The US Federal Bureau of Investigation has joined Thai authorities in probing the mysterious deaths of six foreigners at a luxury hotel in Bangkok, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said.
FBI agents joined Thai police at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok hotel because two of the six guests found dead at the hotel were US citizens, Srettha told reporters on Wednesday.
Police are trying to unravel the mystery behind the deaths, less than 24 hours after a hotel maid found the six Vietnamese people lying dead in their room. There was no signs of any struggle and no significant bruises or wounds on the dead bodies. Room service food had been left untouched, though there were six tea cups containing “residues” at the bottom.
“We are still waiting for forensic evidence and the initial hypothesis suggests this is a personal case,” Srettha said. “This isn’t related to robbery or internal security.”
The people were likely killed by poisoning and were dead for about 24 hours before being found, the premier said late Tuesday, warning against drawing early conclusions “as this may cause confusion”.
All six victims were Vietnamese, with two of them holding US citizenship. Authorities were working on a hypothesis that there was a seventh Vietnamese person, according to Srettha. The police will reveal more details of the cause of death once preliminary autopsy details and other findings are available, Srettha said.
Five hotel rooms were booked for seven guests, but only five people had checked in. The five were found dead by a cleaner in a fifth-floor suite, along with another person, leaving one as a suspect, according to Thiti Saengsawang, chief of Bangkok’s Metropolitan Police Bureau.
The deceased comprised three women and three men aged from 37 to 56 years old, authorities said.
Tourist Hotspot
Shares of Erawan Group Pcl, the operator of Grand Hyatt, fell as much as 5.2 per cent in Bangkok trading, the most since January 15.
The hotel is located near the downtown Ratchaprasong intersection, an area popular with foreign tourists. But the deaths will not affect the country’s tourism industry, Srettha said, adding that an event at the hotel to be attended by the visiting Russian energy minister will proceed as scheduled.
Tourism is one of Thailand’s key industries, accounting for about 20 per cent of total jobs and making up roughly 12 per cent of the nation’s $500 billion economy. Srettha’s administration has set a goal of attracting 80 million tourists by 2027.
Foreign arrivals to Thailand this year through July 14 rose about 35 per cent from the same period in 2023, to 18.9 million, generating revenue of 891 billion baht ($25 billion), the Tourism and Sports Ministry said earlier Tuesday. China, Malaysia and India were the biggest sources of tourists so far in 2024.