Emergency Yadom Revives Brit Stabbed in Pattaya Bar Brawl, Confused Doctors Just Go With It
By TRENT MCGUFFIN, EDITORIAL INTERN
PATTAYA, THAILAND — A British national was reportedly revived with a tube of menthol nasal inhalant after being stabbed during a bar fight in Pattaya early Sunday morning — a medical development that both defies clinical literature and makes grim, local sense.
The man, identified as 44-year-old Gary Lunt from Hull, lost consciousness after sustaining an ostensibly lethal stab wound to the stomach during an argument over darts etiquette and a mispronounced ladyboy’s name. Witnesses said he collapsed outside a beer bar on Soi Buakhao, prompting a panicked but improvisational first aid effort from fellow drinkers
“Someone yelled to get water, but Lek had a Yadom and just shoved it up his nose,” said Paul McGregor, 56, who described himself as “kind of the group medic” despite holding no qualifications beyond surviving three Songkrans and a scooter crash. “Next thing you know, Gaz sits up like The Undertaker.”
Yadom — the over-the-counter menthol stick found in every 7-Eleven, glove compartment and divorcee’s purse in the Kingdom — is not classified as a resuscitative agent. But according to bystanders, the blast of eucalyptus and ammonia worked faster than the paramedics, who arrived 12 minutes later and opted not to question the method.
Hospital staff at Pattaya Memorial confirmed Lunt was treated for a the knife wound and dehydration “with some lingering olfactory trauma.” A nurse on duty said, “We don’t know why it worked. We’re just glad it did. We’ve seen stupider.”
Police are reviewing CCTV footage, which shows a scuffle breaking out after Lunt allegedly told a local bar girl that “rules are rules” when she stepped over the toe line during a game of killer. The suspected attacker fled the scene, but not before throwing a Singha bottle and shouting something about Liverpool fans.
Lunt is expected to make a full recovery and has already updated his Facebook to include “Yadom saved my life, bro” under the ‘Life Events’ section.
The British Embassy issued a familiar statement urging nationals to “avoid altercations, consume alcohol responsibly, and refrain from using retail menthol sticks as emergency medical devices.”
Lunt, undeterred, says he plans to buy a bulk pack of Yadom before returning to Hull “just in case.”