This Thai resort is a TOURIST (DEATH) TRAP

Summary

In June 2012, Canadian sisters Noami and Audrey Belloner traveled to Thailand for a vacation. After meeting up with two Brazilian friends, they consumed popular local drinks and spent the evening partying. Three days later, they were found dead in their hotel room, initially thought to be alcohol or DE poisoning. Further investigation revealed that their hotel beds had been illegally treated with phosphine gas to kill bed bugs. Prolonged exposure to this toxic pesticide while resting in bed caused their deaths, while the Brazilian men survived due to leaving the beds earlier. Despite the clear cause, no one was held accountable.

Takeaways

• 🛫 Noami (25) and Audrey Belloner (20) from Quebec, Canada, were on a month-long vacation in Southeast Asia, visiting Vietnam and Thailand.
• 🏖️ The sisters reunited with two Brazilian men they had met in Vietnam and spent the evening on the beach partying, swimming, and drinking local cocktails.
• 🍹 Audrey eagerly drank a large local cocktail known as '4x100s,' while Noami hesitated but eventually joined in.
• 🛏️ Three days later, both sisters were found dead in their hotel room, lying in their beds surrounded by vomit, with blood on their gums and fingernails.
• 🚨 Thai police initially suspected alcohol poisoning but noted unusual injuries and no signs of struggle, prompting further investigation.
• ✈️ The Brazilian men admitted to falling violently ill after the night out but survived, raising questions about the cause of death.
• 🧪 Initial toxicology reports suggested DEET (a chemical in mosquito repellent) in the drinks as a potential cause, but levels were too low to be lethal.
• 🔬 Canadian coroner Renee Rousell conducted further research and discovered that the true cause was pesticide poisoning from phosphine gas used on hotel beds.
• ⚠️ The sisters remained in the beds all night, absorbing lethal doses of the pesticide, while the Brazilian men left earlier and survived with illness.
• ❌ The practice of spraying hotel sheets with phosphine gas is illegal and highly toxic, but no one has been held accountable for the sisters' deaths.
• 📢 The case highlights the dangers of hidden environmental hazards in hotels and the importance of safe pest-control practices.
• 👨‍👩‍👧 Timely communication with family is critical, but systemic failures in emergency response and foreign investigations can complicate matters.
• 💔 The deaths shocked the family and the world, revealing that several other tourists have died under similar mysterious circumstances in Thailand between 2009 and 2015.

Q & A

Who were Noami and Audrey Belloner and what was their purpose in Thailand?

Noami (25) and Audrey (20) Belloner were sisters from Quebec, Canada, and college students. They were on a month-long vacation traveling through Vietnam and Thailand to celebrate the end of the school year.

What were the '4x100' drinks and why were they significant in the story?

'4x100' drinks were large bucket cocktails popular in parts of Thailand, containing crushed narcotics, cough syrup, Coca-Cola, and sometimes pesticide (DE). They initially appeared as a potential cause of the sisters' deaths due to toxicity.

Why did the initial investigation consider alcohol or food poisoning as possible causes of death?

Because the sisters had been partying, consuming unusual drinks, and the scene included vomit, it initially seemed plausible that alcohol poisoning or foodborne illness could have caused their deaths.

What led the Thai police to suspect the two Brazilian men?

The Brazilian men were the last people to see the sisters alive and were present in the hotel room until 6 a.m. Police initially wanted to question them to understand the circumstances leading up to the deaths.

Why did the deaths of Noami and Audrey not match typical DE poisoning?

Autopsies in Canada revealed that while DE (from the 4x100 drinks) was present in their system, the amount was insufficient to be lethal, suggesting another factor caused the deaths.

What was the true cause of the sisters’ deaths according to coroner Renee Roussel?

The true cause was prolonged exposure to phosphine gas, a highly toxic pesticide sprayed on the hotel bed sheets to kill bed bugs. The sisters stayed in the beds overnight, leading to fatal poisoning.

How did the Brazilian men survive while the sisters died?

The men survived because they left the beds around 6 a.m., limiting their exposure to the phosphine gas, whereas the sisters remained in the contaminated beds, leading to lethal exposure.

What role did the hotel’s pesticide treatment play in this tragedy?

The hotel sprayed sheets with phosphine gas, which is illegal and highly toxic to humans. The treatment, intended to kill bed bugs, inadvertently exposed the sisters to lethal levels of poison.

Were there other similar cases of tourist deaths related to this type of exposure?

Yes, between 2009 and 2015, at least 20 tourists were found dead under similar circumstances in Thailand, suggesting a recurring, unregulated risk.

What were the issues with the Thai authorities’ handling of the case?

The Thai police delayed contacting the family, initially misattributed the deaths to DE poisoning or alcohol, and no legal accountability has been enforced for the illegal pesticide exposure.

Why did the Canadian government intervene in the investigation?

The Canadian government pushed for a second autopsy to ensure the cause of death was accurately determined, as initial Thai findings seemed insufficient and left questions about the true cause.

What lessons can travelers learn from this incident?

Travelers should be cautious of local customs or practices that may pose hidden dangers, including hotel treatments for pests, and always verify safety measures in accommodations.