Vietnamese PM urges citizen protection following Bangkok hotel deaths

In an official dispatch sent to the foreign ministry, the Ministry of Public Security, and the Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand, the PM said the four, together with two others of Vietnamese origin, were found dead in the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel on July 16.

The foreign ministry was asked to protect the legal and legitimate rights and interests of the Vietnamese citizens, handle foreign relation matters with Thailand, and provide updates on the case for the media and the public.

The PM also urged the Ministry of Public Security to coordinate with relevant sides in the investigation work per request from Thailand, and give information about the victims’ relatives to the foreign ministry in service of citizen protection.

The ambassador needs to instruct the embassy to keep tabs on the case, make timely reports on its developments and public opinions, carry out citizen protection measures, and visit the bereaved families and help them with necessary procedures.

Medics at the King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital of Thailand on July 17 confirmed that the six died of cyanide poisoning.

They said the six deaths appeared to have occurred about 12 to 24 hours before police arrived on the scene.

The bodies showed traces of the rapid-acting chemical and had purple lips, indicating a lack of oxygen, a Chulalongkorn Hospital representative told reporters, adding more tests are being conducted.