Norwegian Woman And American Woman Die Of Unknown Causes on Koh Phi Phi

[CFIT]

This was posted on Topix by "cjvan";

"I suspect the guest house is trying to fumigate for either bedbugs or termites without knowing what they are doing. The tourists' symptoms fit with Vikane poisoning. What's baffling is that there is more than one accidental death from the same chemical at same location.

[ Poster does not know rooms of four ill occupants were adjoining.]

What is Vikane?

Vikane is a colorless, odorless gas with the chemical name sulfuryl fluoride (SO2F2). An acrid-smelling fumigant called chloropicrin (used for tear gas) is released into the structure with Vikane to provide a noticeable warning when leaks occur. Vikane is made exclusively by Dow AgroSciences and is used in homes primarily to kill drywood termites. Sulfuryl fluoride is also sold under the name ProFume and used to fumigate stored grains and dried fruits and nuts.

Will Vikane hurt me and my family?

Yes. Symptoms of exposure to Vikane include stinging eyes as well as nose, throat, and lung irritation. Exposure can cause fluid to collect in the lungs, a complication that can lead to serious respiratory illness. Other effects include nausea and vomiting, as well as neurological symptoms such as slurred speech, slowed gait, weakness, irritability, numbness, tremors, and seizures. Chronic neurotoxic effects observed in fumigant applicators include tremors, inability to concentrate, and reduction in cognitive skills. There are several reported poisonings in California where people have died after trying to enter a tarped house while it is fumigated, and even one reported death when the house."

End of post

Edited June 1, 2009 by CFIT

[sriracha john]

But then, how did the insecticide, which we don't even know if it exists anywhere on the island and aren't aware that its ever been used, kill 2 people and injured 2 more.... yet had no effect in the slightest on the people occupying rooms beside and above those mortally effected?

[faranginbkk]

But then, how did the insecticide, which we don't even know if it exists anywhere on the island and aren't aware that its ever been used, kill 2 people and injured 2 more.... yet had no effect in the slightest on the people occupying rooms beside and above those mortally effected?

That's easy to explain. Insecticides/pesticides are available everywhere and used everywhere in Thailand, and surely available on Phi Phi as well. The two rooms where the deaths occured were the only air con rooms. Obviously, the other rooms with no aircon were left with open windows to get the fumes out while the aircon rooms did not 'need to' open the windows, just turn the aircon on. But, then the air would be circulated inside rather than ventilated out of the room.

It is quite evident at this point that gas from fumigation is the likely cause. It can be any of a wide variety of pesticides as mentioned earlier (paraquat, organic phosphorous compounds, etc - they act in similar ways).

[IraqRon]

I wonder if the authorities investigating these deaths have looked at those that may have benefited in some way in these womens deaths, or had some other motive for wanting one or both dead? Wouldn't be the first time that a close companion murdered someone and also committed a second to attempt to coverup the first.

Just a thought. I've probably been watching too many crime shows on Tele, when I get the chance that is.

[brahmburgers]

This was posted on Topix by "cjvan";

"I suspect the guest house is trying to fumigate for either bedbugs or termites without knowing what they are doing. The tourists' symptoms fit with Vikane poisoning. What's baffling is that there is more than one accidental death from the same chemical at same location.

[ Poster does not know rooms of four ill occupants were adjoining.]

What is Vikane?

Vikane is a colorless, odorless gas with the chemical name sulfuryl fluoride (SO2F2). An acrid-smelling fumigant called chloropicrin (used for tear gas) is released into the structure with Vikane to provide a noticeable warning when leaks occur. Vikane is made exclusively by Dow AgroSciences and is used in homes primarily to kill drywood termites. Sulfuryl fluoride is also sold under the name ProFume and used to fumigate stored grains and dried fruits and nuts.

Will Vikane hurt me and my family?

Yes. Symptoms of exposure to Vikane include stinging eyes as well as nose, throat, and lung irritation. Exposure can cause fluid to collect in the lungs, a complication that can lead to serious respiratory illness. Other effects include nausea and vomiting, as well as neurological symptoms such as slurred speech, slowed gait, weakness, irritability, numbness, tremors, and seizures. Chronic neurotoxic effects observed in fumigant applicators include tremors, inability to concentrate, and reduction in cognitive skills. There are several reported poisonings in California where people have died after trying to enter a tarped house while it is fumigated, and even one reported death when the house."

