6 bodies were found in a suite of a 5-star hotel room in Bangkok, Thailand. All of the deceased were foreigners – Vietnamese and Vietnamese-Americans.
The victims, 3 men and 3 women were found dead inside a room that was locked from the inside. Local media initially reported it as a shooting-related death but Thailand police were quick to refute the claim and said poisoning was likely the cause of death, reported Sky News and Thai PBS.
They found traces of cyanide in the cups and a teapot. According to the CDC, cyanide is a chemical compound that can be lethal for humans as it interferes with the body’s ability to use oxygen. The police said when the corpses were found, they had been dead for about 24 hours.
The case, however, is still filled with riddles.
Untouched food, unmatched guest names
Bangkok Chief Police, Thiti Saengswang said the suite was registered to 7 guests but only 5 of them checked in. 1 of the deceased in the room WAS NOT part of the registered guests.
1 day before the discovery of the bodies, the guests ordered room service but the food remained untouched.
“We believe someone else is involved but as of now, we are still unable to locate the 7th guest who was supposed to check into the suite. The guests were last seen alive on Monday when the food was delivered to the suite.”
Debt-related argument?
At the time of writing, the police have yet to determine the motive but after a series of questions with the relatives of the deceased, it was revealed that there had been a dispute over debt, which involved a multi-million Baht of investments.
The 3 dead women have been named as:
- Nguyen Thi Phuong (46)
- Sherine Chong (56)
- Nguyen Thi Phuong Lan (46)
The male victims are:
- Tran Dinh Phu (37)
- Dang Hung Van (55)
- Hong Thanh Pham (49)
The Vietnamese government said its embassy in Bangkok was working with Thai authorities on the case, while the US State Department said it was monitoring the situation. The police and relevant departments will continue to conduct in-depth investigations to find the truth as soon as possible to avoid tension among guests and tourists.
Let’s hope the police will solve the case soon!