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Six Dead in Bangkok Hotel, One Suspected of Group Poisoning

Six Vietnamese individuals were found dead in a room on the fifth floor of the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in the heart of Bangkok on Tuesday evening. Authorities suspect that one of the six poisoned the others before committing suicide due to debt problems.

Among them, two held American citizenship, while the remaining four were Vietnamese citizens.

On July 17, at the Lumpini Police Station, Police Major General Thiradej Thammasuthee, head of the Investigation Division of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, convened a meeting.

He disclosed that the previous night, the team had interviewed the daughter of one of the deceased and other witnesses, all of whom provided useful information.

The information gathered suggests that the incident was primarily driven by financial disputes, with no other contributing factors.

The room, where the six individuals were found dead, was on the fifth floor of the luxury hotel and was securely locked from the inside, with no evidence of anyone else entering or leaving the sealed area.

Based on these observations, investigators do not believe the perpetrator had any outside accomplices, as checks on room entry and exit showed only the group of deceased persons.

The exact nature of the toxic substance responsible for the deaths remains undetermined. Authorities are awaiting the analysis of forensic experts before drawing any conclusions.

Nonetheless, initial assessments by forensic authorities suggest that the chemical discovered in the drinking glasses is similar to cyanide but far more lethal, resulting in immediate fatalities.

The investigation into the seventh person, who reserved the hotel room where the incident took place, led the Immigration Bureau to identify her as the sister of one of the deceased individuals.

She returned to her home country on July 10. Initially, she is not believed to be involved in the deaths.

Authorities suspect that one among the six deceased was responsible for the deaths, having administered a drug to the others before being the last to die.

Subsequent information revealed that the individual believed to be responsible was Ms. Sherine Chong, 56, a holder of a US passport with a history of five visits to Thailand. She ended her life by consuming poison, driven by significant financial debts.