KUALA LUMPUR – Thai police believe that a 56-year-old woman poisoned five Vietnamese tourists with cyanide served in cups, before drinking the poison herself in a Bangkok luxury hotel.
The bodies of three men and three women were discovered yesterday evening by staff in a suite of the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok’s city centre.
The first inspection of the scene revealed no traces of violence, and robbery was quickly ruled out.
Previously, authorities said that they were confident that one of the six had committed the murder due to debt issues, as the room on the 5th floor was locked from the inside and there was no record of anyone entering or leaving the room.
Metropolitan Police Bureau chief investigator Theeradet Thumsuthee said they have questioned one of the victim’s daughter and other witnesses.
“The case likely stemmed from a debt problem. There are no other possibilities. The culprit is among the six (dead) because they were the only people who entered the room. There were no others,” he was quoted as saying.
Police are also looking for a seventh Vietnamese national, who had booked the hotel rooms but did not check in, as well as a Vietnamese tour guide.
The group had ordered Thai food for room service. However, the food was untouched, except for coffee and tea.
Police found other food items such as tea bags, sugar sachets, a bottle of mineral water and a bottle of honey.
It was also reported that there were no signs of struggles or of the room being ransacked. There were also no apparent wounds on the bodies, except for a mark on the face of one victim, probably sustained from a fall.
Police were alerted after a hotel housekeeper found the bodies. – July 17, 2024