Cyanide deaths in Thailand: Oakland woman among six dead from suspected poisoning at Grand Hyatt hotel

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) — An Oakland woman is among six people who died in a luxury hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, presumably from cyanide poisoning.

Police are currently investigating a possible murder-suicide following a financial dispute.

In a suite at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Bangkok, authorities found plates of uneaten food, empty teacups and bodies throughout the room.

According to police, traces of cyanide were found in the teacups of the five-star hotel.

Bangkok’s deputy police chief said six people apparently died from poisoning.

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Police are investigating whether a financial dispute may have been the cause of death.

Four of the victims were Vietnamese citizens. Two were Vietnamese Americans, including 56-year-old Sherine Chong of Oakland.

Land records link Chong to a three-story home in Oakland.

“It seems crazy. That’s all I have to say,” said Steve Truman, who lives next door.

Truman says it was around Wednesday evening when he saw several people appear in front of the house associated with Chong.

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“There was a van here and an undercover agent looking in that direction. I had no idea what was going on,” Truman said.

Truman did not recognize Chong’s name or his photograph.

Truman said that a large Asian family lived in the house next door to him and were related to the family living in the house directly behind Truman.

He is stunned to hear of the local connection to suspected cyanide poisoning.

“Oh, absolutely,” said Truman.

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Neighbor Letty Webster has lived across the street for more than ten years. She also cannot remember seeing Chong.

“It’s sad. It’s tragic. It’s the other side of the world. Granted, the person who died had something to do with it,” said Dennis Thomas, another neighbor.

Bangkok police believe that one person in the group administered the poison to the others.

Officers noted that Chong was alone in the room when tea and food were served, and a video showed the rest of the group arriving a short time later.

The families of two victims also told police that they had invested nearly $280,000 in other members of the party and were all meeting to resolve their financial problems.

The investigations are still ongoing.