Vietnamese murder-suicide: Cryptic letter found, tour guide questioned

Police discovered a suspicious message written in Chinese on the phone of the alleged killer of the Vietnamese nationals poisoned in a Bangkok hotel. A Vietnamese tour guide who bought medicine for one of the deceased is also under suspicion and is currently being questioned by police.

Metropolitan Police Bureau officers are continuing their investigation into the murder-suicide case, which came to light after the discovery of six dead Vietnamese people at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Bangkok on July 16.

One of the deceased, Vietnamese-American woman Sherine Chong, is suspected of poisoning the others with cyanide-laced tea before taking her own life. Her motive is believed to be a business dispute involving over 10 million baht.

After questioning a Vietnamese tour guide, Phan Ngoc Wu, officers suspect three Vietnamese nationals of involvement in the murder-suicide: Thi Nguyen Phuong Lan, Hung Dang Van (both deceased), and Thi Nguyen Phuong Lan’s sister, who did not check into the hotel as planned.

Thi Nguyen Phuong Lan’s Vietnamese-Japanese husband was also questioned. He denied any knowledge of the poisoning and insisted he was in Japan for tourism, not business. There is no report on whether police intend to question Thi Nguyen Phuong Lan’s sister.

Money manifesto

Police yesterday, July 18, summoned another Vietnamese tour guide, known only as Tiger, for questioning. Tiger purchased a restorative medicine called Snake Medicine Number 7 for Thi Nguyen Phuong Lan.

Police confirmed that the medicine was not involved in the deaths but they continue to question Tiger for any information relevant to the investigation. Details of the questioning have not yet been made public.

Officers also revealed the results of their investigation into the deceased’s phones. They found a suspicious message on Chong’s phone, written in Chinese, primarily about money. The letter reads:

“Money is my servant, as it comes every time I need it, and it always comes in the amount I desire. I have a strong power. The more power I have, the more money comes. Love is the greatest power in the world. Love comes with money. I am the master of love, and money will always come to me. People who value money will never be poor.

“The universe always gives me money because I support the universe and others. The earth always gives me money because I am always grateful for everyone and every dollar. All the land always gives me money because I love and care for everything. Endless money comes to me because love and power are flowing in my body. I have love, so I have money.”

However, it is unclear whether Chong wrote the message herself or took a photo of it from somewhere else. It is also unclear whether the letter is related to any cults or Chong’s belief that could lead to the murder.

UPDATE 3: Vietnamese tour guide reveals more on Bangkok hotel murder-suicide

Further questioning of a Vietnamese tour guide, who served the six Vietnamese nationals before their deaths, revealed that another tour guide, named Tiger, may have known the source of the cyanide and been able to identify others involved in the murder-suicide case.

Six Vietnamese nationals died from cyanide poisoning at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Bangkok, with their bodies discovered by a hotel maid and security guard on Tuesday, July 16. Among the deceased, 56 year old Sherine Chong, a Vietnamese-American citizen, was suspected of being the murderer.

According to the Metropolitan Police Bureau, Chong laced the tea with cyanide. It was consumed by all the deceased, including herself. The motive for Chong’s crime is suspected to be a debt of approximately 10 million baht.

Chong reportedly invited each victim to invest in a hospital project in Japan but the project failed to progress, leading the investors to demand their money back. They travelled to Thailand and stayed at the hotel to resolve the issue.

Channel 7 reported that three people in the deaths, including Sherine Chong, Thi Nguyen Phuong Lan, and Hung Dang Van, believed to be Chong’s husband, were the agents who invited others to invest in the hospital project.

A 37 year old makeup artist, Dinh Tran Phu, and another couple, Thi Nguyen Phuong and Hong Pham Thanh, who died at the hotel, were investors.

To confirm their suspicions and locate the source of the cyanide, police questioned the 35 year old Vietnamese tour guide, Phan Ngoc Wu, who had provided services to the group.

Phan revealed that he met one of the deceased last year before assisting the group this year. The name of the person had not yet been revealed.

