Most parents worry when their teenagers head overseas for the first time. Few imagine their worst nightmare becoming reality.
Shaun Bowles and Samantha Morton watched their 19-year-old daughter, Holly, pack her bags for Southeast Asia in November 2024. Mark and Michelle Jones did the same for their daughter, Bianca. Both girls were best friends, planning the adventure of a lifetime.
Neither family would see their daughters alive again. What happened in a small backpacker town in Laos has prompted both sets of parents to issue a stark warning to anyone planning travel to the region. Their message cuts through typical travel advisory language with brutal honesty about a problem that has claimed lives for over a decade.
Two Best Friends Travel to Southeast Asia
Holly Morton-Bowles and Bianca Jones had been planning their gap year for months. Like thousands of other Australian teenagers, they wanted to explore Southeast Asia before starting college. Friends since childhood, they chose the well-worn backpacker trail through Thailand and Laos.
Both girls stayed in constant contact with their families during the trip. Holly called or texted her mother every day, sometimes every third day at a minimum. Both teenagers shared photos and updates about temples visited, food eaten, and new friends made along the way.
“They were having an unbelievable time,” Shaun Bowles later recalled. “Having so much fun and doing what two 19-year-old girls should be doing. They were just having an absolute blast.”
By early November, the pair had reached Vang Vieng, a tourist town built entirely around backpacker culture. Streets lined with hostels, bars, and restaurants cater to young travelers seeking adventure and nightlife. Holly and Bianca checked into the Nana Backpackers Hostel, a popular spot among budget travelers.
November 12 started like any other day on their journey.
Free Shots Turn Fatal
Staff at the Nana Backpackers Hostel offered complimentary shots to guests before they headed out for the evening. Holly and Bianca accepted the free drinks, a common practice at hostels, trying to create a party atmosphere.
After consuming the shots, both girls went out to explore Vang Vieng’s nightlife. Within 24 hours, both were fighting for their lives.
Six tourists staying at the same hostel fell violently ill. Emergency services airlifted Holly and Bianca to a hospital across the border in Thailand. Medical staff there confirmed what they suspected. All six patients had consumed methanol, a deadly industrial chemical that has no place in human drinks.
Despite aggressive medical intervention, both Australian teenagers died from their injuries. Four other tourists also lost their lives. British lawyer Simone White, 28, Danish women Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, and Frela Vennervald Sorensen, 21, along with American James Louis Huston, 57, all succumbed to methanol poisoning.
Shaun Bowles and Mark Jones had taken a similar backpacking trip through Southeast Asia about 25 years earlier. Both fathers understood the appeal of the region for young travelers. Neither could have predicted their daughters would become victims of a problem that has plagued the area for decades.
Methanol Explained
Most people have never heard of methanol poisoning until it affects someone they know. Industrial facilities use the chemical in paint thinners, antifreeze, varnish, and photocopier fluid. Nobody should ever consume it.
Methanol looks identical to ethanol, the type of alcohol found in legitimate beverages. Both liquids appear colorless and clear. Neither has a distinctive smell that would alert an unsuspecting drinker. Only laboratory testing can distinguish between them.
Scientists measure methanol toxicity in frighteningly small amounts. Just 0.85 fluid ounces can kill an adult. Half a shot glass represents a lethal dose for most people.
Bootleg alcohol producers in Southeast Asia add methanol to their products for one reason. Money. Methanol costs far less than ethanol. Adding it to drinks creates the burning sensation people associate with strong alcohol. Low-quality spirits suddenly seem more potent. Customers believe they’re getting better value.
A Western diplomat working in the region explained the economics to the BBC. “You have the unscrupulous producer adding methanol to their drinks because it’s cheaper. It’s used to create a stronger-seeming drink or make lower-quality alcohol drinks seem more potent.”
Symptoms Appear Within 24 Hours
Methanol poisoning follows a deceptive timeline. Victims often feel fine immediately after consumption. No warning signs appear for several hours. Many people go to bed believing they simply had too much to drink.
Between eight and 24 hours later, symptoms begin. Nausea strikes first, followed by vomiting and severe abdominal pain. Some victims report feeling like they have a particularly bad hangover. Others experience hyperventilation and breathing difficulties.
Vision problems develop as methanol converts to formic acid in the body. Blurred vision progresses to partial or complete blindness. Formic acid then attacks the brain, causing confusion, seizures, and coma. Without treatment, the acid builds throughout the body, triggering respiratory failure, circulatory shock, and kidney failure.
Médecins Sans Frontières, which tracks global methanol poisoning outbreaks, reports that 20 to 40 percent of cases prove fatal. Concentration levels and amount consumed determine outcomes.
One factor offers hope. Quick diagnosis and treatment within the first 30 hours can reverse some effects. Drinking ethanol (regular alcohol) can counteract early-stage methanol poisoning by preventing the body from converting methanol into toxic formic acid. Medical professionals still recommend immediate hospital care rather than self-treatment.
