Poisoning suspected after two tourists deaths at Phi Phi

[wabbits]

you can imagine how the family feel and sounds to me that they will get no satisfaction from the powers to be.
No way its food poisoning just does not happen that way so why go down this line of thought why not look at the more likely posibility.
Yes i know the answer just to my mind does not make sense.

[andmel]

Norwegian news papers write that the 2 girls was sharing a bucket-drink and they suspect this drink is the reason for the poisoning

Another newspaper has also found a man who got very sick at Phi Phi one year ago
Tor Martin (26) ble også forgiftet på Phi Phi - VG Nett om Thailand

[Soupdragon]

Norwegian news papers write that the 2 girls was sharing a bucket-drink and they suspect this drink is the reason for the poisoning

I seriously doubt that. The buckets contain a small bottle of Samsung, Redbull, Coke and ice. They are the staple drink on PP and whilst they do render you unconscious you pass out before you can imbibe a fatal dose.

[Petter]

They did share a bucket drink

normally 2 bottles red bull,1 bottle cola,and a small bottle rom or whisky mixed together in a bucket

well its also known that "some" places in los add inn little amphetamine !! acc to "backpacingabroad".

But the only connection to the guy who died in April is the same hotel.......so

[Soupdragon]

They did share a bucket drink

normally 2 bottles red bull,1 bottle cola,and a small bottle rom or whisky mixed together in a bucket

well its also known that "some" places in los add inn little amphetamine !! acc to "backpacingabroad".

Sorry maybe I wasn't clear. I am not saying they didn't drink the buckets but that I doubt that was the cause of the poisoning. I have drank hundreds and still standing.

[steve w]

They did share a bucket drink

normally 2 bottles red bull,1 bottle cola,and a small bottle rom or whisky mixed together in a bucket

well its also known that "some" places in los add inn little amphetamine !! acc to "backpacingabroad".

But the only connection to the guy who died in April is the same hotel.......so

i was offered that option at a bar on phi phi a few years ago,made my excuses and left

[Petter]

Sorry maybe I wasn't clear. I am not saying they didn't drink the buckets but that I doubt that was the cause of the poisoning. I have drank hundreds and still standing

Agree with you, did post it because the news here mention it,but they also stated that the connection with the dead man in april is only the hotel

[Soupdragon]

Phuketwan have updated their article, it now reads

THE CAUSE of poisoning that killed two tourists on Phi Phi over the weekend is being investigated, the Governor of Krabi, Siwa Sirisaowalak, said today.

The tourists, both young women, were from the US and Norway. They had been staying at the same small local guesthouse.

A blog posted online by a companion who was travelling with one of the victims suggests that the air conditioning may have been the cause.

But a doctor on the island this afternoon said investigations were focussing on what the two women, and a third who survived, had had to drink.

Consumption of alcohol mixed with fruit juice was common to all three cases, the doctor said.

If this is the case why were so few affected ?? PP is party island everyone is there to get wasted. Something not right here. If they even suspect that tainted drinks is the cause they would have to close PP to ensure it didn't happen again.

[billpay]

I still wonder what food poison kills you?

Botulism can be fatal.

[Mai Chob]

Two years ago I missed out on an o/nite trip organised by Paul Gibson (Yorkshire Inn) and 4 other blokes to PP with tgs but my lao girl was ill from grog the nite before and we cancelled.They became violently ill after lunch over there but Paul had had something different and went to reception to help one guy who had crapped his bed. The management demanded he 'buy' the sheets and Paul hit the roof and barged into the kitchen and was appalled by its filth. Even his gf who wanted him to desist became angry and they moved hotel(no refund!).
They all swore I was lucky I missed out and they'd never eat in PP again...

[Tobben30]

Mc Cyanide?

A Norwegian newspaper says they have found traces of cyanide in the Norwegian girl.

[MrDreamTransprt]

I still wonder what food poison kills you?

Botulism can be fatal.

That was my first thought. I don't know of anything else food or drink related that could cause a quick death.

As to the press responses, if there was in fact someone intentionally poisoning people, I think they would rather let the person get away with it, then admit it was an intentional act, as that would be much, much worse for Tourism.

Thats a sad state of affairs if that is the case, let a murderer have a free pass, to keep your tourist numbers from dropping.

[landofsmiles]

This is from Jills' fiance Ryan>>>

I was Jills fiancee. For a doctor to say that she was drinking was ridiculous. Jill had been Ill since the afternoon. How could she have told nurse anything. She was unconcious by the time I got her to the hospital. This article makes me irate. There is a water treatment plant right next to the guesthouse. How coincidental for 3 people to have the same symptoms, 2 die and 1 in ICU. We stayed right next door to the Norwegian girls. There is a chemical that killed two girls and almost one more. I cant even begin to believe that this doctor would lie about jills case. Let me repeat. Jill had no alcohol that night. It had nothing to do with a hangover. I can not believe that anyone would make up such a lie.

