webfact Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 High school student dies after eating Som Tam (Papaya Salad) Picture: Daily News Daily News reported that a 16 year old girl in the north east of Thailand had left her family devastated after she died - apparently from eating som tam - one of the nation's favorite dishes also known as papaya salad. Nong Fon, a M4 pupil, had eaten the som tam on August 24th after her mother Khajorn Atsiangram, 56, bought it for her at the end of the soi. Next day she took medication for stomach pains and seemed to improve. But on the 26th things took a serious turn for the worse and an ambulance was called to take her to hospital. She passed out in the ambulance and despite CPR and the best attention of medics she was dead on arrival at Soon Buriram Hospital. Doctors have blamed a serious bug in her digestive system. Picture: Daily News Daily News published pictures of classmates at her funeral rites. Their headline and story contained sensational wording such as "som tam of death" and "taste of death" referencing the dialectic word "saeb" for delicious. Source: Daily News -- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-08-30 Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuckamuck Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 Is that the medical opinion? A serious bug. Too bad we have no idea what that means. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kellersphuket Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 It doesn't surprise me at all, that stuff is dangerous! I tried it once in Chiang Mai and ended up in hospital on a drip after vomiting repeatedly for days on end. I'll stick to my pepperoni pizza thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tifino Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 to anyone coming from 'other' regions than the East North... they wouldn't necessaarily agree that som tam (Esarn) is (their) National Dish eating pickled live bait isn't that popular, away from the East North Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoePai Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 1 hour ago, tifino said: to anyone coming from 'other' regions than the East North... they wouldn't necessaarily agree that som tam (Esarn) is (their) National Dish eating pickled live bait isn't that popular, away from the East North Just goes to show what they are missing out on ???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daiwill60 Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 My missus does a great Som Tam, but it never ceases to amaze me how they can use fermented fish, raw crabs and prawns in its preparation. Just asking for trouble, surely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skytrain2hell Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 1 hour ago, kellersphuket said: It doesn't surprise me at all, that stuff is dangerous! I tried it once in Chiang Mai and ended up in hospital on a drip after vomiting repeatedly for days on end. I'll stick to my pepperoni pizza thanks! Choose your poison... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puchooay Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 A serious case of under reporting here. The girl was a student at the same school as my daughter. My daughter knew her well. She had been troubled with a stomach ailment for sometime. A medical condition rather than something caused by food. In fact her Father died only 6 months ago from the same condition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beggar Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 4 minutes ago, puchooay said: A serious case of under reporting here. The girl was a student at the same school as my daughter. My daughter knew her well. She had been troubled with a stomach ailment for sometime. A medical condition rather than something caused by food. In fact her Father died only 6 months ago from the same condition. This is strange that her father died from the same condition. Perhaps they both ate the papaya salad for a while and at one time it was contaminated with something at a too high level. Or perhaps it was not the papaya salad. Could also be any other food or drink they both liked to consume. What did the autopsy reveal in both cases? Only that they died? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KhunBENQ Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 26 minutes ago, puchooay said: A serious case of under reporting here. The girl was a student at the same school as my daughter. My daughter knew her well. She had been troubled with a stomach ailment for sometime. A medical condition rather than something caused by food. In fact her Father died only 6 months ago from the same condition. Good point. I was wondering why only she was hit from that somtam. And if I understand the Thai article correct it also says that she died from an infection unrelated to the incident (eating that somtam). 2 hours ago, webfact said: Doctors have blamed a serious bug in her digestive system. Whether "bug" is a good translation... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KhunBENQ Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 2 hours ago, tifino said: to anyone coming from 'other' regions than the East North... they wouldn't necessaarily agree that som tam (Esarn) is (their) National Dish eating pickled live bait isn't that popular, away from the East North somtam literally just says pounded pickles/sour. It comes in different variations although papaya is kind of a must have. I can not eat "somtam lao" (Isan) with fermented fish and crab. "somtam thai" is OK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCC1701A Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 wait what about the two Australians who said their whole lives were destroyed by eating papaya salad? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammieuk1 Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 The doctors must have a translational issue with botulism and the best they could come up with is bug ???