Thailand massacre: New details emerge

At a regular press conference on the afternoon of July 18, answering reporters' questions about the death of four Vietnamese tourists in Bangkok, Thailand, Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang said the ministry had provided information to the Ministry of Public Security to deploy professional measures in accordance with the Prime Minister's direction.

Previously, Official Dispatch No. 69 signed by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on July 17 stated: On July 16, at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel, Pathum Wan District, Bangkok, Thai police discovered 6 deaths, including 4 Vietnamese citizens and 2 people of Vietnamese origin, suspected of being poisoned; currently, Thai authorities continue to investigate and clarify the incident.

The Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to closely coordinate with the Thai side in the investigation process, implement measures to protect the legal and legitimate rights and interests of Vietnamese citizens; proactively handle and make recommendations on foreign affairs issues to the Thai side; promptly provide complete and objective information about the incident to the press and public opinion.

The Ministry of Public Security was asked to coordinate the investigation at the request of the Thai side, providing information about the victims' relatives to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to carry out citizen protection work.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand has been closely coordinating with local authorities to update the situation, support the investigation, and request the Royal Thai Police and the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide information on the developments of the case as well as create conditions for the embassy to deploy citizen protection measures.

Thai authorities investigate at the Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel, where six people were found dead on July 16. Photo: REUTERS

Meanwhile, Thai media reported that authorities have enough grounds to conclude that all six people died from cyanide poisoning and are focusing on verifying the origin of the poison used in the case.

Dr. Kornkiat Vongpaisarnsin, head of the Department of Forensic Medicine at Chulalongkorn Hospital in Bangkok, which conducted the autopsies of the victims, announced that cyanide had been detected in the blood of all six victims. Police suspect that 56-year-old Vietnamese-American Sherine Chong poisoned the other five victims before committing suicide with cyanide.

The motive for the crime is believed to be that Ms. Chong owed a large debt to some people in the group. Witnesses said Ms. Chong often introduced herself as a trustworthy American businesswoman, inviting the group of Vietnamese businesses to invest together.

In addition, according to Khaosod , police questioned a Vietnamese tour guide named Phan Ngoc Vu, 35 years old, who knew Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong Lan, 47 years old, one of the deceased.

Vu said that Ms. Lan asked him to buy "snake medicine" (used to treat arthritis) for 11,000 baht. He then asked another tour guide nicknamed "tiger guide" to buy it for him. Police are searching for the tour guide and checking security cameras to determine whether cyanide was purchased with the "snake medicine." "If Ms. Lan was one of the people who bought the poison, she could be considered a second suspect," a source said.

Police also questioned Ms. Lan's ex-husband, Mr. Hung, for five hours. Mr. Hung said he had nothing to do with his ex-wife's business and was traveling in Japan when the incident occurred. However, he had video-called his ex-wife before the incident.

Overview of the case of many Vietnamese people dying in a hotel in Thailand

Source: https://nld.com.vn/vu-tham-an-o-thai-lan-them-tinh-tiet-moi-19624071820462253.htm