Parents Call Laos Government Corrupt
Holly and Bianca’s parents flew to Thailand within 24 hours of learning their daughters were hospitalized. Both mothers left on the first available flight. Fathers followed the next day.
Blood test results confirmed methanol poisoning, but by then, both girls had suffered irreversible damage. “When you hear your daughter is not going to pull through, I think disbelief is the only word to describe what was happening to us,” Shaun Bowles said.
After their daughters died, both families expected cooperation from the Laotian authorities. What they got instead was silence.
Shaun Bowles and Samantha Morton spoke publicly about their frustration with the investigation. “We recognize how corrupt and unhelpful the Laotian Government is. There is no evidence whatsoever to suggest there is any type of investigation going on,” they told the Herald Sun.
Mark and Michelle Jones shared similar concerns. “To date, no individual or organization has been held accountable,” they said, adding that “it appears these deaths of innocent young women may be forgotten, brushed aside and left unresolved.”
Both families appeared on the Australian news program 60 Minutes to share their stories. Mark Jones summed up their experience in four words during the interview.
Australian Officials Denied Access
Journalists from 60 Minutes attempted to travel to Laos to investigate the deaths. Authorities denied them entry, claiming the case remained under investigation. No timeline for completing that investigation has been provided.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong received a letter from the Laotian government expressing profound sadness over the deaths. Officials promised to investigate and bring perpetrators to justice. Nearly one year later, no charges have been filed against anyone.
Australian Federal Police offered to assist with the investigation. Laotian authorities refused the help.
Eight people connected to the Nana Backpackers Hostel, including manager Duong Duc Toan, were detained following the deaths. All have since been released. No formal charges were ever filed.
Requests from victim families to meet with Laotian government officials have been repeatedly denied. Not even private meetings have been granted. 60 Minutes host Tara Brown described the government’s response as cruel.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan acknowledged the parents’ frustrations as very real, given the lack of progress in the investigation.
Southeast Asia Faces Widespread Problem
Methanol poisoning incidents occur across Southeast Asia with alarming frequency. Indonesia has reported the highest number of cases over the past two decades, according to Médecins Sans Frontières data. Cambodia, Vietnam, and the Philippines also record regular outbreaks.
Countries along the Mekong River face particular challenges. Poor nations with limited resources struggle to enforce regulations in the hospitality industry. Home-brewed alcohol production remains common and largely unregulated. Food and beverage standards either don’t exist or go unenforced.
Colin Ahearn, an Australian who runs a Facebook page called Don’t Drink Spirits in Bali, told the media his page used to receive a submission per week about methanol poisoning cases across Southeast Asia.
Law enforcement in these regions often lacks funding and training. Alcohol suppliers exploit this environment, knowing they face little risk of prosecution. Poor regulation and low education among producers create conditions where accidental poisonings occur alongside intentional adulteration.
Remove Laos From Your Bucket List
Holly and Bianca’s parents have moved beyond grief into action. Both families want their daughters’ deaths to mean something.
Their message to other Australian families is unequivocal. “(Our) hope is that Australians remove this country from their bucket list. Your life is worth nothing over there and we have seen this first-hand as well as other families that have been involved in this tragedy.”
Both families created crowdfunding pages to cover expenses and fund awareness initiatives about methanol poisoning. They want other parents to understand the risks before sending their children to Southeast Asia.
Western governments have updated travel advisories following the Vang Vieng deaths. Warnings now specifically mention the risks of methanol contamination in Southeast Asian countries. Contaminated drinks can include local home-brewed spirits, spirit-based cocktails, and even brand-name alcohol in tampered bottles.
Several advocacy groups work to educate travelers about the dangers. Colin Ahearn’s Facebook page advises people to stick to beer when traveling in Southeast Asia. His guidance suggests avoiding mixed drinks, cocktails, and anything poured from open spirit bottles.
Experts agree that a high-profile education campaign targeting young travelers could save lives. Whether governments will fund such initiatives remains unclear.
Justice Remains Elusive
Nearly one year after Holly and Bianca died, their parents continue fighting for accountability. No one has been charged with any crime related to the six deaths in Vang Vieng.
Both families describe feeling abandoned by a system that is supposed to protect tourists. Mark Jones expressed his determination simply during the 60 Minutes interview. “I cannot have my daughter’s passing not mean anything.”
Hundreds attended vigils in Melbourne honoring both girls. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese sent condolences to both families. Funeral services at their respective schools drew large crowds of mourning friends and classmates.
Yet without cooperation from Laotian authorities, families face an impossible task. No investigation appears to be underway. No meetings with officials have been granted. No timeline for justice has been established.
Both families state they will continue fighting until someone is held accountable for their daughters’ deaths. Whether Laos will ever provide answers remains an open question.
Young travelers continue booking trips to Southeast Asia every day. Most will return home safely with stories of adventure and self-discovery. But some families will receive phone calls that change everything. Holly and Bianca’s parents hope their warning reaches enough people to prevent other families from joining their heartbreaking club.
