Canadian Sisters Found Dead In Thai Resort

[webfact]

Canadian sisters found dead in Thai resort

Bangkok, June 16, 2012 (AFP) - The bodies of two Canadian sisters have been found in a hotel room on the popular tourist resort island of Phi Phi, Thai police told AFP Saturday, without revealing the suspected cause of death.

The sisters, aged 26 and 20, were found dead on Friday afternoon by hotel staff on the Andaman sea island, 800 kilometres (500 miles) south of Bangkok.

"Their bodies were found a little after midday (Friday). They were sisters," Lieutenant Pongpan Waiyawat, of the island's police force told AFP.

"We have to wait for the post-mortem to determine the cause of death but based on initial investigations there's no sign of violence in their room."

Thailand is a tourist magnet but its image as the "Land of Smiles" has been tested in recent years by deadly political unrest, devastating floods and more recently a bungled bomb plot involving Iranian suspects.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2012-06-16

[klongmuang]

Did they stay at Laleena Guesthouse ? A Norwegian and an American lady died there mysteriously two years ago within hours of each other after they became sick. They exact cause never came to light, some alleged poisoning. The autopsies did not produce any results, except that food poisoning was exempted.

[webfact]

Canadian sisters found dead in Phi Phi hotel room, poisoning suspected

Phuket Gazette

A medical team from Phi Phi Island Hospital rushed to the scene, but the two women were believed to have died about 12 hours before their bodies were discovered. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET: -- Police are investigating the cause of death of two Canadian sisters found dead in their hotel room on Phi Phi Island yesterday afternoon.

Lt Siwa Saneha of Phi Phi Island Police Station told the Phuket Gazette, “We received a report at about 9pm yesterday, that two tourists' bodies were found in the same hotel room at the Phi Phi Palms Residence.

“We rushed to the hotel with medical officers from Koh Phi Phi Hospital and a rescue team.”

The sisters, one aged 20 and the other aged 26, checked in to the hotel on Tuesday.

“They went out and came back to their room that same night, but stayed in their room all day on Wednesday,” he said.

It was not until yesterday that hotel staff became concerned for the women’s welfare.

“A maid knocked on the door to clean the room on Thursday, but there was no response, so the maid thought the women needed more rest and left,” explained Lt Siwa.

The maid returned to clean the room yesterday, but again there was no response to her knocks on the door.

After repeated attempts failed to rouse the women, the maid obtained a master key to open the door.

Lt Col Rat Somboon of Krabi Provincial Police told the Gazette that officers at the scene believed that the women had died about 12 hours before their bodies were found.

Police suspect poisoning he said.

“There was a lot of vomit in the room, and both bodies showed similar signs [of trauma]. They had skin lesions and it seemed that they had bled from the gums. Also, their fingernails and toenails were blue,” Col Rat explained.

“We will have experts conduct tests on the vomit and urine samples taken from the scene to try to determine the cause of death,” he added.

The women’s bodies are now being kept at Krabi Hospital in Krabi Town.

The deaths of these two women follow an American and two Norwegian tourists dying of suspected poisoning after staying at 'The Laleena guesthouse’ on Phi Phi Island in 2009.

Extensive tests failed to provide any conclusive evidence as to what those three tourists died of.

Early last year, four guests; three foreign and one Thai died after staying at the Downtown Inn in Chiang Mai. While food poisoning was ruled out in that case, the Thai Department of Disease Control speculated that pesticide used as vermin control may have contributed to the deaths.

The Downtown Inn has since been demolished.

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...ticle16196.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-06-16

[RisqEM]

I think the testing of the Land of Smiles slogan has more to do with the corruption, scams, violence, and mafia activity that is pervasive throughout all levels of society here, from low to elite. Don't' blame natural disasters, we all know those can happen anywhere, and so can terrorism. This place is a well known haven for all types of people, unfortunately a lot of criminals like to call this place home too....I think those are the real tests

[garrya]

This is another gloomy case from the Thai tourism industry.

I am absolutely astonished by the number of tourist death in Thailand. I would like to see a research of the tourist death around the world comparing to Thailand. I bet Thailand is going to be on the top. Would the Thai authorities disclose the real number? I bet, no.

[Hostile17]

i just love this country.

