Case of 6 Vietnamese people mysteriously passing away in Thailand: Vietnamese Embassy arrives at the scene

Information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the evening of July 16 said that immediately after receiving information related to the incident that occurred at a hotel in Bangkok, Thailand on the evening of July 16, following the direction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung and Embassy officials arrived at the scene.

Currently, the Ambassador and Embassy staff are closely coordinating with Thai authorities and relevant units of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam to closely monitor the case, clarify information, and determine the identity of the suspect. victims, ready to deploy necessary citizen protection measures.

Previously, foreign media reported that Thai police said at least 6 people were found dead in the 5-star Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel in Pathum Wan district, Bangkok, Thailand on the evening of July 16, of which There are Vietnamese people.

3 men and 3 women were discovered walking in a room, with no signs of struggle. Their luggage was found near the main door. The investigation agency initially identified the victims as 2 Vietnamese people with American nationality and 4 people with Vietnamese nationality. The ages of the three men are 37, 49 and 55 years old, respectively. The three women are 46, 47 and 56 years old, respectively.

According to initial traces at the scene, 6 victims may have died from poison, but the reason is unknown. Thai police are examining video recordings (CCTV) and questioning witnesses to gather more clues. Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin went directly to the scene of the incident.

Matichon newspaper said the initial cause was determined to be poisoning. There is information that the victims drank tea and coffee before leaving. According to the Bangkok Post, no bruises were found on the victims' bodies. Local officials confirmed that they died due to poisoning, initial investigation showed that the cause was related to cyanide poisoning. Ratchaprasong is a shopping and entertainment area located next to the famous Siam area, where many large shopping centers such as MBK Center are concentrated.

On July 17, the investigation team checked the video camera (CCTV) in front of room number 502 for CCTV footage from July 15, between 2:09 pm and 2:17 pm. The video recorded the incident of 6 victims gradually dragging their luggage in and out of room 502, carrying their suitcases into the room. The last image is of 6 people gradually entering the room. After that, no one left the room anymore.

Thai press said that one of the victims, Dinh Tran Phu, 36 years old, was a famous makeup artist from Da Nang, Vietnam. By 1 hour later, the police brought the evidence and 8 suitcases of 6 people from the room where the crime occurred to the meeting room on the 2nd floor of the Lumpini Police Station, where Colonel Yingyot Suwanno, Director of the Lumpini Police Department, and the investigation team investigation was present. They immediately joined the meeting but the media was not allowed to attend.

Then, at 3:20 a.m., the reporter reported that the meeting also had 5 witnesses who were invited by the police for further questioning. Among them, people found relatives of the deceased. The interrogation lasted more than 2 hours, with Major General Witthawat Chinkam, Commander of the 5th Metropolitan Police Division, and Colonel Yingyot Suwanno, Director of the Lumpini Police Department, participating in the interrogation this time.

Lieutenant Colonel Witthawat revealed that the five witnesses invited for questioning tonight include the secretary of the Vietnamese ambassador to Thailand and a friend of the deceased's sister who lives in Thailand. When the police heard the news, they invited them to provide information and help translate documents found in the deceased's luggage.

Commander of Team 5 of the Capital Police said that through checking the deceased's luggage, it seemed like he was ready to check out of the hotel. They also found common pills but had to send them to the Forensic Science Department to compare them with the pills found at the scene to see if they were the same type. For the 6 people who passed away, the authorities took them to the Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University for examination to find the real cause.