Cyanide, found in cups, probably killed 6 in Bangkok hotel room, officials say

Six people were found dead inside Bangkok's Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel, Ratchadamri Rd. Photo / Google Maps

Traces of cyanide were discovered in the cups of six people who were found dead at a Bangkok hotel in unexplained circumstances, Thai authorities said, and preliminary autopsy results suggest they died of poisoning by the deadly, fast-acting chemical.

A medical team confirmed the presence of cyanide in the people’s blood, Chanchai Sittipunt, director of King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in Bangkok, said at a news conference. The findings are consistent with cyanide poisoning, and experts did not identify any other potential cause of death, Chanchai said. Initial results will have to be confirmed with further tests, he said.

Thai police discovered traces of cyanide in cups inside Room 502 of the Grand Hyatt Erawan, where the six people – all of whom were of Vietnamese descent, two with US citizenship and the others with Vietnamese citizenship – were found dead.

Noppasin Poonsawat, Bangkok’s deputy police chief, said during a news conference that hotel workers delivered food, tea and milk to the room just before 2pm, as well as six tea cups and two thermoses. Only one person, identified as US national Sherine Chong, was present in the room to receive the order. After the staff left, five other people entered the room. No one else entered, and they did not leave again, Noppasin said.

A housekeeper found the bodies after the group did not check out of their room, police said. Four of the bodies were found in a living room, and two were in a bedroom, they said.

Though the food was uneaten, the beverages appeared to have been “fully consumed” from the cups, with residue left at the bottom, Lieutenant General Thiti Sangsawang, the Metropolitan Police Bureau commissioner in Bangkok said. Photos released by police appeared to show the deceased lying on the ground, spread out in different parts of the hotel room. Food apparently ordered for six appeared to lie untouched, with some still wrapped under plastic film.

Initial results from the autopsies found signs of asphyxiation and unusual congestion and colouring of the blood – suggesting they may have been exposed to a toxic substance, Kornkiat Vongpaisarnsin, a forensic medicine expert at Chulalongkorn University’s medical school, said during a news conference. Kornkiat said there were no signs of physical violence on the bodies or trauma in any internal organs. Further tests will determine the concentration of cyanide in their blood, with results expected in the next day or two, he said.

Noppasin said that the case appeared personal and unrelated to any criminal activity in Thailand, whose economy relies heavily on the tourism industry. He said that the suspected poisoning may have been the result of a business-related dispute between the six people, and that police believe the person responsible for the poisoning was also among the dead.

Noppasin said interviews with the victims’ relatives revealed that a married couple among the dead invested about 10 million baht ($458,000) to build a hospital in Japan, at the request of two of the other people in the group. Noppasin said the deal could be a motive for the apparent poisoning. The couple were involved in road construction in Vietnam, he said.

When the project did not advance as planned, a meeting was arranged and was supposed to take place in Japan – but, when faced with visa issues, the group decided to meet in Thailand instead, Noppasin said, citing the victims’ relatives.

They arrived in Thailand between July 4 and 12 and checked into different rooms at the hotel, Noppasin said. CCTV footage showed five of them checking out of their rooms Monday morning and moving their luggage into Room 502, which was booked by Chong, he said.

The last meal was not touched, 6 dead #ราชประสงค์ Pic Via Ch 3’s Sorrayuth #Thailand #Vietnam #USA pic.twitter.com/5Z2HlPO89P

— Sean Boonpracong (@Rajprasong_News) July 16, 2024

Police initially looked for a seventh person who was part of the same hotel booking as other members of the group. Noppasin said the person was the younger sister of one of the Vietnamese nationals. She arrived in Thailand on July 4 but returned to Danang, Vietnam, on July 10, and police do not believe she was involved in the deaths, he said.

Thai police are investigating the case and working with the Vietnamese Embassy. A spokesperson for the US State Department said in a statement that the agency was “aware of reports [of] the deaths of two US citizens in Bangkok” and “ready to provide consular assistance.”

Angelina Hue, a spokeswoman for Hyatt’s Asia-Pacific region, said in an emailed statement on Tuesday that Hyatt was “deeply saddened by this tragic situation” and that “the safety and security of our guests and colleagues is always a top priority.” She said Hyatt was co-operating with the local authorities.