There were no initial indications of the tragedy that occurred on the fifth floor of the Grand Hyatt Erawan in Bangkok until police officers opened the door to Room 502. No screams were heard, no one called for help, and no one reached the door. Inside, there were no signs of a struggle, and an untouched late lunch was still neatly laid out on the table.
From outside the locked room, the only clue was that the group was late checking out. Inside, however, lay six bodies, with tea cups laced with cyanide nearby. It didn't take long for officers to deduce that the occupants had drunk the poisoned tea and to identify the victims. Days after the grim discovery, big questions remain: why them, and who did it?
The victims were four Vietnamese nationals—Thi Nguyen Phuong, 46, her husband Hong Pham Thanh, 49, Thi Nguyen Phuong Lan, 47, and Dinh Tran Phu, 37. The other two were American citizens of Vietnamese origin—Sherine Chong, 56, and Dang Hung Van, 55. According to investigators, Chong had borrowed 10 million baht ($280,000; £215,000) from Hong Pham Thanh and Thi Nguyen Phuong for a hospital building project in Japan. The couple, who owned a construction business, had unsuccessfully tried to get their money back, and the matter was due to go to court in Japan soon.
This meeting appeared to be an attempt to discuss the issue before the court date. Thi Nguyen Phuong Lan was present because Chong, who reportedly lived in Oakland, California, had asked her to mediate with the couple regarding the investment.
Dinh Tran Phu, a successful make-up artist for movie stars, singers, and beauty queens in Vietnam, was there working for Chong. His father emphasized that he had traveled to Thailand with his regular clients, not strangers. A close friend mentioned that he knew both Thi Nguyen Phuong and Thi Nguyen Phuong Lan, having introduced them to treatments at a spa in Da Nang, where he lived. Dang Hung Van's presence at the meeting was unclear. Police noted a seventh name in the hotel reservation, the sister of one of the six victims, who had returned to Vietnam from Thailand and was not involved in the incident.
The group had checked into the hotel separately over the weekend and were assigned five rooms—four on the seventh floor and one on the fifth. Chong checked into Room 502 on Sunday. The others visited her in her suite that day but returned to their respective rooms for the night. Before noon on Monday, Dang Hung Van ordered six cups of tea, while Dinh Tran Phu ordered fried rice, both to be delivered to Room 502 at 14:00 local time. A few minutes before 14:00, Chong began receiving the food orders, alone in the suite at the time. She refused the waiter's offer to brew tea, appearing visibly stressed.
The rest of the group arrived soon after, with the couple bringing a suitcase. By 14:17, all six were seen by the door before it shut. No movement was detected afterward. The group was scheduled to check out on Monday but failed to do so. Police entered the room at 16:30 on Tuesday and found the six dead on the floor. Two had apparently tried to reach the suite's door but didn't make it in time. All the bodies showed signs of cyanide poisoning, such as dark purple lips and nails, and "blood red" internal organs. Cyanide, which starves the body's cells of oxygen and can cause heart attacks, can kill within minutes in certain doses. Further tests are being conducted to determine the intensity of the cyanide and to rule out other toxins.
Police suspect one of the deceased was behind the poisoning due to crushing debt but have not specified who. According to Vietnamese outlet VN Express, investigators stated Chong had been sued by all five others over failed investments. The Bangkok meeting aimed to negotiate a settlement, but the attempt failed.