Overview of the discovery of 6 Vietnamese bodies in Thailand

The latest news on Khaosod's case of 6 Vietnamese bodies in Thailand said that Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin chaired a press conference with senior police officers.

The Thai Prime Minister said that the discovery of 6 bodies in a room on the 5th floor of a luxury hotel near Ratchaprasong, Bangkok on the evening of July 16 was an unexpected incident.

Initial investigation shows that hotel staff discovered 6 bodies - 4 Vietnamese people and 2 Vietnamese-American people - at 4:30 p.m. on July 16. It is estimated that this group of people had died 24 hours before being discovered.

There were no signs of robbery or assault at the scene. Thai authorities initially suspected that these 6 people had consumed some substances and that there may be a 7th Vietnamese person whose identity has not been determined. Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin exchanged and provided information to the Vietnamese Embassy.

According to Lieutenant General Thiti Saengsawang - Commander of the Thai Capital Police Department, the hotel room where the bodies were discovered had a time limit for room return at noon. When they arrived to clean up the 5th floor room in the afternoon, the hotel staff could not enter.

Realizing that the guests had not returned their rooms, the hotel staff opened the room door and discovered the bodies. They then notified the manager and Lumpini Police Station. At 5:00 p.m., the investigation teams and the forensic agency examined the scene.

Current information shows that of the 6 people who died, 4 were in the living area and 2 were in the bedroom (3 men and 3 women). The group did not book a hotel room together. A group arrived on July 13, receiving 4 rooms on the 7th floor. Another group arrived on July 14, in a room on the 5th floor. In total, 5 rooms were reserved for 7 people, 5 people took the room but 6 bodies were found. Thai immigration police also confirmed the data of the five individuals.

The 4 rooms on the 7th floor are expected to be returned to the room at noon on July 15. Their luggage was moved to a room on the 5th floor. The hotel said there was no payment for the room rental.

Police Lieutenant General Thiti Saengsawang added that in the living room, officials found 6 plates of intact Thai food. In addition, there are 6 cups of drinks, 5 cups on trays and 1 cup on the table, which is still standing. Forensic doctors have collected all the items.

All drinks were drunk. In the bathroom, Thai police found a container of oolong tea, a bottle of electrolyte juice and a bottle of water, all of which were open.

There are 2 stainless steel objects suspected to not belong to the hotel found at the scene.

Thai investigators believe that the 6 Vietnamese people died later at around 1:53 p.m. on July 15. No clear wounds were seen and no belongings were disturbed. When the staff cleaned the room to check, the door was locked from the inside and had to be opened from the back door.

Currently, Bangkok Capital Police and Thai Immigration Police have agreed on the following 3 investigation directions:

Verify whether the seventh person actually entered Thailand.

Collecting all detailed information about the 6 individuals through the embassies and social media accounts of the victims.

If there is no 7th person, the police will begin investigating suspicious motives.

The Thai investigation team coordinated with the embassy to check all the luggage in the room, searching for any evidence or clues to determine whether all the individuals were suicide or committed by others.

Currently, based on the photos, the nails and toenails of the victims seem to be dark, but this could be due to the bodies having died within about 24 hours. The autopsy will be conducted at Chulalongkorn Hospital, Thai Red Cross Society.

The Thai Central Forensic Science Unit will check all details at the scene, including fingerprints and blood stains. In addition, a team of toxic experts was called in to investigate.

The commander of the Bangkok Capital Police Department emphasized that Thai police have not yet concluded whether the victim was beaten with anesthesia or not. Thai police are now looking to verify whether there is a seventh person. Forensic evidence along with other evidence will provide answers. If everything goes well, they can determine the cause.

"We are currently searching for the 7th person because the number does not match the registration documents. If they come together, there must be travel information, seat numbers and detailed information about the airline. We need to verify whether the 7th person actually entered the country. We have asked the Embassy to check the occupations of the dead and their destination to Thailand. We are also questioning the catering staff to see if they notice anything unusual, said Lieutenant General Thiti Saengsawang.