Who was Simone White and how did she die? Brit lawyer poisoned in Laos with methanol laced alcohol

The fifth traveler to die after reportedly consuming complimentary shots tainted with lethal methanol while on vacation in Laos is Simone White.

The British lawyer was one of numerous vacationers who fell seriously ill while visiting Vang Vieng, a well-known resort town. What we know about Simone is as follows:

Who was Simone White?

Simone White was a native of Kent’s Orpington.

At the London office of the American legal firm Squire Patton Boggs, the 28-year-old worked as an associate lawyer with a focus on technology and intellectual property.

Prior to enrolling in the BPP law school’s fast-track program, she studied law at Newcastle University after earning her A-levels at St. Olave’s Grammar School in Orpington.

In 2017, she studied abroad at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, according to her Facebook page.

What happened to Simone White?

Simone and other vacationers were allegedly “poisoned” at the Nana Backpacker Hostel in the well-known Laotian tourist town of Vang Vieng in November 2024.

After allegedly being handed tainted cocktails at a bar, at least 11 people—including British people—remain in the hospital.

Along with two Danish ladies in their 20s and a 56-year-old American guy, 19-year-old Australian Bianca Jones also perished in the horrifying incident.

In order to alert other travelers, Simone’s friend Bethany Clarke, a healthcare professional from Orpington, posted on the Laos Backpacking Facebook group.

“Please avoid all local spirits immediately,” she warned. We drank free shots from one of the pubs while our party was in Vang Vieng.

Bethany went on: It’s not worth it, so just stay away from them. Currently, six of us who shared a drinking location are hospitalized due to methanol poisoning.

She went on to say that she was extremely tired, fainted, felt queasy, and then her liver began to shut down.

She went on: I arrived at the private hospital on schedule, but I had to endure several infusions, medications, and recuperation days.

Despite being sent to a nearby hospital in Thailand, she was unable to be saved.

That night, she was accompanied by her 19-year-old friend, Holly Bowles, who is still in the hospital on life support.

“The doctor who examined her stated that the cause of death was methanol poisoning, from fake liquor,” a Thai police official told Reuters.

“The amount of methanol in her body was high, leading to swelling of the brain.”

Australian and British governments have previously cautioned tourists against drinking alcohol in Laos.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that methanol, a hazardous alcohol utilized in industry as a fuel source, solvent, and insecticide, can be fatal if swallowed.

Over 100 guests were given free shots of Lao Tiger vodka blended with ice and Coke Zero, according to Duong Duc Toan, the hostel manager where Bianca had slept.

He maintained that the booze was from a licensed distributor and that no employees had tampered with it.

“Every hostel, hotel, and bar in Vang Vieng is currently being told by the police to stop selling drinks,” Toan told the Associated Press.

“The police in Vang Vieng and [the capital] Vientiane have already come to the hostel to check the shop [where] we buy the vodka, check the shop [where] we buy the whisky,” he claimed in an interview with the Australian network ABC.

We definitely don’t do anything incorrectly. I genuinely look after every guest [who] stays at our hotel and hostel.

An inquiry into the suspected poisoning has been started by Laos police.

The Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) of the United Kingdom responded by issuing an urgent warning regarding the presence of counterfeit alcohol in the area.

Methanol has been utilized in the production of illegal local spirits, such as vodka, or fake imitations of popular alcohol brands, according to the FCDO.

“Be cautious while purchasing spirit-based drinks or if they are given away for free. Avoid drinking if the flavor, smell, or labeling appear off.

It is recommended that travelers stay away from homemade alcoholic beverages, only buy alcohol from authorized liquor stores, and only consume alcohol at authorized establishments.

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