Woman's Gallstone Surgery Blamed on Daily Thai Iced Tea
A Thai woman underwent three surgeries to remove nearly 50 gallstones, which she attributes to drinking Thai iced tea daily for a decade, though doctors say gallstones typically result from multiple factors including genetics and diet.
BANGKOK — 8 July 2026, A Thai woman has gone viral after sharing her experience of undergoing three separate surgeries for nearly 50 gallstones, which she believes were linked to drinking Thai iced tea every day for about a decade.
In a Facebook post, the woman shared a health warning about her daily habit of drinking Thai iced tea after it led to abdominal pain, prompting her to seek hospital treatment. Accompanying photographs of gallstones removed during treatment, she wrote: "The result of drinking #ThaiIcedTea every day: 19 gallstones."
She later followed up in the comments to answer questions from netizens, explaining that she typically drank one glass of Thai iced tea each day, sometimes two, while consuming very little plain water. She said she had maintained the habit for around 10 years before developing abdominal pain beneath the right side of her ribcage, prompting her to seek medical attention.
Doctors diagnosed her with gallstones and scheduled three surgeries. She said the first procedure was not photographed, while the images she shared online were taken after the second surgery. She added that doctors estimated she had nearly 50 gallstones in total and that a third operation was scheduled three months later.
Although the woman believes her long-term Thai iced tea habit contributed to her condition, doctors generally say gallstones develop from multiple risk factors, including genetics, diet, obesity, age, rapid weight loss and certain medical conditions. There is no conclusive evidence that drinking Thai iced tea alone directly causes gallstones, though excessive consumption of sugary beverages may contribute to overall health risks.
