The directive was sent to the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Public Security, and to the Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand.

Accordingly, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh directed the Ministry of Public Security to collaborate with Thai authorities in investigating the deaths of six Vietnamese nationals in Bangkok, Thailand. The Ministry was also tasked with providing information about the victims' relatives to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate citizen protection efforts.

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Thai police at the scene of the incident. Photo: The Thaiger.com

The directive states: On July 16, Thai police discovered six bodies at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok's Pathum Wan district, including four Vietnamese citizens and two Vietnamese-Americans. Initial suspicions indicate that they were poisoned. Thai authorities are currently investigating the case.

The Prime Minister has instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to closely coordinate with Thai authorities during the investigation, take measures to protect the legitimate rights and interests of Vietnamese citizens, and proactively address any foreign affairs issues with Thailand. The Ministry is also required to promptly provide comprehensive and objective information about the case to the media and public.

The Ministry of Public Security is to cooperate in the investigation as requested by Thai authorities and provide information about the victims' families to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for citizen protection.

The Prime Minister also directed the Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand to oversee the embassy's close monitoring of the case, report on the progress of the investigation, and support the families of the victims with the necessary procedures for handling the aftermath.

Testimony of tour guide related to 6 Vietnamese deaths in Bangkok

Police at Lumphini Station have interrogated Phan Ngoc Vu, 35, a tour guide for the group of six Vietnamese who died in Bangkok. Vu revealed that he was acquainted with one of the victims, Nguyen Thi Phuong Lan.

According to the Bangkok Post and Khaosod, Vu mentioned he had known Nguyen Thi Phuong Lan previously and had been asked by her to purchase snake medicine, a type of joint pain medication, for 11,000 baht from July 3-5. Vu said he was asked to buy "Brand No. 7 Snake Medicine," a popular tonic among Vietnamese, sold in shops around Lat Krabang, Bangkok.

Vu stated that he contacted another guide named "Tiger" to connect with Lan and deliver the medicine to the hotel. Investigators are reviewing security footage to pinpoint the location of this second guide.

A Thai source stated, "If Nguyen Thi Phuong Lan was one of the buyers of the poison, she would be considered another suspect in this poisoning case."

Investigators also interrogated Lan’s husband, Hung, for five hours. Hung said he had been separated from Lan and did not know about her business dealings. However, he had a video call with her before she died.

According to Thai authorities, Hung is a businessman who had requested the guide to exchange money for Lan’s sister. The sister returned to Vietnam on July 10. Vu exchanged 70 million VND for approximately 90,000 baht and delivered the money to Lan’s sister, who had been accompanying Dang Van Hung, one of the six victims. After receiving the money, Lan’s sister returned to Da Nang the next day.

Thu Hang - Hoai Linh