Source of cyanide unknown

After questioning the tour guide, police revealed that Thi Nguyen Phuong Lan asked the guide, Phan Ngoc Wu, to buy a medicine called Snake Medicine Number 7, for 11,000 baht. Phan Ngoc Wu then asked another tour guide, identified only as Tiger, to purchase the medicine.

ThaiRath reported that Snake Medicine Number 7 is a restorative medicine that has been popular among Vietnamese people for over 10 years. The medicine comes in small, multi-coloured tablets packed in a plastic bottle.

The medicine is only available in Thailand, so Vietnamese tourists often buy it to take back to their home country.

Tiger delivered the medicine to Thi Nguyen Phuong Lan at a hotel near Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok. Officers are now reviewing security camera footage to locate Tiger.

Phan Ngoc Wu further revealed that Thi Nguyen Phuong Lan’s husband, a Japanese businessman, asked him to exchange Vietnamese dong for 90,000 Thai baht and give the money to one of the deceased, Hung Dang Van.

Channel 7 reported that Hung Dang Van later gave the money to Thi Nguyen Phuong Lan’s sister, who was supposed to check into the hotel but did not. After receiving the money, the sister immediately returned to Vietnam.

Thai PBS reported that Thi Nguyen Phuong Lan’s Japanese husband asked the tour guide to search for his wife after being unable to contact her. The guide claimed to have searched for her around Bangkok before she was found dead in the hotel room.

According to the media, Thi Nguyen Phuong Lan’s Japanese husband is currently being questioned at Lumpini Police Station in Bangkok.

UPDATE 2: Murder-suicide: 6 Vietnamese deaths linked to 10 million baht debt

Following the suspicious deaths of six Vietnamese nationals at a hotel in Bangkok, Thai police discovered that one of the deceased, a Vietnamese-American woman, allegedly poisoned her friends before committing suicide with the toxin over a 10 million baht debt.

The Metropolitan Police Bureau of Thailand revealed more details of the case in a press conference, today, July 17, following an investigation into the deaths of the six foreigners, whose bodies were discovered last night.

The deceased were identified as American citizens Sherine Chong (56 years old) and Dang Hung Van (55 years old), and Vietnamese nationals Thi Nguyen Phuong Lan (47 years old), Hong Pham Thanh (49 years old), Dinh Tran Phu (37 years old), and Thi Nguyen Phuong (46 years old).

Dang Hung Van and Thi Nguyen Phuong were a married couple. Police questioned their children and found that they invested 10 million baht in a hospital project in Japan with Sherine Chong. The project had not progressed, leading to a dispute over the funds.

The group, initially planning to meet in Japan to resolve the issue, changed their destination to Thailand due to visa problems. It remains unclear whether the other deceased were also investors in the project.

Seven hotel rooms were booked for the group but only six individuals checked in. The seventh person, a sister of one of the deceased, was not involved in the incident.

The individuals checked in on different days between July 14 and 15, later gathering in a room booked under Chong’s name.

Hotel staff reported serving food and tea to the group for the last time at 1.57pm. According to the deputy police chief, a waiter offered to make tea for the guests but Chong refused this. The waiter recalled that she “spoke very little and was visibly under stress.”

The waiter later left the room and no one else is believed to have entered apart from the six inside. Police say there were no signs of a struggle or a robbery.

Police suspect Chong used this opportunity to lace the tea with cyanide, serving it to others before consuming it herself. Police believe her motive was an inability to repay the investment money.

Cyanide was found in all six teacups, as well as in the blood system of one of the deceased and two stainless tumblers.

Searches of their luggage did not uncover any illegal items but a land litigation document dating back to 2022 was found in Chong’s belongings.

One of the victims, Dinh Tran Phu, was a well-known makeup artist in Vietnam with over 15,000 followers on his Facebook page, Phú Gia Gia (I’m Makeup Artist).

UPDATE 1: Cyanide poisoning suspected in deaths of 6 Vietnamese nationals

A Thai academic suspects that cyanide poisoning may have been used in the deaths of six Vietnamese nationals at a hotel in Bangkok.

