Thai police suspect a 56-year-old Vietnamese-American woman of Vietnamese origin in using a mixture of cyanide and tea to poison 5 other Vietnamese people during a meeting at a hotel in Bangkok, Thailand to resolve a financial dispute, the latest news on the case of 6 deaths in Thailand from Bangkok Post said.
The report quoted Major General Nopasilp Poonsawat - Deputy Head of the Thai Capital Police Agency - as identifying the suspect in the case as Ms. Sherine Chong, 56 years old, a Vietnamese-American.
The hotel employee said the suspect was alone in room 502 on the 5th floor of the Grand Hyatt Erawan when the victims arrived on July 15.
Before these 5 Vietnamese people arrived at the room, suspect Sherine Chong called the hotel to serve food and tea. However, the suspect refused the offer of making tea to help the room attendant, emphasizing that he would make it himself.
The Bangkok Post report said that the security camera recorded images of 5 other Vietnamese people carrying their luggage into Sherine Chong's room. Since 2:17 p.m. on July 15, no one has left the room. It was not until the evening of July 16 that a hotel attendant discovered 6 Vietnamese bodies in this room, including Sherine Chong.
Major General Nopasilp added that suspect Sherine Chong had invited five victims to invest in construction projects. Among these five people, there is a couple who invested the equivalent of 10 million baht ($278,000) in a hospital project in Japan. Due to the project's lack of progress, the victims took legal action.
6 Vietnamese people died in a hotel in Thailand, who were scheduled to meet in court for another 2 weeks. However, Sherine Chong invited all 5 people to meet for private negotiations. Initially, the group intended to meet and discuss in Japan but could not do so due to visa issues. Therefore, the group met in a hotel room in Bangkok.
This group of Vietnamese people came to Bangkok at different times, staying in different rooms at a 5-star hotel in the city's commercial and diplomatic area.
The 5 Vietnamese people returned to the room at noon on July 15, but Sherine Chong still kept room 502 and invited the group to come back to talk again. This Vietnamese-American woman ordered food and tea for everyone.
Major General Nopasilp said that cyanide residues were found in 6 cups of tea in the hotel room. Thai police will search for the origin of the poison.
Forensic leader of Thai police Trairong Phiewphan informed that cyanide was also found in tea bags collected in the hotel room where suspect Sherine Chong was staying.
According to Khaosod, on July 17, Thai police announced tea makers with traces of cyanide used in the death of 6 Vietnamese people at a hotel in Bangkok. Mr. Trairong Phiewphan said that cyanide has an effect of less than 5 minutes, is tasteless and odorless.
