CHAING RAI – A tragic incident unfolded on Friday evening when a woman prepared a wild mushroom curry for her husband and daughter. The meal turned deadly, as the wild mushrooms were toxic. Both father and daughter soon became critically ill at the dinner table. Relatives and neighbours rushed them to the hospital, but neither survived.
On Saturday, Residents of Rong Ko Village (Moo 4), in Mae Kham Subdistrict, Mae Chan District, Chiang Rai, gathered at the village hall to set up for the joint funeral. Inside the hall was the body of Mr Bunpan Ronghangkaew, aged 78. His daughter, Miss Wijitra Ronghangkaew, aged 40, was being transported from the hospital to the ceremony to be honoured alongside her father.
At the family home, relatives and friends struggled with the shocking loss. Mrs. Rerai Ronghangkaew, aged 68, the wife and mother of the deceased, shared that Miss Wijitra worked as a manager at a company in Chiang Mai and visited home once a month, always bringing gifts.
On this visit, Miss Wijitra brought wild mushrooms, a gift from her office colleagues. She gave them to Mrs Rerai to cook, mentioning they were known as “hed pang hed din,” which have both white and red caps.
That evening, around 6:30, Mrs Rerai used them to make a simple local curry in the kitchen. She called her husband and daughter to eat together behind the house. Mrs. Rerai tasted the broth but didn’t eat the mushrooms, as she didn’t enjoy them. After serving the meal, she went back to her chores.
Soon after, Mrs Rerai saw Mr Bunpan collapse by the table, struggling to breathe and frothing at the mouth. She called for neighbours to help carry him to Mae Chan Hospital. While they rushed Mr. Bunpan to the hospital, she realized his daughter had eaten as well.
Knocking on her bedroom door, she found it locked. With neighbours’ help, they forced the door and found Miss Wijitra badly ill, struggling to breathe just like her father. She was also taken to the same hospital. Despite efforts to save them, the family were told both had died, leaving everyone in shock at the sudden loss.
Authorities later inspected the kitchen, finding some wild mushroom curry left in a bowl and more in the pot. Health officials collected samples for toxicology tests. Local police began looking into the origin of the wild mushrooms that had been brought to the house.
Wild mushroom poisoning is a significant issue in Northern Thailand, particularly during the rainy season when wild mushrooms proliferate (typically May to October). From 2020 to 2024, 106 deaths occurred, and Northern provinces like Chiang Rai, Loei, and Mae Hong Son are frequently affected due to their forested areas, where wild mushrooms are abundant.
In 2025, over 800 cases of mushroom poisoning were reported nationwide, with several fatalities.
Thailand’s Department of Disease Control has issued repeated warnings, urging people to avoid foraging for wild mushrooms unless they can positively identify safe mushrooms. They recommend purchasing mushrooms from cultivated sources and avoiding raw consumption or pairing with alcohol, which can exacerbate poisoning.
