Six found dead in Bangkok hotel room in suspected poisoning
Cleaning staff discovered the bodies when they arrived to make up the room on the fifth floor of the the Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel.
BANGKOK: Thai police are investigating the deaths of six foreign nationals whose bodies were found in a luxury hotel room at an upmarket hotel in Bangkok on Tuesday (Jul 16), with authorities suspecting they were poisoned.
The police are also looking for a seventh person in connection with the incident.
All six victims, who were of Vietnamese descent, with two carrying US passports, checked into Bangkok's Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel at two separate times after arriving on Saturday and Sunday, police official Thiti Saengsawang told reporters.
The group - three men and three women - checked into different rooms but their bodies were found in one room, which did not show any signs of struggle, he said.
"This was not self-harm, but someone caused the deaths," said Thiti, adding that police were looking for a seventh person connected with the group.
"We are tracing every step since they got off the plane."
A preliminary examination found no evidence of injuries related to a fight or theft but suggested all six had ingested a toxic substance, he said.
"We need to find out the motives," Thiti continued.
"What we can prove now is that they are not dead from suicide but from the killing of others."
Police officers found the bodies after a call from the hotel staff at around 5.30pm local time reporting that there had been deaths, the Thai police said in a statement.
Thiti said the guests had failed to check out of the hotel that afternoon.
Cleaning staff discovered the bodies when they arrived to make up the room on the fifth floor.
A police spokesperson said at a press conference at the hotel that "suspicious substances" were found at the bottom of glasses in the hotel room.
CNA correspondent Saksith Saiyasombut said Thai police shared two photos with the media, showing the crime scene where investigators are said to have found "substances" in cups.
A photo released by the Royal Thai Police also showed uneaten food left on a table in the room. The spread appeared largely untouched with most of the dishes still covered in plastic wrap.
Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who visited the hotel late on Tuesday with senior police officials, ordered a swift investigation on the matter, the government said in a statement.
Srettha told a press conference at the hotel that an autopsy would need to be conducted. He also dispelled rumours that the deaths were connected to a theft.
"It is suspected that they have been dead for about 24 hours. From the initial observation at the crime scene, there was no sign of robbery and violence," he said.
Thai interior minister Anutin Charnvirakul added that he did not think the deaths were a result of "any act of terrorism or any kind of organised crime".
"This is very rare but this doesn’t involve any local people or any act of violence."
In Washington, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller expressed "our sincere condolences to families on their loss" and said the agency was "closely monitoring the situation" and was "ready to provide assistance to those families".
The Vietnamese embassy in Bangkok did not respond to calls from Reuters.
The Grand Hyatt Erawan, which has over 350 rooms and is located in a popular tourist district in the Thai capital known for luxury shopping and restaurants, also did not immediately respond to calls or an email seeking comment.
INVESTIGATION ONGOING
Earlier a police officer speaking on condition of anonymity denied initial reports that the six had been killed in a shooting, saying the investigation was currently focused on a "link with a toxic substance".
Some of the six foreigners appeared to be on their first trip to the country, while others appeared to be return visitors, he added.
In a statement, the police said they were still investigating the scene and cause of death.
The area is popular with tourists and home to several upscale shopping malls and the Erawan shrine, a visitor draw.
Tourism serves as a key driver for Southeast Asia's second-largest economy, with the government expecting 35 million foreign arrivals this year after 28 million visited the country in 2023, spending 1.2 trillion baht (US$33.71 billion).
The tourism sector was shaken in October by a shooting spree at the luxury Siam Paragon shopping mall close to the Hyatt in which two foreigners were killed, prompting government measures to improve confidence, including ramping up security at popular locations.
To woo more visitors, the government has offered longer visa stay periods and waivers for several nationalities.
Cna. (2024j, July 17). Six found dead in Bangkok hotel room in suspected poisoning. CNA. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/bangkok-hotel-deaths-six-foreign-nationals-thailand-grand-hyatt-erawan-4483541?cid=braze-cna_CNA-Morning-Brief_newsletter_17072024_cna