Bangkok hotel deaths: Cyanide traces found in coffees of 6 foreigners

Traces of cyanide have been found in the coffees of six foreign tourists who were found dead in a luxury hotel in central Bangkok, Thailand, on Tuesday. Thai police force's forensic division chief Lt. Gen. Trairong Piwpan said the traces of cyanide were found in the empty cups found in the room by police. 

Six persons, including three women and three men, were found dead in a suite on the fifth floor of the Grand Hyatt Erawan. Thailand’s foreign ministry in a statement said the deceased included two Vietnamese Americans and four Vietnamese nationals.

They had been last been seen alive when food was delivered to the room on Monday afternoon. Investigators had found the bodies foaming at the mouth. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin visited the scene in the evening but did not provide further details to reporters present.

Police said the six individuals were believed to have been dead for at least 24 hours before their bodies were found. They said that the room had been locked from the inside, but a staff member was able to enter through another door.

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Prime Minister Srettha said that there were no signs of robbery or an attack. He added that the cause of death was presumably related to consumption and requires further investigation.

Police also released images of hotel food found in the suite, sealed in clingfilm and seemingly untouched. However, they noted that six cups had been used.

“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,” The Guardian quoted Metropolitan police bureau commissioner Thiti Saengsawang as saying.

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He said that the deaths were not a result of suicide but of killing, and that the motives need to be investigated.

Police also said that the hotel management informed them the booking was made for a group of seven people with only five checking in. However, six people were found dead.

“We are tracing every step since they got off the plane,” Thiti Saengsawang said.

Thailand Prime Minister has ordered all agencies to take urgent action to minimise the impact on tourism.

With inputs from AP