The deaths of six foreign tourists linked to a suspected mass methanol poisoning has thrown a spotlight on a small town in Southeast Asia that has worked hard in recent years to shed its reputation for excess.

A methanol poisoning incident in Vang Vieng, Laos, has resulted in six tourist deaths, including citizens from Australia, Denmark, the UK, and the US. A New Zealand citizen was also affected but survived.

The deaths of six tourists sent shock waves through the backpacker scene in Vang Vieng.

Six people are so far dead, with the cause suspected as methanol-tainted drinks in the town of Vang Vieng, Laos.

Two Australian teenagers and a British woman have died from suspected methanol poisoning after drinking tainted alcohol in Laos

A second Australian teenager has died of suspected methanol poisoning, bringing to six the number of foreign tourists who have died after apparently drinking tainted alcohol in Laos. The family of Holly Bowles,

An Australian teenager has become the sixth foreign tourist to die of suspected methanol poisoning in a backpacker hotspot in northern Laos.Holly Bowles, 19, died in hospital the day after her best friend Bianca Jones lost her life in a separate Thai hospital.