Six tourists found dead in Bangkok luxury hotel, poisoning suspected
Six people, including two Vietnamese Americans and four Vietnamese nationals, were found dead in a luxury hotel room in downtown Bangkok on Tuesday. The bodies were discovered at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel located in the popular Pathum Wan district. Bangkok police chief Lieutenant General Thiti Sangsawang said that the residents of the room where the bodies were found were supposed to have checked out earlier Tuesday and their luggage had already been packed.
Investigation underway for seventh guest
The victims had booked several rooms at the hotel under seven different names, with some staying on a different floor from where they were found dead. Police are still looking for the seventh person included in the booking. Sangsawang added that there was food that had been ordered earlier from room service left uneaten, but drinks had been consumed.
Autopsy results awaited, poisoning suspected
Sangsawang stated that the deaths appeared to have occurred about 24 hours before police arrived on the scene Tuesday evening after being called by hotel staff. Investigators said the bodies were foaming at the mouth, which is consistent with poisoning. However, Sangsawang would not confirm a cause of death as a post-mortem examination of the bodies is underway.
Prime Minister assures safety of Thailand's tourism industry
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin visited the hotel in the evening following the discovery of the bodies. He told journalists that neither robbery nor random assault was involved in this incident and it should not affect Thailand's tourism industry. Talking about the cause of death Thavisin said, "Our hypothesis is that they ingested something that killed them."
US officials respond to deaths of American citizens
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller confirmed that US officials are aware of the reports of the deaths of two American citizens in Bangkok. "We offer our sincere condolences to the families on their loss. We are closely monitoring the situation and stand ready to provide consular assistance to those families," he told reporters in Washington.
