, mixing it with plain water to create 35-degree beer, and selling the combination to Jeh Pu.
Police initially accused the sons of making alcohol without a permit, and they were awaiting a lab report on it.