Six people found dead in Bangkok luxury hotel in suspected poisoning

Six people have been found dead at a luxury hotel in central Bangkok, in what authorities say could be a case of poisoning.

The bodies of three women and three men were found inside a hotel suite on the fifth floor of the Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel by a hotel worker late on Tuesday afternoon.

They were Vietnamese, and two had American citizenship, the Thai prime minister, Srettha Thavisin, said.

It is assumed the six had been dead for at least 24 hours before their bodies were discovered, police said, adding that the room had been locked from the inside, but that the staff member was able to enter through a separate door.

Police shared images of hotel food found in the suite, which was still sealed in clingfilm and appeared to be untouched. However, six cups did appear to have been used, police said.

Srettha said he had met the Vietnamese ambassador to discuss the matter and has ordered a swift investigation into the case.

The deceased had been booked to stay at the hotel as a group of seven people, but only five checked in, police said, while six people had been found dead. Police said they were now searching for the seventh individual.

Part of the group were staying on the fifth floor, and were due to check out on Tuesday, while others were staying on the seventh floor and had been due to check out on Monday but did not do so. Images from inside the hotel showed their luggage had been packed up.

Some of the six foreigners appeared to be on their first trip to the country, while others appeared to be return visitors, he added.

The incident comes at a time when Thailand is trying to boost its tourism industry, which was badly 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.