In the digital age of TikTok, it’s not uncommon to find bloggers acting unusually, all in the name of becoming viral.
During a live stream, a woman in Thailand sparked public outrage — and ran afoul of the law.
While streaming herself eating “bat soup”, the Thai woman pulled apart and chomped down on a bat. Many in Thailand slammed her actions in response.
Local police authorities have since arrested her for violating wildlife protection laws and the Computer Crimes Act.
According to the Telegraph, Phonchanok Srisunaklua, also a teacher, filmed herself eating bat soup on her YouTube channel, Gin Zap Bep Nua Nua.
Source: Facebook
In the now-deleted video, which has since been reposted to Facebook, several bats can be seen swimming in a soup alongside cherry tomatoes.
Phonchanok then picks one of them up, ripping it apart before dipping the meat in nam jim (dipping sauce).
Source: Facebook
Calling the meat delicious and comparing it to rat meat, she encourages her followers to try it as well.
During the video, Phonchanok also holds up one of the bats to the camera and points out its teeth.
She was initially only eating the meat but then moved on to its bones as well, saying they were “so soft.”
Source: Facebook
Her actions have sparked outrage from netizens, most of whom slammed her for endangering her health. Bats carrying the closest relative to the Sars-Cov-2 virus, which sparked the Covid-19 pandemic, can be found in the northeast Thai region she resides.
“You put yourself at risk. If you get sick, don’t bother burdening doctors and nurses,” one user said.
Professor Teerawat Hemajuta from Chulalongkorn University additionally criticised her actions. Speaking to Thaiger, he said bats contain severe pathogens which if ingested, may make one ill and start another pandemic.
In an update by Thaiger, police from Phon Kaew station in the Sakhon Nakhon province of northeast Thailand reportedly arrested the woman.
They made the arrest under suspicion of Phonchanok possessing protected wildlife carcasses, which is a violation of the country’s Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act (2019).
She also faces charges for offences violating the Computer Crimes Act. If found guilty, Phonchanok faces up to five years in prison, a fine of up to S$19,181 (500,000 baht) or both.
Police told Thaiger that Phonchanok initially denied the charges. However, she has since posted another video apologising to “society, doctors, journalists, colleagues, family, and friends”.
She added that she did not have any ill intentions, attributing her actions to “not thinking” enough. She has also promised not to eat the mammals again in the future.
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Featured image adapted from Facebook.
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