Thailand Poisonings

Thailand, with its ancient temples, raucous nightlife, and crystalline beaches, attracts hordes of visitors. According to the Global Destination Cities Index, Bangkok draws more tourists than any other city in the world. But visiting Thailand may very well be hazardous to your health. In the last five years, a rash of tourists have been found dead in their hotel rooms, including couples. Explanations vary; some, like Canadian sisters Noemi and Audrey Belanger, seem to be victims of a vicious cocktail called 4 X100, which contains cola, cough syrup, and deet mosquito repellent. Seven tourists from around the world died in the Downtown Inn in Chiang Mai in 2011, apparently from the effects of an insecticide called pyrophus, which is used to curb bedbugs. Still others allegedly died from food poisoning, perhaps from dining on fugu, the Japanese puffer fish whose liver contains lethal doses of tetrodotoxin. Thai authorities have claimed that these unfortunate deaths are mere coincidence, but the families of some victims seem convinced there is something far more sinister and mysterious at hand.