The article he's referring to is the one on Phuketwan.


Tobben...which newspaper has reported cyanide found in the Norwegian girl? Robert, Jills' brother is asking.

[Tarzan]

This is from Jills' fiance Ryan>>>

I was Jills fiancee. For a doctor to say that she was drinking was ridiculous. Jill had been Ill since the afternoon. How could she have told nurse anything. She was unconcious by the time I got her to the hospital. This article makes me irate. There is a water treatment plant right next to the guesthouse. How coincidental for 3 people to have the same symptoms, 2 die and 1 in ICU. We stayed right next door to the Norwegian girls. There is a chemical that killed two girls and almost one more. I cant even begin to believe that this doctor would lie about jills case. Let me repeat. Jill had no alcohol that night. It had nothing to do with a hangover. I can not believe that anyone would make up such a lie.

The article he's referring to is the one on Phuketwan.


Tobben...which newspaper has reported cyanide found in the Norwegian girl? Robert, Jills' brother is asking.

Here is an article from Sweden talking about cyanide..
Norska hittad död och förgiftad i turistparadis | Nyheter | Aftonbladet

And here is the one Tobben probably talks about...
Leter etter svar på dødsgåten - VG Nett om Thailand

[landofsmiles]

Thanks. I found an English translation and sent it to Robert.

[landofsmiles]

More from Jills' fiance Ryan>>>

my name is Ryan, I was Jill's fiancee. We were staying at a guesthouse called laleena. I have to think that Jill died of a poison substance. We got our room about 11 in the morning. It was our first room with A/C in about a month of traveling through Asia. So we decided to just hang out in the room all day and catch up on some needed sleep. I am not a great sleeper, Jill on the other hand was awesome she could sleep anytime, anywhere. Aroun 1 o clock I was antsy so I went to go use the internet. I was gone about an hour. I went back to the room hung out with Jill for about an hour. We were both hungry so I decided I would go get us some food, so we could enjoy the A/C. I was gone about 45 minutes. I came beack we ate our food and hung out for another hour or 2. We then decided to go out walking around. Jill started saying she wasnt feeling that well (probably the burger) but being the trooper she was, we stayed out for a few hours. Ate some dinner , watched the sunset. Around midnight Jill said she was still feeling ill. She wanted to go lie down, but told me to stay out for a bit, cause we were hanging out with some new friends. I went back to the room at about 2 am, to find jill in some real pain. She started vomiting not too long after. I layed down in bed with her to try to comfort her. Probably 2 hours later, I started feelin very ill. I started vomiting. feeling dizzy. This is when I realized Jill was not doing well at all. She started turning blue. I ran outside grabbed a utility cart, briught it back, picked Jill up and put her in it. I ran all the way to the hospital. They started doing CPR to no avail.

I found out later that there is a water treatment plant right behind the guesthouse. I feel that jill was poisoned by a chemical from that plant. She spent about 5 more hours in the room than I did. She was just breathing in the fumes for so long. The only reason I did not get deathly ill, is that I kept getting these short breaks from the air in the room.

The next day, a woman from Norway died right in the room next door, her traveling companion was admitted to the ICU. All thrree of them had the exact same symptoms. That seems like a hell of a coincidence. I just want people to know to be careful of the Laleena guesthouse. Whatever is there it killed 2 people and put one in intensive care, in 2 days. That doesnt sound like food poisoning, and I doubt two A/C units started pumping in gas on the same day. There has to be something in the air from that water treatment plant..

[Soupdragon]

The water treatment plant on PP was built after the Tsunami using donated funds. It is a state of the art filtration system (there is a large plaque next to it saying who donated the funds and how the system works) whereas the waste water is piped onto a bed of filters (I forget what they are made of) covering a large area and permiates through the filters removing nitrates and other contaminates. If IRC no chemicals let alone cyanide are used in the process. Also many guesthouses are built around the treatment area it wouldn't be possible for any fumes (I lived right next to this area and there was never even a faint odour) to affect just one guesthouse.

See the map below, it is a few years old so the names of many of the guesthouses will have changed and new ones built. The area in question is top right.

