Drunk bikini-clad Aussie filmed being wheeled in a trolley through the backstreets of Thailand by a kind-hearted cop is identified
EXCLUSIVE
An Australian woman who had to be carted back to her hostel by police after a night of heavy drinking in Thailand is a hospitality worker from Victoria.
Tahli Benson, 19, from the Geelong region, and her German friend Sina Baumann, 23, were partying on Koh Phi Phi, Krabi, on November 29 when they passed out after indulging at a bar.
Authorities intervened after concerned partygoers failed to rouse them, with viral footage showing Sergeant Major Saneh Jualaong driving the couple back to their accommodation in a pushcart borrowed from a nearby shop.
The incident came just weeks after warnings about methanol-containing drinks in Southeast Asia following the deaths of six tourists in Laos.
Daily Mail Australia can reveal that Ms Benson, originally from the Bellarine Peninsula, is a hospitality worker at a local resort.
She is also a talented footballer, having played for the Drysdale Hawks Football Club.
The video shows the friends in the trolley, slumped over as they were wheeled back to their hostel. The observant official carefully maneuvered the two-wheeled cart to prevent it from falling out.
Their friends later helped carry the couple to their rooms and onto their bunk beds, while the friendly officer placed a blanket over one of them.
Tahli Benson, 19, is a hospitality worker from the Geelong region of Victoria
Mrs Benson (right) and Mrs Baumann (left) had to be taken back to their hotel rooms in a trolley after getting too drunk
The officer then informed lobby staff of the friends’ return. The hotel owner thanked him for taking care of the girls.
Sergeant Major Saneh Jualaong said after helping the women in Thailand at home, “I know what it’s like to have a daughter and how much we worry about them. I thought about their parents at home.
‘They were both too drunk to speak and too drunk to stand. In that condition, they may have an accident, such as falling into the sea or down a flight of stairs.
“I made sure they returned safely to their beds.”
Police Colonel Surasak Jaidee, Chief Inspector of Koh Phi Phi Police Station, added: ‘Why he used a trolley was because all routes on Koh Phi Phi are for walking, so we couldn’t use a car.
‘The motorbike could also not transport the unconscious passengers, so he had to use the trolley.
‘This wasn’t the first time police helped drunken tourists. They have been doing this for over two years.
“We understand that they come to the island to have fun. We don’t want to punish them. It’s better that we are there to help and protect them.’
A police sergeant helped the young women back to their shelter and told staff
Officials said this was not the first time they were forced to intervene and help drunken tourists
Last year, police officers from Patong Police Station introduced a similar security measure, providing assistance to drunk tourists by ensuring they were transported safely to their accommodation.
This initiative is credited with helping prevent accidents and other alcohol-related incidents in the region.
The Health Ministry has previously suggested that entertainment venues looking to extend their operating hours should conduct breathalyzer tests for guests before they leave and arrange transportation services if necessary, as part of efforts to boost tourism safety.
Southeast Asia attracts millions of tourists every year who want to enjoy its culture, history and nightlife.
But concerns about the safety of foreign visitors are growing after the reported deaths of six backpackers from drinks tainted with methanol alcohol in Laos last month.
The victims included Australian teenagers Bianca Jones, 19, and Holly Bowles, 19, British lawyer Simone White, 28, Danish backpackers Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, and Frela Vennervald Sorensen, 21, and American man James Louis Hutson, 57.
The victims had reportedly consumed vodka shots at the Nana backpackers hostel, raising concerns about the safety of foreign travelers in Southeast Asia.
Nana backpackers hotel manager Duong Duc Toan and bartender Toan Van Vanng denied diluting their alcohol with methanol when questioned.
Ms Benson played for Drysdale Hawks Football Club where she received the 2021 Coaches Award for her outstanding performance
Six people, including Australian Bianca Jones, 19 (pictured) died after consuming so-called ‘methanol-laced’ drinks in Laos
The victims stayed at Nana’s Backpackers Hoste (photo) in Vang Vieng
Toan was later arrested, but no charges have been reported. The Lao government pledged to “bring the perpetrators to justice” in its first public comments on the international incident.
Toan said he purchased the alcohol from a certified distributor and free shots of Tiger Vodka were served to about 100 guests.
He said he had not yet received any complaints from other backpackers who had received injections that night.
He also drank from one of the vodka bottles in use that night to prove it was safe.
As the investigation continues, authorities have made further arrests, including several staff members at the hostel and the owner of the factory identified as the suspected source of the deadly drinks.
The factory is located outside the capital Vientiane and is said to have made the local Tiger Vodka and Tiger Whiskey.
Global statistics show that there have been 58 cases of methanol poisoning in the last 12 months, affecting more than 1,200 people and killing more than 400.
Methanol is a colorless liquid that tastes like alcohol and is a byproduct of illegal liquor.
Consuming even a small amount can lead to blindness, multiple organ failure and death.