Lao prosecutors will bring criminal charges against the owner of the Tiger Vodka factory after authorities announced the outcome of part of their investigation into the deaths of six foreign tourists linked to suspected methanol poisoning in Vang Vieng in November 2024.
The announcement came during a closed-door briefing held by the Ministry of Public Security on 17 July. Representatives from the Australian, British, Danish, and U.S. embassies attended alongside officials from the Ministries of Public Security and Foreign Affairs and the Vientiane Provincial Police.
During the briefing, officials announced that the owner of the Tiger Vodka factory in Naxaythong District, Vientiane Capital, will face charges of producing and selling consumer goods hazardous to health and illegally operating a business.
Prosecutors had initially pursued charges related to food safety violations before the Vientiane People’s Prosecutor’s Office reclassified the case to the more serious allegation of producing and selling consumer goods harmful to health, while retaining the illegal business operation charge. The case has now been forwarded to the People’s Court of Vientiane Capital.
Officials also confirmed that the owner of Nana Backpackers Hostel and ten employees had previously been prosecuted after hotel staff moved the body of American tourist James Hutcheson from his room to Vang Vieng District Hospital before notifying police.
They were charged with destruction of evidence under Criminal Law. Although the district court has already ruled on the case, prosecutors have appealed the sentence, arguing that it does not reflect the seriousness of the offense. The appeal remains under consideration.
Investigation Remains Open
The wider investigation remains open, with officials saying they still lack sufficient evidence to conclusively establish the cause of death in five of the six cases, largely because no forensic autopsies were performed.
In its statement, the Ministry of Public Security said it “does not yet have evidence that can confirm the deaths were caused by the actions of any individual or by any specific cause,” citing the absence of forensic examinations.
Investigators said they had nonetheless gathered evidence from several sources, including testing by the Ministry of Health’s Food and Drug Research Center, which found excessive levels of methanol in Tiger Vodka. The ministry also cited information shared by the Australian Embassy, including confirmation from Aek Udon International Hospital in Thailand that methanol was detected in the blood of the two Australian victims.
The investigation are still ongoing, with authorities continuing to collect evidence and exchange information with the embassies of the countries whose citizens died.
Nana Backpackers Hostel remains closed, while the owner and ten employees have had their passports confiscated and are prohibited from leaving Laos until the legal proceedings are completed.
The 17 July briefing marked the first formal public presentation of the investigation’s findings and proposed charges since the deaths occurred in November 2024.
The victims were American James Hutcheson, Australians Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, Danish nationals Anne-Sofie Ørkild Coyman and Freja Vennervald Sørensen, and British citizen Simone White.
Following the deaths, Lao authorities banned the sale of Tiger Vodka and Tiger Whiskey in Vang Vieng in December 2024 after health officials found dangerous levels of methanol in the products.
The case drew international attention and renewed concerns over counterfeit and illegally produced alcohol in Southeast Asia. Several governments subsequently updated their travel advisories for Laos, warning visitors about the risks of methanol poisoning.