End of post

Where would the g.h. manager (or whomever she may have hired) go shopping for insecticide? Probably not Phi Phi, as it's so small. It would be interesting to note what sorts of insecticides/fumigants are available for sale at regional towns (Krabi? Phuket?). Doing so would give a chemistry-trained investigator

a 'leg up' - by having an idea what sorts of chemicals to test for in the course of investigating the scene.

...that's assuming there are qualified people doing some scientific investigating - which is a BIG assumption. given that the only little bits of info we've heard thus far re; an investigation are off the mark and appear to be aimed at accomplishing two things:

A. tossing out 'a canard' (a ploy to divert peoples' attention to something that is not the real issue).

B. hoping that, by continuing to do as little as possible, peoples' attention will dull, and the whole scenario devolves into a murky 'mai pen rai.'

[Thai at Heart]

This was posted on Topix by "cjvan";

"I suspect the guest house is trying to fumigate for either bedbugs or termites without knowing what they are doing. The tourists' symptoms fit with Vikane poisoning. What's baffling is that there is more than one accidental death from the same chemical at same location.

[ Poster does not know rooms of four ill occupants were adjoining.]

What is Vikane?

Vikane is a colorless, odorless gas with the chemical name sulfuryl fluoride (SO2F2). An acrid-smelling fumigant called chloropicrin (used for tear gas) is released into the structure with Vikane to provide a noticeable warning when leaks occur. Vikane is made exclusively by Dow AgroSciences and is used in homes primarily to kill drywood termites. Sulfuryl fluoride is also sold under the name ProFume and used to fumigate stored grains and dried fruits and nuts.

Will Vikane hurt me and my family?

Yes. Symptoms of exposure to Vikane include stinging eyes as well as nose, throat, and lung irritation. Exposure can cause fluid to collect in the lungs, a complication that can lead to serious respiratory illness. Other effects include nausea and vomiting, as well as neurological symptoms such as slurred speech, slowed gait, weakness, irritability, numbness, tremors, and seizures. Chronic neurotoxic effects observed in fumigant applicators include tremors, inability to concentrate, and reduction in cognitive skills. There are several reported poisonings in California where people have died after trying to enter a tarped house while it is fumigated, and even one reported death when the house."

End of post

Where would the g.h. manager (or whomever she may have hired) go shopping for insecticide? Probably not Phi Phi, as it's so small. It would be interesting to note what sorts of insecticides/fumigants are available for sale at regional towns (Krabi? Phuket?). Doing so would give a chemistry-trained investigator

a 'leg up' - by having an idea what sorts of chemicals to test for in the course of investigating the scene.

...that's assuming there are qualified people doing some scientific investigating - which is a BIG assumption. given that the only little bits of info we've heard thus far re; an investigation are off the mark and appear to be aimed at accomplishing two things:

A. tossing out 'a canard' (a ploy to divert peoples' attention to something that is not the real issue).

B. hoping that, by continuing to do as little as possible, peoples' attention will dull, and the whole scenario devolves into a murky 'mai pen rai.'

Vikane as far as I know isn't widely used in Thailand, other than for furniture exports because I understand it doesn't react with metals during fumigation. It is normally used for whole house fumigation under polythene sheets in the US. New Thai buildings are generally concrete so they normally don't do whole house fumigation.

Aluminium phosphide is available all over the country and rarely if ever used properly. Pest controllers will drill and drop it into the foundations of buildings to control termites and other bugs. Residual fumes can cause a huge problem so never chance it and go home early if you call the pest control guy. It is used because it is extremely cheap. If I remember it is heavier than air so it tends to sink into pipes or drains.

Both of these if used in a room that isn't sealed it can be extremely dangerous due to leakage. In moderate concentrations they would be fatal for at least a couple of days even in a leaky room.

However, a very bad fumigator/pest control guy could have used them if there was termite or bedbug infestation in the cupboards ,furniture or beds for example.

It would have needed the room to be completely sealed for at least a couple days and properly ventilated for at least 1/2 a day or more to do it safely, which in a building with probably false ceilings, dodgy windows, connecting drains and a wonky door would be virtually impossible and would explain the possible leakage to other rooms. To do this would have been amazingly irresponsible, and even the keystone BIB's would probably have worked out by now that the pest control guy had worked there in the last week or so. Although TIT.