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardColeman Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 Som Tam to me looks like something scrapped up off a market floor when all the stall holders have gone home and the way the wife sits on the loo most of the next day, I'm guessing its about the same health risk too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RotBenz8888 Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 3 hours ago, webfact said: Nong Fon, a M4 pupil, had eaten the som tam on August 24th after her mother Khajorn Atsiangram, 56, bought it for her at the end of the soi. Next day she took medication for stomach pains and seemed to improve. So how do they know it was that som tam? Just guessing and leave it there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puchooay Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 10 minutes ago, NCC1701A said: wait what about the two Australians who said their whole lives were destroyed by eating papaya salad? That was PadThai. Not somtam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KKr Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 54 minutes ago, puchooay said: A serious case of under reporting here. The girl was a student at the same school as my daughter. My daughter knew her well. She had been troubled with a stomach ailment for sometime. A medical condition rather than something caused by food. In fact her Father died only 6 months ago from the same condition. thank you for adding a factual comment ! (could be many things then, water supply, pesticides, TV probably will never know and I wonder if we need to.) May she be in a better place now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaanbiker Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 Doctors have blamed a serious bug in her digestive system. It's not news that Somtham Lao style is very dangerous and can infect parts of the spine. Here's an old thread from 2015: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesofa Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 27 minutes ago, NCC1701A said: wait what about the two Australians who said their whole lives were destroyed by eating papaya salad? They had pad Thai, not life-threatening som tam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tayaout Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 Somtam Poupala PetPet is delicious. Well worth risking one's life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giddyup Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 My partner makes a delicious Som Tam, but leaves out all the nasty stuff like pickled fish and crabs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
from the home of CC Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 3 hours ago, kellersphuket said: It doesn't surprise me at all, that stuff is dangerous! I tried it once in Chiang Mai and ended up in hospital on a drip after vomiting repeatedly for days on end. I'll stick to my pepperoni pizza thanks! if I had that outlook I'd of stayed in pizza land... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timendres Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 25 minutes ago, Isaanbiker said: Doctors have blamed a serious bug in her digestive system. It's not news that Somtham Lao style is very dangerous and can infect parts of the spine. Here's an old thread from 2015: Somtham does not infect any part of the body. Bacteria do. Hence Somtham is only as dangerous as the preparation is dangerous. I assure you I can make any food dangerous. What you mean to say is that, due to it being a fresh, uncooked dish, Somtham must be prepared properly, or it can harbor dangerous bacteria. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dddave Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 It is not unknown for some Thais in Isan to gather dead crabs from irrigation ditches after pesticide has been applied and eat them. If that was the case here, that would explain a long term and fatal cumulative effect. I remember a sad case more than ten years ago when a 21 year old, first time Swedish tourist shared Som Tam Poo with some Isan girls he had met. He went into convulsions within an hour and died soon after. The girls were mildly ill. The toxins in shellfish poisoning can be really nasty though those who are exposed to small amounts over a period of time can develop an immunity which was apparently why the girls were OK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spidermike007 Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 They use alot of fish, shrimp and crab products, which sit out in the baking sun for days, if not weeks on end. Plus, there are fermented products added, as well as crazy stuff like "10,000 year old eggs", tons of MSG, and alot of other bizarre ingredients. I hear alot of people get massive worms from Som Tom. One needs to exercise some care when eating it, and know who is making it. The gal on the corner might not be a trusted source of fresh food products! Also, it does sound like it might be a case of seriously incompetent doctors being involved. More than likely this was at least partly caused by a prior condition, or existing ailment she already had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KhunBENQ Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 49 minutes ago, puchooay said: That was PadThai. Not somtam. Many options to catch food poisoning. Best chances: sea food and raw meat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanLaew Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 2 hours ago, daiwill60 said: My missus does a great Som Tam, but it never ceases to amaze me how they can use fermented fish, raw crabs and prawns in its preparation. Just asking for trouble, surely. Yes they are. And don't call me Shirley. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vacuum Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 11 minutes ago, timendres said: Somtham does not infect any part of the body. Bacteria do. Hence Somtham is only as dangerous as the preparation is dangerous. It's the use of pla raa in (mostly) Isaarn, which will give you 'problems' with your liver. It'll take long time, but eventually... Do a searh (preferably not with google). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kellersphuket Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 22 minutes ago, from the home of CC said: if I had that outlook I'd of stayed in pizza land... I'm not from Italy, fratello. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanLaew Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 36 minutes ago, Tayaout said: Somtam Poupala PetPet is delicious. Well worth risking one's life. It's quite vile and there's no earthly need for foreigners to stoop to these ridiculous culinary depths just so they can show they're trying to assimilate here. Regular somtam is good, clean and healthy enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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