Cyanide killed 6 foreigners in Bangkok hotel

STORY: Cyanide poisoning was the likely cause of death of six foreigners whose bodies were found in a Bangkok hotel room on Tuesday.

Thai police announced this on Wednesday, adding that the suspected murderer was among the dead.

According to police, the fast-acting, deadly chemical was found on drinking glasses and a teapot in a room at the luxury Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel.

“Qualitative analysis found cyanide in the liquid in the teapot, in all six coffee cups and in the blood samples from the dead man leaning against the wall.”

Interviews with relatives of the deceased revealed that there had been a dispute over debts related to an investment.

Police officials told reporters that the group – three men and three women – were housed in different rooms, but their bodies were found in one room and showed no signs of a struggle.

All six were of Vietnamese ethnicity, two of them were US citizens.

Vietnam said the embassy in Bangkok was working closely with Thai authorities on the matter.

Police said they had received assistance from the U.S. FBI in their investigation, and the U.S. State Department said it was monitoring the situation.

Tourism is a key driver of Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy. The government expects 35 million foreign tourists this year.

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on Tuesday called for a speedy investigation into the incident to limit the impact on Thailand’s travel sector.