Six people have been found dead at the Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel in central Bangkok in what authorities suspect to be a case of poisoning.
The bodies of three women and three men, including two American citizens, were discovered late on Tuesday afternoon in a locked suite on the fifth floor of the luxury hotel by a hotel worker. The deceased are believed to be Vietnamese nationals, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin confirmed.
The victims are estimated to have been dead for at least 24 hours before their bodies were found. The room was locked from the inside, but the staff member was able to enter through a separate door.
The exact cause of death is yet to be determined. However, Prime Minister Srettha indicated there was no evidence of robbery or an attack, suggesting the cause was “presumably something related to consumption which needs to be investigated.
Police shared images of hotel food found in the suite, which was still sealed in clingfilm and appeared to be untouched. However, six cups had been used. Police also found some kind of powder at the bottom of one cup.
The food was untouched but all six cups were used. We will check all of it. We could not find anything else around, even on the floor, but we found some kind of powder in the bottom of a cup,” said Metropolitan Police Bureau Commissioner Thiti Saengsawang.
“We need to find out the motives,” he added, noting that the deaths were not the result of suicide but of a “killing.”
Prime Minister Srettha has met with the Vietnamese ambassador to discuss the matter and has ordered a swift investigation.
The group of deceased had booked to stay at the hotel as a party of seven, but only five checked in, with six people found dead. Police are now searching for the seventh individual.
“We are tracing every step since they got off the plane,” Thiti said.
Part of the group was staying on the fifth floor and was due to check out on Tuesday, while others were on the seventh floor and had been due to check out on Monday but did not. Images from inside the hotel showed their packed luggage.
The Grand Hyatt Erawan is a five-star hotel located in Bangkok’s commercial and diplomatic district.
“The prime minister has ordered all agencies to urgently take action to avoid impact on tourism,” the Thai government said in a statement.
The US State Department is closely monitoring the situation and stands ready to provide consular assistance, a spokesperson said.
This incident comes as Thailand is working to boost its tourism industry, which was severely affected by the pandemic and is crucial to the economy. The tourism sector has previously been shaken by a shooting at a luxury mall in Bangkok last October, in which two foreigners were killed.
