Six people, including at the least one Vietnamese-American, were found dead at an upscale Bangkok hotel on Tuesday, the Thai government said, prompting a swift investigation to stem any damage to the tourism sector.
Thai police said in a separate statement that each one six people were foreign nationals.
The incident at the luxurious 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 urgently take action to avoid negative impacts on tourism,” the Thai government said in an announcement.
A police officer, who asked to not be named, denied earlier Thai media reports that six people had been killed within the shooting.
“There are no signs of gunfire,” the official told Reuters, adding that Vietnamese nationals were amongst those killed. The official didn’t provide further details.
The U.S. and Vietnamese embassies in Bangkok didn’t reply to Reuters’ calls.
Police officers found the bodies of six deceased foreign nationals on the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel after receiving a report from hotel staff at 5:30 p.m., Thai police said in an announcement.
Police or medical services haven’t yet been contacted for further comment.
The Grand Hyatt Erawan, which has greater than 350 rooms and is situated in a preferred tourist area known for its luxury shops and restaurants, didn’t immediately reply to calls or an email looking for comment.
More than 28 million foreign tourists visited Thailand last yr, spending 1.2 trillion baht ($33.71 billion) within the country, as other key sectors of the economy slowly recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic.
The government expects 35 million foreigners to reach this yr, due to longer visa stays and visa exemptions for some nationalities.
The tourism sector was hit last October after a shooting at a luxury shopping center near the Hyatt Hotel through which two foreigners were killed, prompting the federal government to take steps to enhance confidence.