[Town35]

But then, how did the insecticide, which we don't even know if it exists anywhere on the island and aren't aware that its ever been used, kill 2 people and injured 2 more.... yet had no effect in the slightest on the people occupying rooms beside and above those mortally effected?

That's easy to explain. Insecticides/pesticides are available everywhere and used everywhere in Thailand, and surely available on Phi Phi as well. The two rooms where the deaths occured were the only air con rooms. Obviously, the other rooms with no aircon were left with open windows to get the fumes out while the aircon rooms did not 'need to' open the windows, just turn the aircon on. But, then the air would be circulated inside rather than ventilated out of the room.

It is quite evident at this point that gas from fumigation is the likely cause. It can be any of a wide variety of pesticides as mentioned earlier (paraquat, organic phosphorous compounds, etc - they act in similar ways).

Interesting. That gives a good explanation that could explain why there were only victims in the air-conditioned rooms. I read some submissions earlier that talked about the Thai building codes not enforcing certain plumbing feature like vents and traps. But how possible is that pesticide was poured down the drain of the sink to dispose of it and over the days the fumes could have seeped back up and also have been strong enough to be dangerous?

Regards -- Town

[sriracha john]

Interesting, but completely unproven. Has there been any evidence that any of the rooms underwent fumigation of this nature in the preceding day(s) of the deaths?

[brahmburgers]

Interesting, but completely unproven. Has there been any evidence that any of the rooms underwent fumigation of this nature in the preceding day(s) of the deaths?

Many things about this case are 'unproven.' We hear frustratingly little about what is going on. We don't know whether there is any real investigation at all, or whether it's 'mai pen rai' Thai style ' do-as-little-as-possible psuedo investigation, or whether there have been some significant leads that have been hushed up. Indications thus far, are it's a combination of inept investigation - along with a cover up.

Any news about the the 'green jeans' man who was found floating in the sea? Any news about the farang who died from poisoning recently in Phuket? And what of the man who died mysteriously at a Phi Phi g.h. in early April?

Recently we heard of at least one of the Laleena g.h. victim's lungs being impaired, yet no news within the first several weeks, including initial forensic reports, mentioned anything about victims' lung condition. It's no surprise that the important info was reported by a foreign doctor working overseas.

Granted, none of us who are commenting are the investigators on the scene (though some of us may have forensic experience), but some of us are making suggestions in the hope of possibly aiding investigators (if there are any). It may or may not compel Thai investigators to do a better job with such scenarios in the future. Hopefully they will get better training, better tools, and better funding. Or authorities can take the 'mai pen rai' way, and continue their pattern of botched investigations and cover-ups.

[Thaddeus]

Or authorities can take the 'mai pen rai' way, and continue their pattern of botched investigations and cover-ups.

Sorry BB, but until incompetence starts getting acknowledged and treated as such at the time it happens i.e. the incompetent getting sacked and publicly humiliated, nothing will change.

People have short memories for old news (as this case is becoming) when the next event happens, this one will be forgotten by most so that a new cycle can start again.

I would love to see the day when a team of Thai investigators (I use the term loosely) are lined up and told that they are <deleted> useless......... however, I don't expect I'll live that long.

[CFIT]

Any news about the the 'green jeans' man who was found floating in the sea? Any news about the farang who died from poisoning recently in Phuket? And what of the man who died mysteriously at a Phi Phi g.h. in early April?

.....

Do you mean the German man who was also vomiting? That cause of death has been established as poisoning?

Please, where are you getting this info from?

we need to start a concerned ex pat group.

Concerned Thai Ex-Pats ( CTEP )

If we stand together , we can make a change, get answers . If the authorities know we're looking and contacting foreign press, etc, they will amend their ways.

L and the Phuket crash ook at 1-2 go, one American woman stood up, investigated on her own, and got the US NTSB/ FAA involved and now the report is released, the airline is to blame, 1-2 go has been censured, forced to change its policies banned in EU , etc .

IT IS POSSIBLE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

[ConfusedFarang]

Does anybody know where on the island this Laleena Guesthouse is actually located (and if it's even labeled)? Is it the small place right across from the water treatment area? What hotels/bars is it between?

