BANGKOK – Six foreign nationals found dead in a luxury Bangkok hotel are believed to have died after ingesting cyanide from teacups, according to forensic experts who conducted autopsies on the deceased.
The bodies of six individuals of Vietnamese origin, including two with American citizenship, were discovered Tuesday afternoon in a suite at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok’s tourist center. Police photos of the bloodless crime scene revealed bodies scattered around the room, surrounded by untouched Thai food, two thermos flasks, and cups.
Dr. Kornkiat Vongpaisarnsin, a forensic expert from Chulalongkorn University, told reporters Wednesday, “The mouths and nails on all the bodies turned purple, indicating a lack of oxygen as a likely cause of death. We presume they all died from cyanide, which causes oxygen deprivation in vital organs.”
Initial examinations detected cyanide in six cups at the scene, police reported.
Thai authorities believe one of the deceased may have carried out the poisonings, possibly related to debts worth millions of baht. Deputy Commander of Bangkok Police, Noppasil Poonsawas, stated, “We are convinced that one of the six people found dead committed this crime.”
The Vietnamese foreign ministry confirmed four of the deceased were Vietnamese nationals, while the other two were U.S. citizens. The victims, three men and three women aged between 37 and 56, were found in circumstances that have fueled speculation and initially led to erroneous reports of a mass shooting.
Investigators noted no movement had been observed in the suite since Monday afternoon, suggesting the deaths occurred a day before the discovery.
Tran Dinh Dung, father of one of the victims, told Vietnam’s Thanh Nien newspaper that his 37-year-old son was due to return to Vietnam last Sunday. “I kept calling him but couldn’t get through. I was very worried, but I didn’t expect him to die in Thailand,” Dung said, adding that his son’s mother had fainted repeatedly from the shock.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin emphasized Wednesday that the crime was “a private matter” unrelated to national security and should not impact Thailand’s tourism sector. The kingdom welcomed 28 million foreign visitors in 2023 and aims to approach the record 40 million visitors achieved in 2019.
This incident adds to a series of high-profile criminal cases that have occasionally marred Thailand’s image as a safe tourist destination. Authorities are working to maintain the country’s appeal to international travelers as they target 35 million visitors and $55 billion in tourism revenue for 2024.
As the investigation continues, Thai police plan to file the case with the Attorney General for prosecution on Friday, with the suspect facing approximately 80 criminal charges, including 14 counts of premeditated murder.
