Tour guide arrested as witness in poisoning of Vietnamese group

Phan Ngoc Vu, 35 years old, was arrested by Thai authorities on the morning of August 16 while picking up a group of Vietnamese tourists at a hotel in Soi Rang Nam, Ratchathewi district, Bangkok.

Local authorities accused Mr. Vu of "operating a travel agency and working as a tour guide without a license and without a work permit in Thailand" – according to the Bangkok Post.

Tour guide is one of 40 occupations restricted to foreigners in Thailand.

Khaosod said Thai tourist police had been monitoring Mr. Vu's behavior for about a month before making the arrest.

He has now been taken to Phaya Thai police station for further legal proceedings.

Thai police escort Vietnamese tour guide Phan Ngoc Vu on August 16. Photo: Khaosod

On July 17, Thai authorities summoned Mr. Phan Ngoc Vu to testify in the case of a group of Vietnamese tourists who died in a luxury hotel in the Ratchaprasong area of ​​Bangkok, under the jurisdiction of Lumpini Police Station. Police later discovered that the cause of death was cyanide poisoning in a cup of tea.

Regarding the poisoning that killed 6 people, the police identified the suspect as Ms. Cherin Chong, 56 years old, an American citizen of Vietnamese origin. Due to a debt of 10 million baht (278,000 USD) to a couple traveling on the same trip, Ms. Chong poisoned 5 people to death and she also died in the incident.

In this case, Thai police questioned Phan Ngoc Vu because he knew a victim, Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong Lan, 47 years old.

The Vietnamese tour guide said that Ms. Lan had asked him to buy "snake medicine" for 11,000 baht. Subsequent tests confirmed that the capsules containing the medicine were not cyanide.

Lumpini police station is still waiting for official forensic results to conclude the investigation.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/thai-lan-bat-huong-dan-vien-tung-la-nhan-chung-trong-vu-nhom-nguoi-viet-bi-dau-doc-196240816215400376.htm