Laos has said it cannot determine who or what was responsible for the deaths of six tourists linked to methanol-tainted alcohol in Vang Vieng in November 2024, as no autopsies were carried out on the victims. The case has caused diplomatic friction, with Australia's foreign ministry summoning the Laotian ambassador to Canberra after Australia said it was "deeply frustrated and bitterly disappointed" that only minor charges had been brought against the distillery owner linked to the deaths.

The victims were Briton Simone White, 28, Australians Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, both 19, Danish nationals Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, and Freja Vennervald Sorensen, 21, and American James Louis Hutson, 57, all of whom died after apparently drinking free shots tainted with methanol during a night out. Laotian authorities said they lacked forensic evidence because they were not permitted to conduct autopsies, though they confirmed "excessive levels of methanol" were found in vodka from the distillery. The distillery owner faces charges of selling harmful food products and running an illegal business, carrying penalties of up to a year in jail and a £829 fine, while ten people linked to the Nana Backpacker Hostel were separately given suspended sentences for destroying evidence. The UK government launched a campaign last week warning tourists of methanol poisoning risks.