Police have confirmed that six people who died in a luxury hotel suite in Thailand were poisoned by drinks laced with cyanide. They suspect one of the victims was responsible for the poisoning, motivated by severe debt.
The bodies were discovered by housekeepers at the Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel in Bangkok late on Tuesday. Authorities believe they had been dead for 24 hours.
Among the deceased, two had loaned significant amounts of money—”tens of millions of Thai baht”—to another victim for investment purposes. Ten million baht is nearly $280,000 (£215,000).
Initially, local reports suggested a shooting had occurred, but police later dismissed these claims.
Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin visited the hotel and ordered an urgent investigation, emphasizing that it was a private matter unrelated to national security.
In a Wednesday press conference, Deputy Bangkok police chief Gen Noppassin Poonsawat explained that the group had checked into the hotel separately over the weekend, booking five rooms—four on the seventh floor and one on the fifth.
They were scheduled to check out on Monday but failed to do so.
The victims include four Vietnamese nationals: Thi Nguyen Phuong, 46, her husband Hong Pham Thanh, 49, Thi Nguyen Phuong Lan, 47, and Dinh Tran Phu, 37. The other two are American citizens: Sherine Chong, 56, and Dang Hung Van, 55.
The US State Department has expressed condolences and is “closely monitoring” the situation. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation is assisting Thai authorities with the investigation, according to Prime Minister Srettha.
On Monday afternoon, all six victims gathered in the room on the fifth floor. Food and tea were delivered around 14:00 local time (08:00 BST), and Ms. Chong, who was the only person in the room at the time, received it. A waiter offered to make tea, but Ms. Chong declined, appearing visibly stressed, authorities said.
After the waiter left, the rest of the group entered the room between 14:03 and 14:17. Police have confirmed that no one else entered the room and the door was locked from the inside.
Police reported no signs of struggle, robbery, or forced entry in the hotel suite where six people were found dead. Traces of cyanide were later discovered in all six teacups.
Images released by the police showed untouched food on a table in the room, some still covered in cling wrap.
A seventh person, identified as the younger sister of one of the victims, was also on the group’s hotel booking. However, she had left Thailand last week for Da Nang, Vietnam, and is not implicated in the incident.
Relatives informed police that Thi Nguyen Phuong and Hong Pham Thanh, a couple who owned a road construction business, had given money to Sherine Chong to invest in a hospital project in Japan. Authorities suspect that Dinh Tran Phu, a make-up artist from Da Nang, was also “duped” into investing.
Dinh Tran Phu’s mother, Tuy, told BBC Vietnamese that he had traveled to Thailand on Friday and last contacted his family on Sunday, stating he had to extend his stay until Monday. His family had not heard from him since, despite attempting to reach him on Monday.
Ms. Chong had hired Mr. Tran as her personal make-up artist for the trip, according to one of his students. Mr. Tran’s father, Phu, told Vietnamese media that his son had been hired last week by a Vietnamese woman to travel to Thailand.
The six bodies were discovered a day after Thailand expanded its visa-free entry scheme for travelers from 93 countries and territories to boost tourism.
The Grand Hyatt Erawan, located in a popular tourist district, has witnessed high-profile crimes in recent years. In October, a 14-year-old boy shot and killed three people at the nearby Siam Paragon mall. The hotel is also opposite the Erawan Shrine, the site of a 2015 bomb blast that killed 20 people.
Prime Minister Srettha visited the hotel on Tuesday, reassuring the public that Thailand has implemented security measures for tourists.
Tourism, a significant industry for the country, is beginning to recover from the pandemic’s impact. While Thailand has traditionally attracted budget tourists, it is increasingly aiming to draw wealthier travelers.
The deaths at the Grand Hyatt were reported shortly after the announcement of visa-free travel for 93 nationalities.