[warfie]

BUMP!

any news? I've found none... seems like this has been forgotten...

[Gonzo the Face]

This file has been forwarded to The Nation's [you know,Thailand's Semi English Language Newspaper ] "Follow Up Department"

Good Luck

[cmdream]

This file has been forwarded to The Nation's [you know,Thailand's Semi English Language Newspaper ] "Follow Up Department"

Good Luck

Hi folks, this tragedy is to important to be forgotten. The lack of information from the government is indicative of a cover up !! The mysterious deaths of 2 young and healthy young girls and the close deaths of their 2 companions is a matter of great concern. We cannot

let this matter end up in oblivion of apathy. Keep posting to keep this on page 1 of Thaivisa. No matter what you write the number of posts keeps it at the top and not lost on page 2-3 or 4. These lost souls are deserving of our respect. Thanks for all the theories put forth on this thread. Someone MUST be held accountable for this tragedy or heaven help the rest of us.

[Nam Plah]

With a dose of Forensic Pathologist Michael Baden, a dash of TV diagnostician extraordinaire Gregory House and a healthy splash of Peter Falk's turn as Colombo I foist this on top of all the observations and theories:

Ryan Kells own account on his blog never stated the mysterious "chemical odor".

This description came later in interviews with the press.

Kells is a glass blower who might have had some experience with strange "chemical" odors.

And what kind of chemical odor?

Acrid, sharp, sweet like acetone, noxious like exhaust fumes, chlorine, benzine, pungent like malathion, harsh like ammonia...?

A better description of this vague "chemical odor" would seem to assist in the investigation.

And the two Norwegian girls reported a "foul" odor that caused them to hide under the covers...

What kind of a foul odor... Rotten garbage or sewer gas, fried pigs intestines or Durian? Hydrogen Sulfide?

Again a better description would be an important clue if a noxious gas were to blame.

[Jimjim]

I find it interesting how some here like to lump together a bunch of deaths as if they are connected, with absolutely no proof that they are. How is a man found dead in the sea connected to this case? Not at all, except for the fact he was found dead in Thailand. Please stop trying to make connections where there are none to be found, and go back to watching CSI.

[Nam Plah]

It would also make sense that if two victims died and two only became ill that any doctor worth his salt would immediately run a battery of blood tests, tox screens and fecal/urine tests on the SURVIVORS to gain insight into what killed their unfortunate companions.

I see no indication that this was done.

I would like to point out that I would in no way try to insult, defame or allege any behavior by any of these individuals but am only postulating from a distance.

Scenario:

Twenty something year old's on holiday in Thailand.

Subscribing to a bit of the backpacker lifestyle.

Freewheeling and enjoying the sun and fun.

Meeting new people and making fast friends.

Tippling a drink or two.

Possibly ingesting substances (natural or otherwise) intended to elevate their happy experience on lovely, scenic Phi Phi.

Said substances are of an illicit nature and illegal to posses or ingest in almost any country.

Said substances are either:

A. Impure

B. Misrepresented

C. Improperly prepared

D. Dangerous even in their "pure" form

Likely candidates might be "magic mushrooms" or the party drug Ecstasy.

Improperly cured mushrooms or potentially poisonous ones could bring about the effects described by the survivors.

Nausea, vomiting, toxic shock and in the case of poisonous mushrooms even death.

Or they could have consumed poisonous mushrooms accidentally when dining on mushroom pizza (Ryan reports Jill didn't become sick until after dining on pizza) and the Norwegian Girls reportedly ate Italian food.

Did they have mushroom sauce on their spaghetti?

It is not unheard of that people mistake edible mushrooms for poisonous ones.

Did the staff of the restaurant pick their own?

Something notable about all of the reports of when the maid looked in on the victims is that they were all unclothed.

They were in the only air-con rooms in the GH and yet by their nakedness hey would appear to have been hot?

Could they have inadvertently consumed PMA (para-methoxyamphetamine) when they intended to consume MDMA?

One of the effects of PMA is nausea and vomiting, severe hyperthermia.

Did the two couples in adjacent rooms have contact with each other? Did they dine or drink together?

Could there be other associations with visitors to Phi Phi that they had in common besides the GH?

