LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Samantha Diaz said she and her husband eat at the Secret of Siam all the time.
They often order takeout from the Thai restaurant in Centennial Hills, so she didn’t think twice about eating there on Feb. 5.
She and her husband, along with some friends, ordered so much food, Diaz said she ended up taking her main entree home with her after barely touching it.
Two days later, she ate all of her remaining Panang curry while doing virtual teaching on her computer.
“I was reading essays and my mouth got dry,” Diaz said. “I was like melting into my chair and I got all disoriented and heavy. And I thought, ‘What is happening here?’”
Diaz thought maybe she was having a stroke and she got scared. She went to her husband.
“I said, ‘Honey, I think I’m high,’” Diaz recalled. “And he was like, ‘Get out of here! We haven’t left the house in two days.’”
She said she doesn’t do drugs, especially since she’s a school teacher and cancer survivor still taking medication.
After sleeping it off, the ordeal left her mind until Super Bowl Sunday. She was scrolling social media when several posts on Facebook and the Nextdoor app caught her eye.
“That's when I came across this story that this person had written about going to the restaurant, ordering takeout, and being drugged,” said Diaz. “She had explained her symptoms and I said, ‘Honey, get in here. I didn't make it up. It was the curry!’”
The social media posts, some of which are public and some which were shared with News 3, recounted much of the same experience Diaz had after eating at Secret of Siam.
“I’m lucky enough to have family near by [sic], and after letting them know we are 100% dying. They rush over and take us to the ER,” wrote one Facebook user.
“We test positive for high levels of THC . I felt much better after I realized it was only THC and I would feel normal again.. but there is a big difference between knowingly participating in recreational drugs and being unknowingly drugged..” they added.
THC is a compound found in marijuana. Another Facebook user detailed their account, which was similar to the others.
“Thirty minutes after eating curry from this establishment, I started feeling very sick. I felt like I was passing out, my heart was racing, I had difficulty talking and moving, my entire right side of my body was numb and my fingers and face were tingly,” the post said. “I went to the ER and was immediately taken to CT because it looked and sounded like I was having a stroke. Turns out I had high levels of THC in my system.”
The restaurant's Yelp page showed twelve reviews since Feb. 12 discussing tainted food.
The dates for the various incidents go as far back as Jan. 30.
Not all reviews were negative, with some showing support.
“The reviews claiming the food was drugged are unsubstantiated and patently false,” wrote Yelp user Eva F. “One person has lobbed the accusation baselessly at the restaurant and some of their friends have posted fake reviews in support of that person.”
Secret of Siam was closed Tuesday and appeared to have been shut down since at least Sunday, with a “Temporary Closed” sign posted on the door.
The restaurant’s Facebook page appeared to have been taken down at some point Tuesday.
The two phone numbers for the establishment were disconnected and an email query wasn’t returned Tuesday night.
Diaz, along with many of the social media users, said they filed complaints with the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) and police reports with Las Vegas Metro Police Department (LVMPD).
SNHD confirmed to News 3 they’ve received reports and it’s an ongoing investigation. Some comments on the social media posts said they had taken their leftover meals from the restaurant to be tested.
In a statement, LVMPD said their Patrol Detectives were investigating the validity of multiple reports of adulterated food from the restaurant along with SNHD, Code Enforcement, and LVMPD Special Investigations Section.
The SNHD conducted a restaurant inspection at Secret of Siam on Feb. 10 and the restaurant received an “A” rating.
Samantha Diaz said she understands why some people might find the situation funny and even made jokes herself, but stressed that people were drugged unwillingly.
“You can't drug people. If they choose to do it on their own, that's their business,” said Diaz. “But you know, you can't mess with that stuff. It's scary.”
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