[Tobben30]

This is from Jills' fiance Ryan>>>

I was Jills fiancee. For a doctor to say that she was drinking was ridiculous. Jill had been Ill since the afternoon. How could she have told nurse anything. She was unconcious by the time I got her to the hospital. This article makes me irate. There is a water treatment plant right next to the guesthouse. How coincidental for 3 people to have the same symptoms, 2 die and 1 in ICU. We stayed right next door to the Norwegian girls. There is a chemical that killed two girls and almost one more. I cant even begin to believe that this doctor would lie about jills case. Let me repeat. Jill had no alcohol that night. It had nothing to do with a hangover. I can not believe that anyone would make up such a lie.

The article he's referring to is the one on Phuketwan.


Tobben...which newspaper has reported cyanide found in the Norwegian girl? Robert, Jills' brother is asking.

Here’s the one I think was the first to say Cyanide. According to this article the Police at Phi Phi say that early stages of the autopsy shows traces of Cyanide in her stomach.

THAILAND - - Fant cyanid i magen - Nettavisen

[Tobben30]

This article says that the 46 year old Norwegian who died on Phi Phi in April also died at this hotel.

Obduksjonsrapport kan koble mystiske dødsfall på Phi Phi

[landofsmiles]

Contradiction to what the Dr says on the Phuketwan article then. He says the man didn't stay at the same guesthouse.

Phuketwan today spoke to a doctor who discounted any link between the death on Phi Phi last month of a 46-year-old Norwegian man and the deaths of the two women.

Dr Buncha Khakong, of the Public Health Department in Krabi, said the man died of food poisoning and was already ill when he arrived on Phi Phi from Phuket last month.

The man was not staying in the same guesthouse, as the rumor had it, Dr Buncha said.

[Soupdragon]

Latest from Phuketwan

Phuketwan today spoke to a doctor who discounted any link between the death on Phi Phi last month of a 46-year-old Norwegian man and the deaths of the two women.

Dr Buncha Khakong, of the Public Health Department in Krabi, said the man died of food poisoning and was already ill when he arrived on Phi Phi from Phuket last month.

The man was not staying in the same guesthouse, as the rumor had it, Dr Buncha said.

As for the deaths of the two women, Dr Buncha said that separate to the autopsies, he had sent the contents of one victim's stomach to mainland Krabi where the sample will be studied by specialist doctors.

He discounted two theories about the deaths, saying that no cyanide had been found in either the bodies to date, adding that if something in the air conditioning had killed the women, their symptoms would have been different.

Dr Buncha is still inclined to believe that something the women drank probably was the cause of their deaths.

All the stories printed in the International press seem to be contradicting what is been told locally ???

Now no cyanide ????

Why do they keep banging on about drinks when not a shread of evidence is being put forward. ???


EDIT Rex beat me to it.

Another point to note the Phuket Gazette have not covered this internationally breaking story ???

[Tobben30]

Norwegian doctors don’t believe it to be cyanide either. They say the symptoms don’t fit.

[landofsmiles]

Would be another blow to tourism if it was publicised too much. After the tsunami didn't the "government" pretty much takeover ownership of Phi Phi?

Has it even been mentioned in the Thai newspapers?

[Soupdragon]

Would be another blow to tourism if it was publicised too much. After the tsunami didn't the "government" pretty much takeover ownership of Phi Phi?

They tried. For many years influential people in power have proposed closing PP altogether and redeveloping it as an exclusive luxury resort without a thought of the practicalities of actually doing this. After the Tsunami they saw another opportunity and aid to the island was severly restricted. As a lot of land deeds were lost in the Tsunami a lot of people had major hastles proving their claim to land. The local people pulled together and with their efforts in fundraising and a lot of support from tourists and volunteers (the Krabi Governor was actually told to stop supplying volunteers) the rebuilding was undertaken very much on a hand to mouth basis, money that was raised one day was directly allocated to a project the next day. It was sad to witness how greedy powerful people tried to strangle the locals into submission.

[Tobben30]

This will probably hurt tourism badly, especially if they don’t find what caused these girls deaths. In Norwegian media every jerk who’s ever been food poisoned on Phi Phi seems to call the newspapers to tell their story these days. News in Norway spreads to Sweden in minutes, and both Norway and Sweden sends hundreds of thousands of families to Thailand each year.

The good thing is that we’re stubborn as hell, and I don’t think thing the media will let this one blow over before we get an answer.

[landofsmiles]

From Phuket Wan
Dead Tourist 'Pushed off Phi Phi': Boyfriend

Thursday, May 7, 2009 CONFLICTING accounts surfaced today about what happened in the final hours before two women tourists died on the holiday island of Phi Phi over the weekend.

American Ryan Kells said he was bundled off the island in a speed boat with the body of his fiancee after her sudden death.

