Australians traveling to Laos have been urged to exercise a “high degree of caution” after those responsible for fatal alcohol poisonings were hit with minor criminal charges.
Melbourne teenagers Bianca Jones and Holly Morton-Bowles, both 19, died after consuming drinks containing the deadly alcohol while staying at a hostel in the tourist town Vang Vieng in November 2024.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Travel warning upgraded for Laos after Australian backpacker tragedy
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Four other tourists — two Danish women, a US tourist and a British woman — also fell ill and died in the mass poisoning event.
Despite the global shock to the spate of deaths, it was revealed earlier this week that those responsible are likely to receive a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a collective fine of $1600.
In response, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) on Friday raised the travel advice level to the South East Asian country.
Australian tourists in Laos have been urged to exercise caution after a shocking legal update in the case of alcohol poisonings that killed two Australian teenagers in 2024. Credit: 7NEWS
“We now advise exercise a high degree of caution due to crime, the risk of methanol poisoning and ongoing concerns around lack of transparency in the justice system,” DFAT’s warning reads.
“The Lao legal system may not provide transparency or justice, particularly in criminal cases. Authorities may apply the law inconsistently.”
An ongoing warning to “avoid non-essential travel” remains for the central province of Xaisomboun due to “the high risk of armed attacks”.
Danish officials later confirmed the charges after international media outlets were denied entry to a press conference outlining the developments.
Authorities confirmed charges had been laid against the owner of a distillery in Laos after the mass methanol poisoning incident.
The charges relate to selling food that is harmful to health and operating an illegal business.
The charges relate to selling food that is harmful to health and operating an illegal business.
Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said the matter had affected him deeply and he was disappointed that the indictment didn’t reflect the seriousness and extent of the tragedy affecting so many families.
He acknowledged it can be complicated to meet the burden of proof required to bring the most serious charges in such a case, but also pointed out that it is difficult to come to terms with such a lenient indictment.
The charges will make the accused liable to a prison sentence of between three months and four years and a fine if found guilty, Denmark’s foreign ministry said.
Parents ‘crushed’ by by the update
Holly’s parents, Samantha Morton and Shaun Bowles, said they were crushed to learn of the light punishment.
Bianca Jones and Holly Morton-Bowles died in hospital after suspected methanol poisoning in the tourist town Vang Vieng. Credit: 7NEWSThose responsible for their deaths are likely to receive a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a collective fine of $1600. Credit: 7NEWS
“I don’t even think devastated is a strong enough word. It just crushes you,” Morton told Sunrise on Friday.
“It just crushed me.”
Bowles said action from the Australian Government is the family’s “last hope” for “real accountability”.
“We’ve done everything we can from our end and we haven’t got any more triggers to pull.
“We’re relying on the government to exhaust every avenue that they can, because there is nothing more from our end that we see we can do. We’re just hoping that they can step in.”
Special envoy sent to Laos
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong described the development as “deeply frustrating” after the Australian government summoned Laos’ ambassador to Canberra on Friday.
She said the charges “should reflect the gravity of the tragedy” and confirmed that she and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese were expressing these expectations to their Lao counterparts.
“Since their deaths, Australia has advocated for a thorough and transparent investigation that takes into account all available evidence and for those responsible to be held to account,” Senator Wong said in a statement.
‘’What happened to Holly, Bianca and four other foreign nationals should never have happened.”
Australian diplomat Pablo Kang had been asked earlier in 2026 to “explore all avenues to progress the case”, and had engaged extensively with Lao authorities on behalf of the government and the families.
Kang is expected to travel to Laos to convey the government’s objections and reinforce the expectations for an investigation that delivers justice.
DFAT previously said the Laos Government “suggested the Prosecutor does not consider they have sufficient evidence to establish the necessary legal link between the Tiger alcohol and the deaths of Holly and Bianca”.
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