Tourists use hands to remove ice, fear it will make them sick in Koh Samui

2026-02-08 - 07:36

A foreign tourist has sparked online backlash after posting a video of herself removing ice from a drink at a restaurant on Koh Samui, prompting debate over hygiene and cultural awareness. In the clip, the woman is seen dipping her hand into a glass, taking out the ice and throwing it away, accompanied by captions suggesting concern about being in Thailand and fearing illness from unsafe water. She later clarified in comments that she and her friend were worried the ice might be unclean and could make them sick. The video quickly drew criticism from both Thai and foreign users, with many questioning why she did not simply ask the staff for a drink without ice. Some comments said the act of putting a hand into the glass was less hygienic than the ice itself, with remarks such as, “Just say ‘no ice’,” and “The ice is probably cleaner than your hand.” In a follow-up clip, the content creator appeared to resolve the issue by ordering a drink without ice, a move that was widely seen as ending the controversy on a positive note.