He spoke to Phuketwan by telephone from Bangkok a couple of hours before the body of his girlfriend, Jill Sheree St Onge, 27, was due to be cremated.


''I felt like they were trying to brush us off,'' he said of the trip that cost him $250, with Miss St Onge's body in a bodybag in the bottom of the boat. ''They wanted it all to go away.

Miss St Onge fell sick at a local guest house and died within hours. In the next room, a Norwegian woman, Julie Michelle Bergheim, 22, also fell sick and died in similar fashion.

The cause of both deaths remains a mystery.

Locals at Laleena Guesthouse today were suggesting that the American couple had argued on Saturday night, not long before Miss St Onge fell sick.

But Mr Kells said: ''Absolutely not.''
''We spent the whole day having a great time. They must have seen some other couple arguing.

''We had a pizza for dinner on the beach and a conversation about what we were going to do together with the next two years of our lives.

''Jill was talking about coming to teach in Thailand.

''Jill and I hardly ever argued. We'd been together for five years and just two months ago, on our trip, I proposed to her.''

Mr Kells said Miss St Onge had been feeling unwell and had had no alcohol to drink before her death.

A doctor on the island had suggested that a popular ''Bucket'' drink, alcohol and fruit juice mixed with Red Bull, might be the common denominator in the two deaths, and the illness of a third woman who was with the dead Norwegian.

The doctor's opinion was ''based on hearsay,'' he said.

''Jill hated Red Bull and we are 27, not 19 and out for drinking fun,'' Mr Kells added.

He was unimpressed with the standard of treatment Miss St Onge received at the local hospital, where she died, and he remains keen to find out precisely what caused his fiancee's death.

''They did not appear to know how to perform cpr,'' he said. Mr Kells published his own account of events on an online blog soon after the death of Miss St Onge.

''I want people to know what happened,'' he said.

Mr Kells said he was struck by the chemical smell when he and Miss St Onge checked in and went to their room on Saturday.

''It was our first air-conditioned room for about a month,'' he said. ''I felt that whatever that smell was, it was some kind of gas.''

He went in and out of the room to an Internet cafe and for food while Miss Onge stayed in the room, and fell sick.

''I feel that whatever was in the room was what she succumbed to,'' Mr Kells said.

''I find it highly coincidentally that the woman in the next room died in the same way. We were in Room 4, they were in Room 5.''

Mr Kells' parents have joined him in Bangkok. After this afternoon's cremation, he plans to take Miss St Onge's ashes back to her family in the US.

The couple lived in Seattle, on the west coast, although both grew up in California.

Mr Kells wants people to know what happened, and to have the cause of the two deaths revealed as soon as possible.

''They (the island authorities) wanted to get us away from the island as fast as possible,'' he said.

He said the speedboat broke down during the nightmare trip back to Phuket and it took 45 minutes to repair.

Transporting he and the body to Bangkok, the autopsy, which took place yesterday, and today's cremation have cost him US$2500.

''Two deaths in one day . . . it shouldn't happen to anyone,'' he said. ''I want to make sure it does not happen again.''

[landofsmiles]

One minute they deny cyanide has been found in the Norwegian girls' stomach...now they are saying again it has and now in both girls'!.

From Scandasia>>>

Cassava-poisoning could explain the death of Norwegian

The Thai authorities now suspect cassava, a very common vegetable in the Asian kitchen, to be the killer of the two tourists on Phi Phi.

The plant has previously caused the death of Philippine children. Cassava can produce the poisonous Prussic acid when not cooked properly – to have caused the death of the 22 year-old Norwegian girl Julie Michelle Bergheim and the 27 year-old Jill St. Onge from USA, who recently died after massive pains in their stomachs at the same hotel on the Phi Phi Island in Thailand.

The police have now confirmed that there has been found cyanide – a by-product of Prussic acid in the stomachs of both women. That has led to the theory of the Cassava-poisoning.

Due to investigation, bars and restaurants on the island have been examined, and the hotel where the women stayed is temporary closed.

Cassava is infamous for its deadly acid. In 2006, 25 Philippine children died after eating snacks made of the plant.

[landofsmiles]

Latest news from VG :

- Ikke funnet spor av cyanid - VG Nett om Thailand

Doctors and police still do not know what took the life of the Norwegian Julie (22) and the American Jill (26). None of the theories that are discussed in the press, have been confirmed.

After it became clear that Julie Michelle Bergheim (22) from Drammen and Jill St. Onge (26) from Seattle died in Phi Phi Island within hours, it was full poison alert in the popular holiday resort.