I only attempt to look at other possibilities as sit seems that the authorities are either unable or unwilling to.

I hope that we get more information from Ryan or the surviving Norwegian girl as to their health and solve this enigma before it claims another unfortunate victim.

[cmdream]

It has been over 1 month since the incident. What do have from the from the

autopsies and lab work ? Nothing !!! Someone in charge from Bangkok said probably food poison. Well I guess that's it then, close the book on this one.

Lets all get back to smiling.

[Briggsy]

Unbelievable.

2 healthy young people die and 2 more become very ill in 2 adjoining rooms and then nothing. Just get the bodies off the island and away from here double quick and let's pretend it never happened by not talking about it.

Life is very cheap in Thailand.

[LomSak27]

I would like to point out that I would in no way try to insult, defame or allege any behavior by any of these individuals but am only postulating from a distance.

Scenario:

Twenty something year old's on holiday in Thailand.

Subscribing to a bit of the backpacker lifestyle.

Freewheeling and enjoying the sun and fun.

Meeting new people and making fast friends.

Tippling a drink or two.

Absolutely touching Nam Plah, that you are not trying to defame them. Yeesh if the Thai police even remotely thought your postulated scenario was possible they would have had an autopsy and announced the results within 12 hours. Just think about it for 10 orm 20 seconds OK and I'm sure even you will agree.

Of course if you want to defame looks like you are off to a fine start.

[LomSak27]

Below is the latest article on the case. Besides the Guest House Owners first statement about alcohol, no one has indicated drugs of any sort. The Guest House owner was theorizing, postulating as it were without a shred of evidence or clue as to what they did. As two other tourists died this same week, unrelated to this incident, I suspect the Thai police, Media and TAT are on a full court press to suppress any bad news as tourism is already in a record slump.

SEATTLE, Washington (CNN) -- A pathologist hired by the family of one of two women whose mysterious deaths in Thailand drew worldwide attention says her "lungs were 100 percent congested," Jill St. Onge's fiancee and brother said.

Jill St. Onge died while vacationing with her fiance at a Thailand resort.

"He said her lung tissue was gone," said her brother, Robert St. Onge.

The pathologist has not determined what caused her lungs to fail, he said, and a final report on her May 2 death may still be weeks away.

But members of St. Onge's family said they feel the pathologist's findings, though preliminary, are enough to contradict public statements made by Thai investigators that St. Onge was the victim of food poisoning.

"I am 99.9 percent sure she did not die of food poisoning," said Ryan Kells, St. Onge's fiancee, who was with her when she died. "She suffocated to death. I am not a doctor, but I know when someone can't breathe."

Kells and St. Onge, both artists from Seattle, were on a three-month vacation through Southeast Asia when they arrived on Thailand's Phi Phi Island.

They had gotten engaged while on the trip and were keeping friends and family up to date with their adventures.

Having a blast," Jill St. Onge, 27, wrote about the surroundings in a blog dedicated to the couple's travels. "Food, drink, sun and warm waters ... what else do ya need?"

The couple's vacation ended tragically when Kells found his fiancee in their hotel room vomiting and unable to breathe. He rushed her to a hospital where she died.

St. Onge was healthy and there was no obvious explanation for her sudden death, her brother said.

Just hours after St. Onge fell ill, Julie Bergheim, a Norwegian tourist who was staying in a room next to St. Onge's at the Laleena Guesthouse, came down with similar symptoms. She also died.

According to Thai media reports, police there are focusing on food poisoning as the cause of the women's deaths. On Monday, the Phuket Gazette quoted a police commander as saying blood samples from both women indicated possible food poisoning from seafood.

Still, the commander said, those results were only preliminary. "I don't know when the official results will be released," Maj. Gen. Pasin Nokasul told the newspaper. "The lab work [is being] expedited because the embassies of the two tourists want to know the cause of death as soon as possible."

Kells response to Nokasul's statement was harsh.

"That she died of food poisoning is a ridiculous statement to make," he said, adding it is unlikely they would have been "the only ones affected."

Dr. William Hurley, medical director for the Washington Poison Center, is also skeptical that food poisoning could have been responsible. In food poisoning cases, he said, "usually what kills you is the dehydration, not the toxin."

