BANGKOK — The investigation into the case of six Vietnamese bodies found in a luxury hotel at Ratchaprasong intersection, Bangkok, revealed clear autopsy results indicating death by cyanide poisoning. One of the six deceased, Ms. Sherine Chong, a 56-year-old Vietnamese-American woman, is suspected of administering the poison.
Regarding this case, on July 18, the government, through the Ministry of Justice, issued another warning to the public that cyanide is classified as a Type 3 hazardous substance under the Hazardous Substance Act of 1995 and its amendments.
“According to Section 23 in conjunction with Section 73, Any person who produces, imports, exports, or possesses a Type 3 hazardous substance without permission shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or a fine not exceeding 200,000 baht, or both,” Ms. Kenika Ounjit, Deputy Spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office, made a statement at the Government House.
Cyanide was previously involved in a shocking serial murders in Thai society in 2023. A female suspect, nicknamed “Am Cyanide,” was accused of murdering at least 14 people by lacing their food with cyanide. From 2015 to 2023, there were 15 poisoning cases across 8 provinces, resulting in 14 deaths and one survivor.
After the “Am Cyanide” case, police conducted a major investigation into the source of potassium cyanide. The investigation revealed that the cyanide used in these cases was PanReac from Spain, imported by one of 15 Thai companies. This cyanide has a concentration of 75 percent.
This investigation led to the questioning of 31 people who had ordered cyanide, including a famous Thai actress, Ice Preechaya. She had ordered cyanide online for about 3,000 baht to destroy venomous animals invading her home but hadn’t opened the package. Upon learning it was a prohibited substance, she turned it over to the police.
The latest cyanide case was used again by a foreigner in Bangkok’s luxury hotel. The preliminary autopsy findings for the six bodies were released on July 17 by Chulalongkorn Hospital in Bangkok. Dr. Chanchai Sittipunt, the dean of medicine at Chulalongkorn, stated that the presence of cyanide provided sufficient evidence to conclude it was likely responsible for the fatalities.
Head of the forensic medicine department at Chulalongkorn University’s medical school, Dr. Kornkiat Vongpaisarnsin announced that cyanide was detected in the bloodstream of all six individuals. Additionally, CAT scans revealed no indications of blunt force trauma, lending support to the theory that poisoning was the cause of death.
Police questioned a Vietnamese guide, Mr. Phan Ngoc Vu, 35, who knew Ms. Thi Nguyen Phunng Lan, 47, one of the deceased. He said she had asked him to buy “snake medicine” (known as a treatment for joint pain) for 11,000 baht. He then asked another guide, nicknamed “tiger guide,” to procure it. Police are now searching for this second guide and checking CCTV footage to verify whether cyanide was also purchased.
“If Ms. Thi Nguyen Phunng Lan was the one who procured the poison, she would be another suspect in this poisoning case,” said the source.
Police also interrogated Mr. Hung, the husband of Ms. Thi Nguyen Phunng Lan for five hours. Mr. Hung stated he was a government official in Vietnam on a trip to Japan for tourism only, with no business involvement.
He had separated from Ms. Thi Nguyen Phunng Lan, with whom he had children, so they were living apart. He didn’t know what business his ex-wife was involved in. However, before his ex-wife’s death, he had a video call with her.
According to relatives, Ms. Sherine Chong, the suspect of administering the cyanide poison, 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. The couple was also among those who were poisoned to death.
Witnesses reported that Ms. Sherine Chong often presented herself as a credible American businesswoman to Vietnamese business circles, inviting them to invest with her. She has a record of being reported to San Francisco police ten years ago for fraud related to U.S. citizenship applications, but the case was not prosecuted.
According to Associated Press report, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller in Washington offered condolences to the families of the dead. He said the U.S. is closely monitoring the situation and would communicate with local authorities.
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