‘Turned purple’: Six dead Bangkok hotel guests swallowed cyanide in apparent murder-suicide

Grim details have been released of the six foreigners who were found dead in a luxury hotel room as their cause of death is revealed.

Six people found dead in a luxury hotel room in Bangkok, Thailand, appear to have been poisoned, as authorities release photos of their teacups, which they say were laced with cyanide.

The bodies of two Americans and four Vietnamese nationals were found together in a room on the fifth floor of the five-star Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel on Tuesday evening.

The group, made up of three men and three women aged between 37 and 56, likely drank from tea and coffee cups laced with cyanide following a dispute linked to bad investments, Thai police said on Wednesday.

Photos released by police of the bloodless crime scene showed bodies scattered around the room among plates of untouched Thai food, and two thermos flasks and cups.

Initial examinations revealed the presence of cyanide in six cups, according to police.

“The mouths and nails on all the bodies turned purple, showing a lack of air could be a joint reason of the cause of the death,” forensic doctor Kornkiat Vongpaisarnsin, told a press conference at the Chulalongkorn University.

“We presume they all died from cyanide which causes a lack of air in some organs,” he added.

The drinks left in the hotel rooms where six bodies were found dead at a hotel in Bangkok. Picture: AFP.

Some of the drinks left in the hotel rooms where six bodies were found at a hotel in Bangkok, allegedly due to poisoning. Picture: AFP.

Authorities initially said they were searching for a seventh person who was part of the hotel booking. But on Wednesday they dismissed this line of inquiry, saying they believe one of the dead people poisoned the others with the deadly fast-acting chemical cyanide.

“We are convinced that one of the six people found dead committed this crime,” said Noppasil Poonsawas, a deputy commander of Bangkok police.

A photo issued by Royal Thai Police shows food on a table inside the room where the six were found dead – the food was untouched. Picture: AAP

Chief of the Police Forensic Office Trairong Phiewphan said in a press conference that cyanide was found in mugs and cups in the hotel room and at least one of the blood samples collected from a deceased man had traces of the chemical.

“Cyanide was found in the liquid inside the teapot, in all six coffee cups,” Trairong said.

Photos of the drinks left in the room where six people were found dead allegedly due to poisoning were shown to media, during a press conference at Lumpini Police Station in Bangkok on July 17, 2024. Picture: AFP.

Deputy Metropolitan Police Commissioner Noppasin Poonsawat told reporters they believe one of the members of the group may have poisoned the five others.

That person, police said, had ordered the food and tea to the room and “looked under stress” when staff arrived.

Noppasin said from interviews with hotel staff, one of the members of the group was alone in the room when the food arrived and was later joined by the other guests.

He added that the incident was likely linked to a “personal matter” and not related to organised crime as interviews carried out with relatives of the dead indicated a dispute over debt.

“One of the relatives said one of the deceased was an investment agent and all (the deceased) invested, but the business was not going as expected. They made an appointment to discuss the matter in Thailand,” Noppasin said.

Two of the dead were found in the bedroom, another at the dining table, and police believe one member of the party tried to reach the door but fell before they were able to do so.

Police inspect the Bangkok hotel where six foreigners were found dead. Picture: Lillian Suwanrumpha / AFP

Police suspect they were poisoned by someone. Picture: Lillian Suwanrumpha / AFP

Tran Dinh Dung, the father of one of the victims, said his 37-year-old son was due to return to Vietnam last Sunday.

“I kept calling him but couldn’t get through so I was very worried, but I didn’t expect him to die in Thailand,” Dung said in an interview with Vietnam’s Thanh Nien newspaper.

“Phu’s mother has fainted countless times, she could not bear this shock,” he said.

Earlier, Metropolitan police commissioner Thiti Saengsawang said the guests had failed to check out, leading staff to make the grisly discovery.

The door was locked from the inside, luggage was found packed near the door and there were no signs of struggle, authorities said.

The Grand Hyatt Erawan is a five-star luxury hotel. Picture: Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images

Police are looking for a seventh person connected to the group. Picture: Anusak Laowilas/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Pictures from the room showed coffee and tea, and a table full of food, with six meals and other side dishes. Most of the food was covered in cling wrap.

Thiti said the food appeared to be uneaten but the drinks were consumed, according to local media.

“We need to find out the motives,” Thiti said, adding that the deaths were not the result of suicide, but of a “killing”.