One of the dead in a Thai hotel could be behind the poisonings, police say

One of the six foreigners found dead in a Bangkok luxury hotel – presumably as a result of cyanide poisoning – is believed to have also committed the crime, Thai police said on Wednesday.

The bodies of six people of Vietnamese origin – two of whom were American citizens – were discovered on Tuesday afternoon in a suite of the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in the tourist center of Bangkok.

“We are convinced that one of the six people found dead committed this crime,” said Noppasil Poonsawas, deputy commander of Bangkok police.

He said at a press conference that police believe cyanide was used as poison and that the motive for the crime was probably related to debts amounting to several million baht.

According to the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry, four of the dead were Vietnamese and the other two were US citizens.

The mysterious circumstances surrounding the deaths of the three men and three women, aged between 37 and 56, have fueled wild rumors; several local media outlets initially reported a mass murder.

But photos released by police of a bloodless crime scene showed bodies scattered around the room among plates of untouched Thai food and two thermos flasks and cups.

Initial investigations revealed cyanide in six cups, police said.

Investigators also announced that no movement had been observed since Monday afternoon, suggesting that the deaths may have occurred the day before the bodies were discovered.

Police also dispelled speculation that a seventh person might have been part of the group.

Tran Dinh Dung, the father of one of the victims, said his 37-year-old son was due to return to Vietnam last Sunday.

“I kept calling him but couldn’t reach him. So I was very worried. But I didn’t expect him to die in Thailand,” Dung said in an interview with the Vietnamese newspaper Thanh Nien.

“Phu’s mother fainted countless times, she could not bear the shock,” he said.

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on Wednesday the crime was “a private matter” that had nothing to do with national security and should not affect the lucrative tourism sector.

– Improve image –

Thai authorities are keen to improve the image of the kingdom, whose reputation as a safe travel destination is sometimes tarnished by reports of gruesome crimes.

The kingdom welcomed 28 million foreign visitors in 2023 and hopes for even more this year to get closer to the record level of around 40 million in 2019.

The country has been the scene of several sordid and high-profile criminal cases, such as that of French serial killer Charles Sobhraj, nicknamed “The Serpent”, who is linked to at least two dozen murders – mostly of tourists – in the 1970s.

Fourteen victims died and one survived in an alleged series of murders that lasted eight years, police said, announcing they would refer the case to the attorney general for prosecution on Friday.

According to police, Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn faces about 80 charges, including 14 cases of premeditated murder – a record in Thai criminal history.

Last October, a 14-year-old boy opened fire at Siam Paragon shopping mall, in the same area as Tuesday’s attack, killing three people.

The shooting came just days before the anniversary of the massacre at a kindergarten in northern Thailand that left 36 people dead, and amid government efforts to increase the number of tourists.

In 2023, about 28 million people visited Thailand, up from 11 million the year before, but still significantly less than the 40 million who came in 2019, the last year before the pandemic.

Travel restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic have hit the Kingdom’s vital tourism sector hard, and arrivals have not recovered as quickly as authorities had hoped.

Authorities hope to reach 35 million visitors and target revenue of $55 billion by 2024.

tak/tmh/tp/srg/fox