Overview

• The former Nana Backpacker Hostel plans to relaunch as Vang Vieng Central Backpacker Hostel with online listings advertising free shots but no active bookings available
• Shaun Bowles, father of victim Holly Bowles, has vowed to use every resource to block the reopening, describing the plans as “unfathomable” given unchanged management practices
• Victims’ families accuse Laotian officials of radio silence and slow legal action, with 13 individuals facing potential health and food safety charges months after the November 2024 deaths
• Bethany Clarke, one of the survivors, said she would not trust the venue again if ownership remains the same and joined families in calling for greater transparency
• Grief turned to anger when relatives discovered the hostel’s former manager opened a luxury resort nearby while prosecutions remain pending