Both Norwegian and Thai media have followed the case closely, and several theories that could explain the sudden deaths, have been looked into. Yesterday the police chief Nopadon Klom Thong told Nettavisen that cyanide have been found in the stomach of the girl.

This is strongly denied by another police investigator in Phuket.

- It's only a rumor that it is found cyanide in the stomach of the deceased women. We will not get any results from the autopsy before 14. May, "he told VG .

The Norwegian Ambassador to Thailand, Merete Brattestad, told VG Nett that there are no results from the autopsy reports.

Doctor Buncha Khakong from the health authorities in Krabi told Phuket Wan that so far theres no traces of cyanide - more commonly known as blåsyre in Norwegian. Some of the contents of the stomach of the dead women have been sent to Krabi to be examined by specialists.

The specialists have started the job, but so far no traces of cyanide in the stomach of the woman. The final report is not ready.

VG Nett has spoken with Khakong, he believes that they should look at what the women had been drinking. The police in Krabi has previously told VG Nett that they believe they were poisoned through the food .

Khakong denies any theory about the women died as a result of something in the aircondition system in the guest house they stayed in. He believes that if it had been the cause, the symptoms would not have been vomiting and stomach pain.

This theory was launched by Jill St. Onges fiancé Ryan Kells. He has created a blog in honor of his deceased girlfriend, and it is here he speculate whether something in the air condition system may have killed her. The Norwegian girl and her friend who survived, lived in the room next door in the same guesthouse.

Laleena Guest House is now closed waiting for the results of the autopsy reports that are expected in six to seven weeks. VG spoke yesterday with the hotel owner, she was very upset about the two deaths , but she does not think the hotel can be blamed for what happened.

[landofsmiles]

A spokesman with the U.S. embassy says due to privacy concerns they can't talk about what they've discussed so far with Thai authorities. But Kells says officials with both governments haven't been helpful at all.

"The U.S. Embassy told us that they didn't want to leave here footprints in Thailand. Well I find that to be ridiculous because I feel that Thailand has left a huge footprint in my life," says Kells.

Kells says he just wants answers, in hopes that another tourist won't end up dead so unexpectedly.

[NewsBot]

KRABI: Two foreign tourists have mysteriously died and two others are seriously ill from unknown causes after holidaying on Phi Phi Island.Much speculation surrounds the circumstances of the deaths as authorities have yet to make any official statements regarding the matter.Press Attache at the US Embassy in Bangkok Michael Turner told the Gazette that US citizen Jill St. Onge, 26, died on May 2, shortly after being taken to hospital by her boyfriend Ryan Kells, who also fell ill.Both tourists were vomiting severely before Miss St. Onge?s admission to hospital.Her family have set up a blog website to publicize the story. Writing on that site, Mr Kells said he suspected the air conditioning in their hotel room was responsible for making them ill and believes he survived because he had spent less time in the room than Miss St. Onge.?... I kept getting these breaks from the air in the room, while Jill kept staying in bed. She was exposed to the air in the room for probably five or six more hours than I was,? he wrote. The following day, the same room was rented out to two Norwegian women, both of whom developed the same symptoms.The Norwegian Ambassador to Thailand, Merete Brattested, confirmed that Julie Michelle Bergheim, 22, died on May 4 in Bangkok Hospital Phuket.Her friend is recovering at Bangkok Phuket Hospital. However, hospital staff refused to give out any information apart from confirming that a seriously ill Norwegian female had been admitted but she would not receive visitors or speak to anyone.Phi Phi Island Hospital Director Dr Buncha Khakong said that the cause of both deaths is being investigated by the Department of Disease Control in Bangkok.?I guessed something they consumed caused them to die but I cannot say clearly until we receive the lab results,? he said.A police inquiry is now under way. The bodies of both of the deceased are understood to have been sent to Bangkok for autopsy.Meanwhile, a local blog had ThaiVisa.com members in a furore following publication of a report in which it was suggested that one of the deceased women had been drinking heavily in the hours leading up to her death, an assertion which the woman's fiance vehemently knocks back. The blogger has since deleted the report from his Web.Meanwhile, the popular Thaivisa.com was abuzz with speculation as to the true cause, or causes, of the serial tragedies on Phi Phi. Poisoned drinks, faulty air conditioning, carbon monoxide and chemicals from a water treatment plant have all been mentioned as possible causes.For details of the shoot now/aim later report filed earlier today on the blog, and to keep abreast of developments as they unfold over on Phi Phi Island, Gazette readers may wish to scan through the postings here. Or visit the Phuket Gazette/ThaiVisa Phuket Forum for other developments and news related to the Andaman region.

More...