Cyanide and debt findings point to murder-suicide at Bangkok hotel

July 18, 2024

BANGKOK – Police suspect that one of the Vietnamese guests found dead at the hotel in Bangkok on Tuesday poisoned the other five with cyanide before committing suicide by the same method.

Investigators cited testimony from the daughter of one of the deceased, who said her parents travelled to Thailand to negotiate debts worth several million baht.

Authorities suspect that the failure of the negotiation led to the poisoning.

Results of autopsies on the first two bodies revealed the presence of cyanide.

Trirong Piupan, chief of Police Forensic Science, said six cups at the scene contained black coffee from an aluminium thermos thought to belong to the deceased. Tests came back positive for potassium cyanide, Trirong said.

Forensic doctors at Chulalongkorn Hospital were due to hold a press conference on the findings later today.

The two US nationals among the deceased were named as Sherine Chong, 56, and Hung Dang Van, 55.

The four victims with Vietnamese passports were Thi Nguyen Phuong Lan,47, Hong Pham Thanh, 49, Dinh Tran Phu, 37, and Thi Nguyen Phuong, 46.

Two of the six were married.

Relatives of the deceased told police that the victims had been arranging repayment of significant loans. Among the deceased were borrowers, lenders, and guarantors.

The seventh member of the party had booked the room next door and left the country before the bodies were discovered. Police believe she is the daughter of one of the victims and was not involved in the poisoning.

Hotel security camera footage shows the deceased gathering in the room where they died, ordering food, and then receiving the order.

The perpetrator had only a few moments to commit the act.

Police are now compiling a timeline and narrative of the entire event.

What is cyanide?

Cyanide refers to a group of chemicals that contain the cyanide ion (CN-). These chemicals are highly toxic and are used in various industrial processes such as metal plating, chemical synthesis, and laboratory analysis.

Cyanide can also be found naturally in substances such as amygdalin and linamarin, which are present in apricot seeds, black cherries, and cassava roots and leaves.

In Thailand, there have been reports of cyanide poisoning from consuming cassava, sometimes resulting in death.

Dangers of cyanide

Cyanide can kill quickly after entering the human body through various routes, including inhalation of gas, ingestion in solid or liquid form, or even skin contact.

When ingested on an empty stomach, cyanide acts within minutes. But if the stomach is full, death can be delayed by hours.

Inhaling hydrogen cyanide can cause death within seconds.

Cyanide prevents cells from using oxygen, leading to cellular asphyxiation and lactic acidosis.

Symptoms of cyanide poisoning vary from mild to severe.

Mild symptoms:
– Muscle fatigue and heaviness in limbs
– Difficulty breathing
– Headache and dizziness
– Nausea and vomiting
– Faint almond odour on breath
– Irritation in the nose, throat, and mouth

Severe symptoms:
– Severe nausea and vomiting
– Difficulty breathing
– Seizures and unconsciousness
– Death