He added, "Food poisoning is not something that typically kills someone this quickly. It takes days."

Ingestion of a variety of chemicals could have caused Onge and Bergheim's sudden deaths, Hurley said, and could be consistent with the condition of Onge's lungs. But without further information, he said, it is impossible to say what killed the two women.

Kells said he thinks something in the hotel where they were where staying made Jill sick. He remembers a "chemical smell" in the room and thinks he avoided becoming ill because he spent less time in the room.

On Saturday, the Phuket Wan newspaper reported that investigators visited the Laleena Guesthouse, taking samples and removing filters from the air conditioning units in the rooms where both victims had stayed.

Rat Chuped, the owner of the hotel, told the newspaper her property was not to blame. "There is no problem with my guesthouse," she said.

o

[Nam Plah]

Any hypothesis is more useful than the deafening silence on this matter even if only to raise the level of exposure and possibly shake loose enough information to prevent this type of tragedy from reoccurring.

Unfortunately this is not an instance of "If you don't have anything nice to say then keep quiet".

Better to be a blunder head and stick foot in mouth than let these poor souls go softly into obscurity.

The lack of information from the authorities is astonishing.

If I was a handicapper I would set the odds at two young, healthy people checking in and staying in two air conditioned, adjacent rooms at the same guest house suddenly becoming violently ill and dying within hours of each other after exhibiting identical symptoms at 10 Billion to one that they weren't connected to the environment, their identical behavior or a third party's malfeasance.

So far I have explored possibilities that it was the immediate environment or the victim's behavior.

Now perhaps we should look at the third possibility.

[Nam Plah]

Could there be a connection between the swine flu outbreak and this case?

Swine Flu From Wikipedia:

Symptoms that may require medical attention

Certain symptoms may require emergency medical attention. In children, for instance, those might include blue lips and skin, dehydration, rapid breathing, excessive sleeping and significant irritability that includes a lack of desire to be held. In adults, shortness of breath, pain in the chest or abdomen, sudden dizziness or confusion may indicate the need for emergency care. In both children and adults, persistent vomiting or the return of flu-like symptoms that include a fever and cough may require medical attention.

Contact with infected surfaces

Infection can be caused by touching a surface contaminated with flu viruses and then touching the eyes, nose, or mouth.[162] The CDC advised avoiding such contact and frequent washing of hands with soap and water or with alcohol-based hand sanitizers, especially after being out in public. Those coughing should use a tissue, dispose of the tissue, then wash hands right away.[163] Transmission was also reduced by disinfecting household surfaces with a disinfectant or a diluted bleach solution.[164]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_swine_fl...pected_severity

[brahmburgers]

With Thai police making wrong statements so often, they're going to catch up (or catch down) with Mr. Thaksin's reputation where: every time Thaksin makes a statement, we know it's untrue and likely used as a diversion, mainly aimed at Thai people, and a means to pursue some less-than-noble agenda.

Thai police often also have an agenda. As regards otherwise healthy farang dying mysteriously at beach resorts, the over-riding agenda is to try and lessen the adverse impact upon tourism as much as possible. Their often-wrong assessments are designed to basically; convince a gullible public that the comparatively-least-harmful (to tourism) assessment is the correct one. Psychological tests show that, when new news hits the airwaves, the first official assessment listeners are exposed to - is the assessment that most of them accept as being its explanation.

Their other police tactic is to put investigation/forensic findings off for as long as possible. They know how readily the public changes its focus - as ever new sensationalist stories make the headlines (Carradine, for one recent example).

In conclusion, just as Thaksin's credibility status is near zero, so too is Thai police credibility sinking. Thaksin is a lost cause, but let's hope the trend with Thai police doesn't continue downward. Thai police bosses and investigators can do a better job. Let's see it.

Edited June 12, 2009 by brahmburgers

[Johpa]

In conclusion, just as Thaksin's credibility status is near zero, so too is Thai police credibility sinking.

Ahem, a few of us older hands are aware that the credibility of the Thai police has been on the wane long before Thaksin made an appearance upon the national stage. And although Thaksin's sound and fury are likely to be heard no more, such can not be said for the Thai police. Their credibility will continue to transcend politics as long as Thai politics pits one group of the elite against another.

