Thai police say cyanide killed 6 Vietnamese, American guests in Bangkok hotel, including suspect

The rapid-acting, deadly chemical was found on drinking glasses and a teapot in the room at the luxury Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, a landmark at a central intersection in the capital busy with malls, government buildings and public transit hotel.

Lt. Gen. Trairong Piwpan, chief of the Thai police force’s forensic division, said there were traces of cyanide in the cups and thermoses that police found in the room, but initial results of an autopsy were expected later Wednesday.

“We found cyanide in the teacups, all six cups we found cyanide,” Trirong Phiwpan told a press conference.

“After staff brought tea cups and two hot water bottles, milk and tea pots… one of the six introduced cyanide.”

The deceased were all of Vietnamese ethnicity, two of those U.S. nationals, and were found dead late on Tuesday.

They were identified as Chong Sherine, 56, and Dang Hung Van, 55, who both carried U.S. passports. Four others were Vietnamese nationals, namely Nguyen Thi Phuong Lan, 47, Pham Hong Thanh, 49, Tran Dinh Phu, 37, and Nguyen Thi Phuong, 46, according to Khaosod English.

Chong has been deemed the suspected killer, Thai media reported.

Chong Sherine’s passport photo. Photo courtesy of Thailand police

The six had last been seen alive when food was delivered to the room Monday afternoon. The staff saw one woman receive the food, and security footage showed the rest arriving one by one shortly after. There were no other visitors, no one was seen leaving and the door was locked. A maid found them Tuesday afternoon when they failed to check out of the room.

Bangkok police chief Lt. Gen. Thiti Sangsawang said Tuesday that four bodies were in the living room and two in the bedroom. He said two of them appeared to try to reach for the door but collapsed before they could.

Debt dispute

Interviews with relatives of the dead revealed there had been a dispute over debt related to an investment, police said.

Noppasin Punsawat, Bangkok deputy police chief, said the case appeared to be personal and would not impact the safety of tourists.

A husband and wife among the dead had invested money with two of the others, suggesting that money could be a motive, said Noppasin, citing information obtained from relatives of the victims. The investment was meant to build a hospital in Japan and the group might have been meeting to settle the matter.

Noppasin said Wednesday that a seventh person whose name was part of the hotel booking was a sibling of one of the six and left Thailand on July 10. Police believe the seventh person had no involvement in the deaths.

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation had assisted police with the investigation, police said.

Sherine Chong is the suspected killer in the death of six Vietnamese and American nationals in a room at the Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel in Bangkok. Photo courtesy of Thai police

Vietnam’s government said its embassy in Bangkok was closely coordinating with Thai authorities on the case, while the U.S. State Department said it was monitoring the situation and local authorities were responsible for the investigation.

The Grand Hyatt Erawan, operated by Erawan Group, has over 350 rooms and is located in a popular tourist district known for luxury shopping and restaurants.

News of the deaths, initially reported by some Thai media as a shooting, could be a setback for Thailand as it bets heavily on its vital tourism sector reviving an economy that has struggled since the pandemic.

Thailand is expecting 35 million foreign arrivals this year, up from 28 million last year who spent 1.2 trillion baht ($33.71 billion).

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on Tuesday urged a swift probe into the issue to limit the impact on Thailand’s travel sector.