Food faux pas: Thai blogger bites off more than he can chew with parasite prank

A Thai food blogger was slammed for sharing a video of himself on Facebook consuming what he claimed was a parasite. He later admitted he faked the video just to attract clicks from netizens.

The Thai man, whose identity was not revealed, shared a video of himself eating raw offal and meat on his Facebook page, เป๊กก่อนแดก (Peggondag), which has more than 20,000 followers.

The video showed him taking a shot of alcohol and then eating raw beef, liver, tripe, and intestines. He dipped each raw piece in a spicy sauce and consumed them with various vegetables.

Eating raw food is nothing new among Thai people. The dish is popular among Thais, especially in the Isaan provinces. However, what shocked the audience was the moment when he consumed a soft tendon string that he claimed was a parasite.

He pulled the piece from the intestine and told the audience, “This is its head, and this is its tail” before dipping it in sauce and eating it.

The video sparked a wave of complaints in the comment section. Most people condemned him for potentially endangering his health, despite repeated warnings about the dangers of parasites in raw meat from multiple medical professionals.

Some comments went beyond criticising the video, making negative generalisations about Isaan locals. This angered many people from Isaan provinces, who argued that the comments were stereotypical and that not all Isaan people enjoy raw dishes.

The food blogger eventually addressed the issue, clarifying that what he ate was a soft tendon from the intestine and that he misidentified it as a parasite for attention. He apologised for causing panic in the online community.

Despite the controversy, the man continues to release videos of himself eating raw meat and expressing gratitude to his supportive followers. He even claimed to have gained more followers after the incident.