BANGKOK — The investigation into the deaths of six Vietnamese and American guests found in a luxury hotel at Ratchaprasong intersection in downtown Bangkok on July 16, which involved cooperation between Thai police, Vietnamese authorities, and the FBI, has gradually revealed a clear cause.
It appears to be the work of one of the six individuals who poisoned drinks with cyanide due to a debt problem of over 278,000 US dollars.
On July 17, Police Major General Noppasilp Poolsawat, Deputy Commander of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, along with Police Lieutenant General Trairong Phiwphan, Commander of the Office of Forensic Science Police, and Police Major General Thiradej Thamsuthee, Commander of the Investigation Division of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, held a press conference to update on the investigation progress.
They stated that the police had conducted autopsies, collected evidence, and interrogated more than 10 relevant witnesses, including relatives of the deceased. They also examined 8 pieces of luggage. The findings can be summarized as follows:
1) Ms. Sherine Chong, age 56, American nationality: Found dead near the dining table. Entered Thailand on July 5 at 1:05 p.m. from Ho Chi Minh City. Had visited Thailand 5 times before. She was the one who checked into room 502, where the incident occurred.
2) Ms. Thi Nguyen Phunng Lan, age 47, Vietnamese nationality: Wearing a pink shirt, found dead in the bedroom. Entered Thailand on July 4 at 12:56 p.m. from Danang. Had visited Thailand 17 times before.
3) Mr. Dinh Tran Phu, age 37, Vietnamese nationality: Found dead near Ms. Thi Nguyen Phunng Lan and Mr. Hung Dang Van. Entered Thailand on July 12 at 12:28 p.m. from Danang. Had visited Thailand 11 times before.
4) Mr. Hung Dang Van, age 55, American nationality: Wearing a navy blue shirt, found dead near Ms. Thi Nguyen Phunng Lan. Entered Thailand for the first time on July 7 at 09:55 a.m. from Taipei, Taiwan.
5) Ms. Thi Nguyen Phuong, age 46, Vietnamese nationality: Wearing a white shirt, found dead near the room’s door. Entered Thailand on July 12 at 1:48 p.m. from Ho Chi Minh City. Had visited Thailand 3 times before.
6) Mr. Hong Pham Thanh, age 49, Vietnamese nationality: Husband of Ms. Thi Nguyen Phuong, found dead in the bedroom. Entered Thailand for the first time, arriving with his wife on July 12 at 1:48 p.m. from Ho Chi Minh City. His name did not appear on the hotel check-in list as his wife’s name was used for the room reservation.
CCTV footage from the hotel showed that all individuals checked in by themselves, and no other persons entered the room. The footage from July 14-15, during the timeline of the incident, confirms that no one other than these six people entered room 502, except for the food service staff who have provided complete information.
Events from July 14 show that Ms. Sherine Chong was staying in the room where the incident occurred. The other five people came to this room between 11:00 p.m. and midnight, then returned to their own rooms.
On July 15, after checking out of their other rooms, they all moved their luggage to room 502. At 11:42 a.m., Mr. Hung Dang Van ordered food from the hotel: 5 plates of fried rice, 4 plates of tom yum kung, 4 plates of stir-fried vegetables, 1 plate of stir-fried morning glory, 2 pots of hot English tea, and 6 tea cups.
Later, Mr. Dinh Tran Phu ordered an additional plate of fried rice, requesting delivery at 2:00 p.m. The room service staff delivered the food at 1:51 p.m., spending 6 minutes serving the food.
According to the room service staff’s testimony, upon entering, they found only Ms. Sherine Chong. When the staff offered to brew the tea, Ms. Sherine Chong declined, saying she would handle it herself. The staff noted that Ms. Sherine Chong appeared quite stressed and wasn’t smiling, even when the staff complimented her outfit.
After the room service staff left at 1:57 p.m., from 2:03 p.m. onwards, the other deceased individuals gradually entered room 502. After that, no one was seen entering or leaving the room until the bodies were discovered.
The bodies were discovered on July 16 at 4:30 p.m. when hotel staff went to check the room as it was past check-out time.
Forensic results revealed cyanide in the liquid from the tea kettle, residue in all 6 coffee cups, and in the blood sample of one of the deceased.
Relatives of some of the deceased have been questioned and provided information about conflicts within the group. They believe that one of the six was responsible for the incident.
According to relatives, Ms. Sherine Chong had Ms. Thi Nguyen Phunng Lan act as a broker to persuade Ms. Thi Nguyen Phuong and Mr. Hong Pham Thanh, who are husband and wife and road construction contractors in Vietnam, to invest 278,000 US dollars (about 10 million Thai baht) in building a hospital in Japan.
When there was no progress on the investment, the couple began constantly asking Ms. Sherine Chong for their money back. They initially agreed to meet in Japan to resolve the issue, but when one person couldn’t get a visa, they changed the meeting place to Thailand. They chose Thailand because they could also pay respects at Wat Yannawa in Bangkok, which is a popular place for Vietnamese people.
For Mr. Dinh Tran Phu and Mr. Hung Dang Van, the situation is still unclear. These two had not yet invested money but it’s believed they were also invited to discuss potential investments. It was found that Ms. Sherine Chong made the room reservation for Mr. Hung Dang Van, but he used his own credit card for the booking.
The examination of the 8 pieces of luggage belonging to the deceased did not reveal anything illegal. It’s confirmed that the incident was due to personal conflicts among the six individuals and not related to any transnational criminal organization.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Phantana Nutchanart, Deputy Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, stated that they are coordinating with the Vietnamese and US embassies for more information. The FBI has requested information, but the investigation remains with the Thai police.
“It’s confirmed that none of the deceased had any arrest warrants or criminal records.”
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