Six people were found dead at a luxury Bangkok hotel on Tuesday (16), including at least one American citizen of Vietnamese descent, the Thai government said, as the prime minister ordered a swift investigation to contain any damage to the tourism sector.
Thai police said in a separate statement that the six people were all foreigners.
The incident, which took place at the luxury Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel in Bangkok, comes as Thailand seeks to further promote its tourism sector, a key driver of Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy.
“The Prime Minister has ordered all agencies to take urgent measures to avoid impact on tourism,” the Thai government said in its statement.
A police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, dismissed earlier reports in Thai media that six people had been killed in a shooting.
“There is no sign of gunfire,” the official told Reuters, adding that Vietnamese nationals were among the dead. The official gave no further details.
The U.S. and Vietnamese embassies in Bangkok did not respond to calls from Reuters.
Police officers found the bodies of six deceased foreigners at the Grand Hyatt Erawan after receiving a call from hotel staff at around 5:30 p.m. reporting that there had been deaths, Thai police said in a statement.
Police and medical services could not immediately be reached for further comment.
Tourist district
The Grand Hyatt Erawan, which has more than 350 rooms and is located in a popular tourist district known for its upscale shopping and dining, did not immediately respond to calls or an email seeking comment.
More than 28 million foreign tourists visited Thailand last year, spending $33.71 billion in the country, where other key sectors of the economy have been slow to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.
The government expects 35 million foreigners to visit this year, due to longer visa stays and exemptions for several nationalities.
The tourism sector was rocked last October by a shooting at a luxury shopping mall near the Hyatt in which two foreigners were killed, prompting government measures to boost confidence.
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Source: CNN Brasil
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