LAK 210 Million Tequila Bill Puts Laos Night Out in Viral Spotlight

This Week

A single receipt forwarded in a group chat has turned into one of Laos’ most entertaining social media moments in recent weeks, all because a few friends ordered tequila.

On 6 June, Facebook user Tonkham Phonchanheuang shared a post of a receipt her friends sent to their group chat after a night out, revealing a total bill of LAK 210 million (approximately USD 10,507). 

The post spread rapidly, drawing nearly 2,000 engagements and over 800 shares.

A receipt revealed that the group’s night out cost LAK 210 million, or approximately USD 10,507. 6 June 2026. (Photo: Tonkham Phonchanheuang)

Tonkham had missed the outing; she was home caring for her child. After seeing the bill, she wrote in her caption that she had absolutely no regrets.

At the heart of the eye-watering total was 818 Eight Reserve Añejo, the ultra-premium flagship expression from 818 Tequila, a brand founded by American celebrity Kendall Jenner. The receipt listed five 750ml bottles at a combined LAK 166.6 million (approximately USD 7,560), or around LAK 33.3 million (approximately USD 1,500) per bottle. 

The spirit typically retails internationally for between USD 100 and USD 200.

818 Eight Reserve Añejo. (Photo credit: drink818)

A Comment Section That Delivered

The public response was swift, sharp, and largely hilarious. 

One commenter questioned the pricing directly: “What kind of drinks reserve service within two to three hours could possibly be worth LAK 12 million? That is ten times the local monthly minimum wage.”

Another quipped, “Are you just a customer, or are you taking over the place?” 

Another put it in relatable terms: “My friends and I once argued over a LAK 500,000 (USD 22) bill. If it were this much, we would have to flee to the other side of the Earth.”

Tonkham herself appeared to enjoy every bit of it.

The conversation soon moved well beyond the receipt. Lao people on social media noticed that the 818 Eight Reserve Añejo bottle has a distinctive shape resembling the numeral 8, and a playful trend took off from there. 

Users began sharing images and creative re-imaginings of everyday objects styled to echo that iconic silhouette, a cinema reshaping a popcorn box to look like the bottle, a beverage shop unveiling a new cup design inspired by the form, and a company jokingly proposing a new building in an 8-style design. 

A movie theater employee shows off a popcorn box styled after the luxury 818 Eight Reserve Añejo tequila bottle as part of the trend. (Photo credit: Major Platinum Cineplex Vientiane Center)

Many users generated AI images placing themselves or their products into the same visual, not ridiculing the drink, but riding its sudden fame for a laugh.

On Lao social media, a moment catches fire not through outrage but through collective humor and creativity.

For now, 818 Eight Reserve Añejo has gone from a little-known luxury import to a household punchline, and possibly the most-talked-about bottle in the country, without anyone actually buying it.

A restaurant bar in Kaysone Phomvihane City, Savannakhet Province, joined the trend by creating its own “8” display using cut-out paper decorations. (Photo credit: Nang Lin BAR)

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