Six people are found dead in a hotel in downtown Bangkok, possibly as a result of poisoning

BANGKOK (AP) — The bodies of six people were found Tuesday in a luxury hotel in downtown Bangkok. Their deaths may have been caused by poisoning, police and officials said.

Bangkok police chief Lt. Gen. Thiti Sangsawang identified the dead as two Vietnamese Americans and four Vietnamese citizens, and said they were three men and three women. Investigators said the bodies were foaming at the mouth, an official at the Lumpini police station said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release information.

The victims had booked several rooms at the Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel under seven names, and some were staying on a different floor from the room where they were found dead, Thiti said. Police are still looking for the seventh person included in the booking, Thiti told a news conference at the hotel.

He said there were no signs of a struggle. The occupants of the room where the bodies were found had actually checked out on Tuesday and their luggage was already packed, he said. The bodies were discovered by a maid who went into the room after they had not checked out and found it locked from the inside, Thiti said.

There was leftover food that had been ordered earlier from room service, but drinks had been consumed, Thiti said. He would not confirm a cause of death but said the deaths occurred about 24 hours before police arrived on Tuesday night after being called by hotel staff.

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin went to the hotel that evening and later told reporters that the incident was neither a robbery nor a random attack and that it should not have any impact on Thailand’s lucrative tourism industry.

Until the autopsy results are available, “our hypothesis is that they ingested something that killed them,” Srettha said.

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said US authorities were aware of reports of the deaths of two US citizens in Bangkok.

“We express 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,” he said.