[Deaw]

horrible news, it will be good to find out what the cause was of their untimely demise.

I am getting less and less confidant these days in inviting my 19-year old daughter to come back here.....she has visited me twice and never left my side, surely one of these times she will want to explore alone but stories like this make me nervous.

Canadian papers haven't picked it up yet....

[allan michaud]

Thailand seems to be the place to go to die on holiday. I am amazed at how many tourists die accidentally, commit suicide, are murdered etc in Thailand. There have been several dozen deaths so far in 2012.

Hub of death!

[Scott]

My condolences to the family and friends.

[LUSHGOAT]

Seems like police may have a serial killer on their hands why don't they check the staff from the other murder scenes perhaps he or she is moving around. The land of smiles my ass seems like the land of dome and gloom now. What is happening to these people between conning old men and young out of their hard earned money now they have resorted to killing them for it. Wake up Thai police start doing your job, stop sticking your heads in the sand thinking it will go away we are not stupid we know what's going on its time to restore the integrity of your country and police force tell the truth for once because you are fooling no one only yourselves

[silent]

My condolences to the family and friends.

Same

[lannarebirth]

The condition of their bodies and vomit would seem to indicate the rapid onset of some kind of poisoning. This place several levels above the horrid Laleena Guesthouse of prior deaths.

http://phiphipalmsre....com/photos.htm

[F1fanatic]

Scott is right - we can only offer our sympathies to their families and hope that they will insist on a post-mortem being held in Canada.

[Suradit69]

I think the testing of the Land of Smiles slogan has more to do with the corruption, scams, violence, and mafia activity that is pervasive throughout all levels of society here, from low to elite. Don't' blame natural disasters, we all know those can happen anywhere, and so can terrorism. This place is a well known haven for all types of people, unfortunately a lot of criminals like to call this place home too....I think those are the real tests

2 young women died and the main point of interest here at TV, at least in the first few responses, seems to be the rather irrelevant paragraph in the original report concerning Thailand as a "tourist magnet." Apparently the promotion of some agendas is never given a rest, no matter what the circumstances.

Edited June 16, 2012 by Suradit69

[allan michaud]

Am I the only person who thinks it is very strange that so many tourists die in Thailand?

I have not kept a count but we are certainly talking of dozens of deaths this year already, some accidents, some murders, many not fully explained or in very dubious circumstances. From the description of the room these 2 poor girls suffered a nasty end, we can only hope the police do a proper job of the forensics and investigation.

[RichardinBKK]

This is another gloomy case from the Thai tourism industry.

I am absolutely astonished by the number of tourist death in Thailand. I would like to see a research of the tourist death around the world comparing to Thailand. I bet Thailand is going to be on the top. Would the Thai authorities disclose the real number? I bet, no.

I will take that bet...since New York City alone lays waste to plenty. However, your underling point that Thailand derives much of its income from the Tourist trade and this casts a dark shadow has value. Instead of sweeping this under the rug, they need to use every possible resource to determine the cause of death and peruse every avenue. The damage to the image of a Travel destination isn't "bad things happen here" ... everyone knows that is global. The problem is the perception that bad things happen to tourists, and we don't do much about it....so why would that trend end?

[Jessi]

This kind of thing MUST STOP or it will give Thailand a bad name.

[Time Traveller]

Am I the only person who thinks it is very strange that so many tourists die in Thailand?

It's not strange. The Thais don't care and neither do they accept any responsibility or liability. Many deaths could be prevented with a different attitude by the people.

Edited June 16, 2012 by Time Traveller

[silent]

Seems like police may have a serial killer on their hands why don't they check the staff from the other murder scenes perhaps he or she is moving around. The land of smiles my ass seems like the land of dome and gloom now. What is happening to these people between conning old men and young out of their hard earned money now they have resorted to killing them for it. Wake up Thai police start doing your job, stop sticking your heads in the sand thinking it will go away we are not stupid we know what's going on its time to restore the integrity of your country and police force tell the truth for once because you are fooling no one only yourselves

That's doom dome dome

[lannachiangrai]

My condolences to their parents, the thought of losing both my children at one time is too much to bear.

