Thai YouTuber tries bat soup
As we know, bats are animals that carry many diseases. When the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, some even attributed the spread of the virus to the consumption of bizarre meats.
Due to the risks involved, many people have since avoided eating exotic animals in particular. That’s why a Thai YouTuber’s bat soup mukbang video – where she was seen consuming bat soup – caused a stir amongst netizens. Many Thais were worried about public safety risks, as well as her own health.
Here’s how the story played out.
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Thai YouTuber consumes bat soup in viral video
Image credit: Hightlight.Kapook
On 8th November 2022, a video of a YouTuber consuming a bowl of bat soup was widely shared on social media, causing outrage and concern amongst netizens. The YouTuber also described the flavour of the bat and claimed that the dish was “safe to eat” as “many people ate it normally”. She added that this species of bat was commonly found in the wild, near her place of residence.
After the clip went viral, a doctor from Chulalongkorn University publicly warned people against eating bats since they carry diseases that could spark novel viruses or pandemics even if they are well-cooked, according to สรยุทธ สุทัศนะจินดา กรรมกรข่าว.
The final twist in the tale was that the female YouTuber turned out to be a teacher, and netizens were concerned about the effects of her influence on others.
Netizens worried about encouraging bat consumption
After the clip was shared all over social media, many netizens flocked to criticise the YouTuber’s attempt at creating risky content.
Screenshot: บันเทิงหน้าตุ๊ด
Translation: Don’t you have something else to eat?
One netizen conveyed that eating a bat was unacceptable, questioning if there were other things to eat.
Screenshot: บันเทิงหน้าตุ๊ด
Translation: Blame no one but her if there’s gonna be a new outbreak in the country.
Another netizen commented that if another outbreak occurred, it could be attributed to people like the OP who consumed exotic animals.
Screenshot: หมอแล็บแพนด้า
Translation: I saw it yesterday and it was disgusting. I moved it away from my Facebook feed. There are many ideas to make content.
One Facebook user was disgusted by the video, questioning the necessity of doing this for content.
Screenshot: หมอแล็บแพนด้า
Translation: It would be fine if she dies alone, but a new pandemic will definitely cause trouble to many people. How much attention did she want?
Lastly, this viewer pointed out that the YouTuber’s reckless actions could lead to a new outbreak.
Bats aren’t safe to eat as they can spread diseases
TBH, trying bat dishes isn’t high on our to-do list for many reasons. Due to the prevalance of viruses and bacteria on the creatures, chances of brand new diseases developing remain high, especially if they are not prepared hygienically.
Although we have the right to eat whatever we want, we should do some research on unusual animals before deciding to eat them to understand the risks.
Furthermore, this isn’t the YouTuber’s first time eating strange animals for content. Hopefully, she will be more mindful of what she eats in the future, not just for others, but also for her own health and well-being.
Cover images adapted from (Clockwise from Top Left): Hightlight.Kapook, Hightlight.Kapook
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