The deaths of the six Vietnamese visitors came to light at approximately 7.30pm, yesterday, July 16. They were found lifeless in the same room on the fifth floor of a luxury hotel, reported to be the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel, located in Bangkok’s city centre. The original report stated they were found on the sixth floor.

Two of the Vietnamese nationals also held American citizenship. It was reported on DailyNews that each of them was frequent visitors to Thailand but the police have not yet confirmed this information.

According to reports from Brick Info TV, each Vietnamese tourist arrived in Thailand alone. They checked into separate rooms located on the fifth to seventh floors of the hotel, later gathering in a single room on the fifth floor.

The group had booked seven hotel rooms but only five members checked in. Despite this, six bodies were discovered in the room. According to the police report, they had not yet paid for their accommodation. Officers are also investigating whether there was a mistake in booking the room or if the seventh person did not attend the scheduled meeting.

Upon inspecting the room, investigators found that six plates of Thai food had been ordered, all left untouched. However, empty cups in the room indicated that each person had consumed tea or coffee before their death.

Two suspicious stainless-steel tumblers were discovered in the room, though their contents have not been disclosed. Additionally, officers located a packet of tea and two opened bottles of water and mineral water.

Cyanide effect

Samples of all the food and drinks were collected for further investigation, as poisoning is suspected to be the main cause of death. Officers also plan to investigate the luggage left unpacked in the room.

Police further reported that the fingers and toes of the deceased had turned dark. However, this does not confirm poisoning, as it could be due to the bodies being undiscovered for about 24 hours.

A well-known academic and professor from Kasetsart University, Weerachai Phutdhawong, suspected that the Vietnamese nationals may have been poisoned with cyanide.

Phutdhawong posted on Facebook that he had seen photographs of the bodies and other evidence from the hotel room. He suggested that cyanide might be involved because each deceased person had bruises and pink skin. Furthermore, he noted that a person dying from cyanide poisoning would not exhibit foam at the mouth.

The professor also highlighted that each Vietnamese individual appeared to have died suddenly, which is consistent with the effects of cyanide, known to cause rapid death in sufficient quantities.

However, Professor Phutdhawong advised the public to await comprehensive autopsy results for each body, as well as the examination of the food and beverages found in the room.

ORIGINAL STORY: 6 Vietnamese nationals found dead at hotel in Bangkok

Six Vietnamese nationals mysteriously died today at a luxury hotel in Bangkok after allegedly drinking tea and coffee mixed with poison. Police believe there may be a seventh Vietnamese but that individual has not been located.

The deaths of the six foreigners were reported to the Metropolitan Police Bureau at approximately 7.30pm today, July 16. They were reportedly found lifeless in the same room on the sixth floor of the luxury hotel near the Ratchaprasong intersection.

The name of the hotel has not yet been confirmed, but some news agencies reported that it was the five-star Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel.

According to a report on Brick Info TV, they were scheduled to check out today, and all of their belongings were packed up ready to leave.

Several Thai news agencies initially reported that all of the foreigners had died in a shooting. However, police later confirmed that there were no traces of fighting or struggling found at the scene.

The Commander of the Investigation Division of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, Teeradate Thammasutee, arrived at the scene at about 8.30pm. Teeradate reported that all of the deceased were Vietnamese nationals, and two of them also held American citizenship.

They are identified as below:

• Sherine Chong (56 years old)

• Hung Dang Van (55 years old)

• Thi Nguyen Phuong Lan (47 years old)

• Hong Pham Thanh (49 years old)

• Dinh Tran Phu (37 years old)

• Thi Nguyen Phuong (46 years old)

According to Teeradate, police suspected that the victims were poisoned, as leftover tea and coffee were found at the scene. However, officers will transfer the bodies to the Police General Hospital for a thorough autopsy.

Regarding the motive for the murders, officers believe it might be related to a business or personal conflict among the deceased. Another possibility is that the deaths were a sacrifice to some cult.

The Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, Torsak Sukvimol, arrived at the scene at about 8.30pm. According to Torsak, each Vietnamese individual arrived in Thailand at different times and entered the country on tourist visas.

The investigation into the cause and motive of their deaths continues.

More to follow.