Food Poisoning Link Probe In British Couple's Death In Chiang Mai, Thailand

Police are investigating a possible food poisoning link between the deaths of a British couple and a New Zealand backpacker in Thailand.

Pensioners George and Eileen Everitt died in the same hotel in Chiang Mai where Sarah Carter, 23, and her two friends collapsed after eating at the city’s Night Bazaar food market.

The pair, from Boston, Lincolnshire, were found dead in their room in the three star Downtown Inn. Mrs Everitt, 74, was found lying on the bed. Mr Everitt, 78, was in a sitting position on the floor, with his face falling on to the bed.

Police said no drugs, medicine or poison were found in the room. And there was no evidence of violence or wounds on their corpses. Tests are being carried out on their bodies at Maharat Chiang Mai Hospital.

A police spokesman said: “We do not want to speculate on the cause of death but if there has been any poisoning it should be revealed in medical tests.”

The couple had been staying at the hotel since February 9, the same day Ms Carter (below centre) died from food poisoning. She and two friends were struck down hours after eating at a street food stall.

Amanda Eliason, 24, (below left) recovered after emergency heart surgery. Emma Langlands, 23, (below right) who ordered a different meal from the stall, also suffered food poisoning but later recovered.


Initially police said Ms Carter’s death was caused by eating toxic seaweed. Her father Richard said this has now been ruled out as the cause of the food poisoning but tests are continuing.

Thai police are now investigating the hotel’s kitchen and ventilation system.

In August 2007, 15 people died and more than 100 were taken ill in Thailand after eating poisonous puffer fish, which had been coloured to look like salmon.

The month before, police arrested a man in Samut Songkhram province who was planning to sell more than a ton of the illegal fish. They were to be sold to restaurants and made into fish balls.

Although puffer fish – called fugu in Japan - was banned in Thailand in 2002, it continues to be sold in markets and restaurants. Its ovaries, liver and intestines contain a deadly poison. It is prepared by highly-trained chefs in Japan and consumed by thrill-seeking gourmets.

A spokeswoman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said an investigation has been launched to try to establish how the couple died. She added: "We are in touch with the family and are helping them through this very difficult time."

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Thailand: Major Street Food Probe After Tourist's Toxic Seaweed Death

A quick update on my last blog about the tragic death of New Zealand backpacker Sarah Carter, who died after eating toxic seaweed at a street food stall in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Health officials are launching a full-scale investigation of food outlets in the city’s famous Night Bazaar, where Sarah, 23, (pictured above, centre) and her two friends Amanda Eliason, 24, (above, left) and Emma Langlands, 23, (above, right) ate.

Amanda, who also ate the seaweed, had emergency heart surgery and is now believed to be out of danger. Emma, who ordered a different meal from the stall, suffered food poisoning but is not seriously ill.

"We have never had such a case in Chiang Mai before," local public health chief Wattana Kanchanakamol said.

A preliminary report into Sarah’s death indicated a viral infection, he said. Experts are trying to track down the cause of the infection by collecting food samples from the Night Bazaar food market.

"The examination result is expected to be known in the next five days," Dr Wattana added.

He said one factor could be the fluctuating temperatures in Chiang Mai (it’s blindingly hot here during the day and chilly at night), which could result in food deteriorating more rapidly than expected.

Health officials are also being sent to other tourist areas around Chiang Mai to carry out food hygiene tests.

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Thailand: Tourist Dies After Eating Toxic Seaweed At Chiang Mai Food Stall

I was just about to head off for Chiang Mai to continue my tour of Thailand's food stalls when I heard some very sad news about a female backpacker dying from food poisoning after eating at the city's famous food market.

Sarah Carter, 23, was taken to hospital on Friday and passed away two days later after eating contaminated seaweed. Her two travelling companions Amanda Eliason and Emma Langlands survived the ordeal and are being treated in Chiang Mai Ram Hospital.

Amanda remains in intensive care after recovering from emergency heart surgery while Emma – who is thought to have ordered a different dish - has been moved into her own room and is now eating.

Sarah’s mother and brother have flown out to Thailand.

Her father, Richard Carter, from Auckland, New Zealand, said he had spoken to her when she was first admitted to hospital.

"It appeared to be just bad food poisoning. She appeared withdrawn and not sounding that good, but seemed all right," he said. "But within an hour of our conversation the thing just spread to her heart and strangled her heart."

He said the three women, who had all met at university in New Zealand, had bought meals at a "curry place" in Chiang Mai's famous food market.

He said he had been told that the toxin that killed his daughter was extremely rare. "They get one death every two years, but it seems only the tourists get it, the locals are immune to it," he added.

Thiravat Hemachudha, director of neurology at Chulalongkorn University Hospital in Bangkok, said toxins are found in certain types of seaweed around Thailand, but are "extremely rare".

Fish, typically bass and eels, can eat the poisonous seaweed without harm but the toxin can remain inside them and be passed on to anyone eating them, he said.

It is not yet known if Sarah and Amanda fell ill after eating fish or a local seaweed delicacy that was contaminated. Rotting seaweed can contain hydrogen sulphide, a highly poisonous gas with the odour of rotten eggs, which can cause vomiting and diarrhoea, but is rarely fatal.

Thailand is generally known for having higher food hygiene standards than many of its other Asian neighbours, and tourist officials have been quick to point out that Sarah’s death must be taken in perspective.

They say although you can expect to get an upset stomach when travelling to countries like Thailand, dying from food poisoning is extremely rare.

Travel experts say eating at Thai food stalls is generally safe, and you are as likely to get ill by eating in a five-star hotel where the food may have been sitting around for some time.

Food blogger Chawadee Nualkhair, who has just released a new book, Bangkok's Top 50 Street Food Stalls, says one tip when eating Thai street food is to look at the tray containing the traditional four Thai seasonings of sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, and chillies. “If the condiment tray is clean, the food will be clean,” she says.

However, standards obviously vary hugely. “I once went to a beef noodle shop on Ekamai (in Bangkok) where I found a dead cockroach in the chilli pepper-and-vinegar container. Needless to say, that shop isn't in the guide,” she adds.