Six dead found in Thai luxury hotel – police investigate possible poison attack

CNN
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Six people, including two Vietnamese Americans, were found dead in a luxury hotel room in central Bangkok. Thai police are investigating the possibility that they were poisoned.

The bodies were discovered by staff in a fifth-floor room at the Grand Hyatt hotel after guests missed their check-out time by more than 24 hours, said Thiti Saengsawang, commissioner of the Bangkok Metropolitan Police.

According to police, the incident does not appear to be a robbery and none of the bodies showed signs of physical violence. Police also believe that “they did not harm themselves.”

However, Saengsawang said that cups with traces of a white powder were found in the room, along with untouched food that had been ordered earlier. Poisoning has not been ruled out, Saengsawang said.

Authorities are currently searching for a seventh person who was part of the hotel booking and is now considered a possible suspect.

The other four dead are Vietnamese nationals. Saengsawang said police believe a member of the group tried to reach the door but fell before they could.

Photographs were taken of police guarding the entrance to the five-star hotel on Tuesday after the bodies were discovered.

The US State Department said it was “aware of reports of the deaths of two US citizens in Bangkok”.

“We extend our sincere condolences to the families for their loss. We are closely monitoring the situation and stand ready to provide consular assistance to these families,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said at a press conference on Tuesday.

“When a U.S. citizen dies abroad, local authorities are responsible for determining the cause of death. We often contact local authorities to communicate with them when it comes to the death of a U.S. citizen, and we will certainly do that here,” Miller said.

Miller said he did not know whether the deaths were discussed during Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s phone call with his Thai counterpart, saying the call may have taken place before the agency was aware of the deaths.

Last year, Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn, a Thai woman arrested on suspicion of murdering her friend with cyanide, was charged with at least 13 counts of premeditated murder in another poisoning case that rocked the country.