[RichardinBKK]

On and on and on...how often do we hear of these kinds of suspicious deaths in other major tourist destinations? Rarely is the answer. But in Thailand it is all the time. Whether it is by beatings and violence, supposed suicides, road accidents or poison, untimely death in Thailand is statistically at alarmingly high freqency. But as the Thai's don't seem to regard non-Thais even as human and perhaps even find it amusing to see hated foreigners die, there is no properr investigation by the Thai authorities. Thais care only about money from foreigners, nothing else, even if it means bodily harm and death. When is the world going to see Thailand for what it actually is and that is certainly not the land of smiles.

What a terribly cynical post.

If any Thais you know are happy at a foreigners death I can only suggest you're hanging with the wrong crowd as I have never come across this attitude in all my 11 years here.

May I second that? Yes, his posting is over the top. The proposition that generally speaking Thais hate foreigners and enjoy seeing them suffer and die is bizarre. If i ever woke up and felt that way, after my morning cup, I would book a flight, pack my bags and leave. As to running with the wrong crowd, i suspect you are spot on. Every major city has a zone where people are treated like meat, a walking ATM and life is cheap. My experience here has been wonderful, and the one or two problems I had, I created...and would have gotten the same result pretty much anywhere in the world. I was impatient and rude, and got what i had coming to me. Lesson learned. i would say to the original poster...the shine has worn off, it is time to move on...but remember...when you get to your new paradise...you will be unpacking the same baggage you carry now. And end up in the same state of mind. Geography can not make an unhappy person happy, that is an internal journey.

[Somtamnication]

Well, lets be careful with comments. Relative sensitivities, etc etc.

RIP.

[silsburyhill]

Am I the only person who thinks it is very strange that so many tourists die in Thailand?

I have not kept a count but we are certainly talking of dozens of deaths this year already, some accidents, some murders, many not fully explained or in very dubious circumstances. From the description of the room these 2 poor girls suffered a nasty end, we can only hope the police do a proper job of the forensics and investigation.

It really is beyond comprehension why proper autopsies weren't performed on the previous two women. It's not as though adequate forensics aren't available. And if the local police weren't capable of determining the cause of death, then outside assistance should have been asked for. These are peoples' lives <deleted>.

On a side note, I'm surprised to see this has even been reported. Phuket's rep for suicides both obvious and 'suspicious', has gained such notoriety no one's even reporting them now. As per a young Swiss female teacher in a nearby soi a few weeks back. Not a word of it anywhere in the press. Are the Thais reverting to the old 'if it wasn't seen it didn't happen' line?

[F1fanatic]

Am I the only person who thinks it is very strange that so many tourists die in Thailand?

I have not kept a count but we are certainly talking of dozens of deaths this year already, some accidents, some murders, many not fully explained or in very dubious circumstances. From the description of the room these 2 poor girls suffered a nasty end, we can only hope the police do a proper job of the forensics and investigation.

No - we can only hope the families demand that the necessary forensic investigation takes place in Canada.

[dixitron]

"They had skin lesions and it seemed that they had bled from the gums. Also, their fingernails and toenails were blue"

It sounds like the symptoms of a diving accident. isn't it ?

[PingManDan]

Amazing Thailand, and getting more amazing everyday

[Geekfreaklover]

Surely the hotel must be held accountable and all staff questioned heavily by what passes as apolice on the island. The young sisters were not seen for three days until the hotel considered opening the door. It looks like another poisioning administered by a local who lost face.

My thoughts are with the family of these young sisters.

[kevinsan]

Wasn't there a stabbing there recently? Something about the loss of face...

[F1fanatic]

I don't have the first idea as to what happened, but doubt diving accident for two sisters who not only didn't complain of feeling ill, but were un-noticed by everyone else is unlikely.

Sorry to repeat myself, but the family need to insist on a post-mortem in Canada.

[lannarebirth]

On a positive note, this sad occurence seems to have occured yesterday afternoon and is being reported today. That is in stark contrast to so many of these tragic events that come to light days and sometimes even weeks later. Something horrible happened here and it would not surprise me to learn that someone has been served either poison food or were in a room that was a poisonous environment, but thusfar I see no signs of coverups. Only an effort to have done what they could for these poor girls and a timely reporting of same. My heart bleeds for the parents who will receive this devastating news.

Edited June 16, 2012 by lannarebirth