Vietnamese tour guide in Bangkok hotel poisoning case arrested

Thai police have arrested a 35-year-old Vietnamese tour guide, Phan Ngoc Vu, who had previously served as a witness in a high-profile murder case involving six people at a luxury hotel in central Bangkok. Vu was apprehended on charges of working illegally as a tour guide without a proper permit, following an investigation by the Tourism Department of Thailand and the country's tourist police.

Vu had been under surveillance for a month, with authorities suspecting that he was guiding tourists in Thailand without the necessary legal documentation, according to a report by Khaosod.

His involvement in the murder case dates back to July 17, when he provided testimony regarding the deaths of six individuals—both Vietnamese and American nationals—at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok. Hotel staff discovered their bodies on July 16. Vu had been guiding the group during their stay in Thailand, and police were working to piece together the events leading up to the deaths.

Subsequent investigations revealed that the victims had died from cyanide poisoning, which had been ingested from tea cups. Authorities suspect that a Vietnamese American woman, Sherine Chong, had laced the tea leaves with cyanide before the group brewed and consumed the toxic beverage.

The victims included American national Dang Hung Van, 55, and Vietnamese nationals Nguyen Thi Phuong Lan, 47; Pham Hong Thanh, 49; Tran Dinh Phu, 37; and Nguyen Thi Phuong, 46. The police believe the deaths were linked to a dispute over debts related to an investment, and they are still investigating how Chong obtained the cyanide and whether she had any accomplices. The conflict was reportedly connected to a hospital construction project in Japan.

During his questioning, Vu's activities raised suspicions, leading police to monitor him more closely. The Bangkok Post reported that he was observed leading Vietnamese tourists to various attractions across Thailand. As a result, Vu was charged with operating a tour business and working as a tour guide without the necessary licenses and work permit. He was taken to the Phaya Thai police station for legal proceedings.