The death toll of people drinking moonshine methanol rose to two as two brothers were arrested for making the illicit alcohol in northern Bangkok.
The Department of Medical Services said that on Monday the death toll was two and 25 other victims remained at hospitals.
The outbreak of moonshine methanol poisoning began last Thursday, with the first death on Saturday. Officials then closed 18 homemade liquor stalls in Khannayao, Khlong Sam Wa, Lat Krabang, Min Buri, Nong Chok and Prawet districts of Bangkok as they were suspected of selling the illicit drink.
The department said that the presence of the chemical methanol in liquor was not necessarily dangerous, but it must not exceed 1,000 parts per million (ppm). However, samples from such stalls contained as many as 100,000 ppm.
According to officials, the stall owners received liquor from a woman called Jeh Pu. The woman said she made the liquor and got the ingredients from two brothers.
The brothers were arrested at home in Saphan Sung district of Bangkok on Sunday. Both insisted that they had bought ethanol, mixed it with water to produce alcohol and sold it to Jeh Pu.