[balo]

Norwegian article in VG today : (google translation)

The autopsy of Julie Bergheim (22) and American Jill St. Onge (26) gives no answer to the Phi Phi-mystery.

Thai authorities have completed investigations of the two young women without finding the cause of death.

Norwegian Julie Michelle Bergheim (22) died on Phi Phi Islands in early May, after she and her friend suddenly became ill. Only hours later American Jill St. Onge (26) also died, she lived with her fiancé in the same guest house, Laleena Guesthouse.

No food poisoning.

- We have two mysterious deaths, and it is possible we will never find the cause of death. But we are very concerned about the situation, since foreign tourists have died, "Dr. Bunch Kahkhong in the Thai health authorities told the local newspaper Phuket Gazette.

The only thing Kahkhong with certainty believe they can rule out, is the theory that the women died of foodpoisoning.

- Both witness statements and samples taken of the women indicates that they ate different food before they died. Also if it was food poisoning more people would likely become sick, the doctor explains.

No toxins found.

So the report from the Thai police in the end of May, which concluded that the deaths probably was due to food poisoning is not true.

Cause of the death remains a mystery, as the forensic investigations have not led to any discovery of toxic substances in the women's blood, body fluids or tissue.

Earlier, both the air conditioning and water plant to the guest house have been examined, without anything suspicious was found.

-----------------------------------

I'm afraid this is not good news

Edited June 13, 2009 by balo

[Pond Life]

From Phuket Gazette.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Phi Phi tourist deaths remain a mystery, autopsies inconclusive

The Royal Thai Police Institute of Forensic Medicine in Bangkok has concluded its examination of tissue samples from two young women who died mysteriously on Koh Phi Phi early last month.

The evidence is inconclusive.

Deputy chief of Krabi Public Health Office Dr Buncha Kahkhong said that the autopsies failed to turn up anything that could have caused the deaths of American Jill St Onge and Norwegian Julie Bergheim.

There were no toxic chemicals found in the blood, bodily fluids and other tissues of the women, Dr Buncha said.

The two young women died within hours of each other in Phi Phi Island Hospital after staying in adjacent rooms in the island’s Laleena Guesthouse.

For our previous reports on the deaths, click here and here and here.

Dr Buncha said the tests ruled out food poisoning, contradicting a statement made by Krabi Provincial Police Commander Pasin Nokasul on May 25.

“I can say it definitely wasn’t food poisoning,” Dr Buncha said. “From the autopsy and blood tests and the questioning of witnesses it’s been established that the women ate different food prior to their deaths.”

Dr Buncha added that if this were a case of food poisoning, more people would likely have fallen ill too.

The investigation would now need to focus on environmental factors, Dr Buncha said. However, examination of both the air conditioning unit and the water supply at Laleena guesthouse had not revealed anything out of the ordinary, he added.

“The investigation will also focus on the personal histories of the women,” Dr Buncha said. “Although the autopsies have been inconclusive, we have all the information recorded now and it will be useful going forward.”

“This is looking like some freak accident. With cases like this, sometimes you never find the cause. But we’re very worried about it because foreign tourists died. Krabi Public Health Office will co-operate with any teams from the US and Norway who want to come and investigate. We’ll share all our information with them,” Dr Buncha said.

“It’s in our interests to co-operate, because if we find the cause of the deaths we can make sure it never happens again,” he added.

– Khunakorn Terdkiatkhachorn & Dan Waites

[moskito]

Norwegian article in VG today : (google translation)

The autopsy of Julie Bergheim (22) and American Jill St. Onge (26) gives no answer to the Phi Phi-mystery.

Thai authorities have completed investigations of the two young women without finding the cause of death.

Is something like this possible? They can`t find anything?

I hope there will be some investigators from Norway and US to help them imidiately.

The last thing Thailand need is some more bad news, times are bad enough.

It must be terrible news for the familys of the two girls.

may the victims rest in peace

[harrymand]

Can't believe what I read! They can tell by a tiny piece of skin or hear they find in a antiquity grave, everything about that person, and even make a clone!!! And to day, in 2009, they can't tell us what cause this womens dead??? COME ON.... I hope that the relatives have the strength to push for an answer. This is to importent to know what happend, and don't shove it under the carpet!!!

I live in the area, but I will never visit Phi-Phi until I have a truthful answer to this.