In a shocking incident at a luxury hotel in central Bangkok, six individuals were found dead in their room, with investigations pointing towards poisoning as the cause of death. Thai authorities suspect that one member of the group took their own life and then went on to murder the rest by lacing their cups of tea with cyanide. The Thai police, along with assistance from the FBI, are actively investigating the case.

Autopsies conducted on the six bodies revealed signs of cyanide poisoning, and tests confirmed the presence of the deadly chemical in a tea flask and six cups. The victims, who were identified as three Vietnamese nationals and two Americans, were believed to have been involved in a business dispute, according to interviews conducted by the police with a relative.

The tragic incident is suspected to have occurred on Monday afternoon when the group ordered food and English tea to their room on the fifth floor of the Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel in Bangkok's commercial district. The only member of the group seen by hotel staff was a 56-year-old woman who received the food and drinks, informing them that there was no need to serve the tea.

CCTV footage showed all six members of the group gathering outside the room and entering together. However, they were not seen coming out again. The bodies were discovered on Tuesday afternoon by a member of the hotel's housekeeping staff, who had become concerned when the group failed to check out on time.

Police have identified a potential motive for the killings, stating that a married couple from the group had loaned a substantial amount of money to another member for a business project in Japan. The couple, who ran a construction company in Vietnam, had reportedly loaned 10 million Thai baht ($278,000/£214,000). Detectives believe that a dispute over money may have led to the deadly incident.

Further investigation into the group's activities is underway, with authorities studying CCTV footage to establish a timeline of their stay in Bangkok. The Thai Prime Minister, Srettha Thavisin, has assured the public that the incident is not related to terrorism and that it would not disrupt the scheduled meeting with the Russian energy minister taking place at the same hotel.

A seventh person who had been included in the group's booking but did not check-in was initially being sought by the police. However, it was later discovered that the individual was the younger sister of one of the women in the group, and she had already returned to Vietnam before the incident occurred.

As the investigation continues, the US State Department has stated its readiness to provide consular assistance to the American citizens involved. Further details about the quantity of cyanide ingested are anticipated to be released later in the day. This tragic incident echoes a similar case in Thailand last year, where a woman was charged with multiple counts of murder after allegedly poisoning individuals with cyanide, resulting in one of the country's worst suspected serial-killing cases.