Thailand news: Six tourists found dead at luxury hotel in Bangkok’s Lumphini

Thailand news: At least six people were found dead at Grand Hyatt Erwan Hotel in Bangkok on Tuesday, a Thai police official has confirmed, as authorities rushed to contain any fallout on the nation’s key tourism industry. According to Thailand Police the six slain individuals are Vietnamese.

Thai police from the Lumphini Police Station found the six deceased individuals at a hotel in the Ratchaprasong area around 7.30pm on Tuesday.

The Thai newspaper Matichon showed photos of police at the Grand Hyatt Erwan Hotel investigating the deaths after being summoned by hotel staff. It said five bodies were found inside a room and one outside.

The police official dismissed earlier reports in Thai media that the six people had been killed in a shooting, reported Reuters.

"There is no sign of a shooting," the official told Reuters, without elaborating further.

Prima Facie probe by the Thai police revealed that the deceased Vietnamese nationals ‘killed’ by cyanide poisoning. Local media reported that of the six, there were three men and three women.

Further, local media also informed that two of the Vietnamese nationals also hold American citizenship.

Thai police has determined that the deaths might be an act of revenge or that it may have something to do with a cult. The bodies of the victims were found at the hotel located in Ratchaprasong in downtown Bangkok, an area popular with foreign tourists, according to government spokesman Chai Wacharonke.

“There was no trace of a struggle.” local media reported.

The Thailand Prime Minsiter Srettha Thavisin has ordered an investigation into the incident wherein six Vietnamese nationals were found dead in a 5-star hotel in Bangkok's Lumphini.

Tourism plays a crucial role in Thailand's economy, constituting approximately 20% of total employment and contributing around 12% to the nation's $500 billion economy. Srettha's administration aims to draw 80 million tourists by 2027.