6 found dead in Bangkok hotel; Thai PM orders probe
BANGKOK – Six people were found dead at an upmarket hotel in Bangkok on July 16, the Thai government said, as Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin ordered a swift investigation to stem any damage to the tourism sector.
Two of the dead were Americans of Vietnamese descent and four were Vietnamese nationals, according to Mr Srettha.
“From the preliminary examination of the scene, it was assumed that they had been poisoned,” said Major-General Theeradej Thumsuthee, chief investigator of the Metropolitan Police Bureau.
He added that there were signs that all six, before they died, drank coffee or tea. A preliminary autopsy did not find any injuries, he said.
Lieutenant-General Thiti Saengsawang, the Metropolitan Police commissioner, said in a news briefing that based on preliminary findings, “all of them were killed by other people”.
The Thai-language Matichon Online said police were now searching for two Vietnamese nationals who they said were deemed “persons of interest”.
The incident, which took place at Bangkok’s plush Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel, comes as Thailand looks to further promote its tourism sector, a key driver of South-east Asia’s second-largest economy.
“The Prime Minister has ordered all agencies to urgently take action to avoid impact on tourism,” the Thai government said in its statement.
A police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, dismissed earlier reports in the Thai media that the six people had been killed in a shooting.
“There is no sign of a shooting,” the official told Reuters.
The US and Vietnamese embassies in Bangkok did not answer a call from Reuters on telephone numbers listed on their websites.
Lumpini police were alerted to the incident at around 5.30pm.
Officers found three men and three women dead inside a room at the Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel.
All six were supposed to check out on July 16 and had their bags packed.
The hotel has over 350 rooms and is located in a popular tourist district known for luxury shopping and restaurants. – REUTERS, AFP
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