Traces of cyanide have been found in cups and a teapot in the room of a luxury Bangkok hotel where the bodies of six people were discovered in a suspected deliberate poisoning.
Police in Thailand said poisoning by cyanide – a rapidly-acting, deadly chemical – was likely the cause of death of the three men and three women.
The four Vietnamese nationals and two Vietnamese Americans were found by a maid in the room which was locked from the inside.
Food ordered by room service was found untouched inside the room – but drinks had been consumed.
Four of the bodies were in the living room and two in the bedroom.
Police Lieutenant General Trairong Phiwpan told a news conference on Wednesday one of the six is the one who committed the murders at the Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel.
“After staff brought teacups and two hot water bottles, milk and teapots… one of the six introduced cyanide,” he said.
Interviews with relatives of the dead revealed there had been a dispute over debt, police said.
Officers said the investigation – aided by the FBI – also revealed a possible motive could be a conflict among the six victims regarding multi-million Baht investments.
The Vietnamese government said its embassy in Bangkok was working with Thai authorities on the case, while the US State Department said it was monitoring the situation.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive Breaking News alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News App. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
Source Agencies
