Coss Posted March 3, 2011 Report Share Posted March 3, 2011 Four people have died in mysterious circumstances at the Thai hotel where a New Zealand woman fell fatally ill last month. New Zealander Sarah Carter was among those who died after she and two friends became sick in the Downtown Inn in Thailand. Now it has emerged two British pensioners were found dead several days after Sarah lost her fight for life. And police have confirmed a Thai woman died in the room next door to Sarah's the day before Sarah fell ill. Health authorities initially blamed food poisoning for the Sarah's death, but have since said tests have proved inconclusive. { We don't know } The Herald understands authorities have not yet uncovered reasons for the deaths of the three other victims - pensioners George and Eileen Everitt and local woman Waraporn Pungmahisiranon. It is not known if the authorities believe there are links. A Chiang Mai police spokesman confirmed the deaths but stressed: [color:red]"It is dangerous to jump to conclusions."[/color] { It's dangerous to stay in that Hotel ! } Richard Carter, Sarah's father, told the Herald he had still not been told by Thai authorities what had caused his daughter's death. "One death the day before and two in the following days indicates it's not just pure coincidence." The New Zealand Embassy had been helpful but had received little information from the authorities in Thailand. Mr Carter said he hoped the New Zealand Government could apply pressure. "We need to get answers - not so much for ourselves, but for other travellers going to Thailand." Sarah's body did not undergo a post-mortem examination back in New Zealand. Mr Carter said the initial shock and trauma of Sarah's death had subsided but had left behind a "constant anguish". "We will never have Sarah with us and that's a difficult thing to live with each day. Letters and phone calls of support had helped, he said, but each day started with the awful thought of never seeing Sarah again. "That is a constant thing that will never leave us," Mr Carter said. Sarah, 23, died in hospital on Waitangi Day, two days after she was found in her hotel room with friends Emma Langlands and Amanda Eliason, who were also both very ill. They have since recovered and returned to New Zealand. Richard Langlands, Emma's father, said his daughter had only just recovered and started showing signs of her old self. "In the last few days...she has started revisiting what happened. She is very interested now in helping to determine what happened." The girls had been told by the hotel manager about the death of the Thai woman, he said. Peter Eliason said the only communication from Thai health authorities had been an email asking for a new blood sample from his daughter. "At the time (of the illnesses) we were concerned only with getting our daughter safe and getting her out. Now it is becoming very suspicious. It's all a bit too coincidental." Mr Eliason, a farmer in New Plymouth, said tests results were promised within two weeks. "It's way more than two weeks now and we need to have some answers." The Herald understands the first body - that of local woman Waraporn Pungmahisiranon - was found in the room next door to the New Zealand girls either the same day or the day before the girls fell ill. A source at the Downtown Inn said the body was covered in a sheet, and taken down a fire escape. "They obviously took the body down that route so as to not alarm guests. It was not the easiest way out." Less than two weeks later British couple George and Eileen Everitt, aged 78 and 73, were found dead in separate beds at their room on the fourth floor of the hotel. Chiang Mai Police Captain Wichian Chompu said the bodies were discovered in Room 42. "There were no signs of violence or any signs of medication indicating they might have taken their own lives," he said. A friend of the couple, who were holidaying from their Lincolnshire home, said they had been given no indication of what had caused the deaths. "It's knocked the stuffing out of us and we've not idea what happened," said the friend. Hotel manager Thantep Bunkeow said he could not comment on the cause of death. Hundreds of people have been ringing up including tour operators. I am referring all calls to police and the Department of Health." A spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Thailand's Centre for Disease Control and Chiang Mai Public Health Department were carrying out investigations into the death Sarah Carter. "New Zealand Embassy staff have requested a copy of the findings and continue to follow up with the Thai authorities. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been made aware of unconfirmed reports of the deaths of other foreign nationals in the same area and we are making contact with other Embassies in Bangkok to verify these reports." MYSTERY DEATHS: Feb 3: Waraporn Pungmahisiranon found dead in room 516 Feb 4: Sarah Carter found sick in room 518. She died in hospital on Feb 6 Feb 19: George and Eileen Everitt found dead in room 42 Getting back on track Emma Langlands and Amanda Eliason have finally been able to get their lives back on track and both started back at work this week. However, Peter Eliason said his daughter still had a long way to go. "She can only work mornings because she gets so tired at the moment and she still has to see a cardiologist." Amanda, who works at the Ministry for Economic Development, was in intensive care and needed a heart procedure before she was eventually allowed to fly home on February 13 - more than a week after she fell ill. Richard Langlands said his daughter took a number of weeks to bounce back from the physical toll. "Only in the last few days she has regained her energy and vitality. That shows you the timeframe of the impact of this." But the emotional toll for both girls will take much longer, Mr Eliason. "They've held it in and I don't know if it has fully hit them. Amanda has lost one of her best friends and, particularly in such circumstances, that is tough. We've all lost a lovely girl." Link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shygye Posted March 3, 2011 Report Share Posted March 3, 2011 Well, Mr Carter should insist that an autopsy be performed. CO poisoning? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bust Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 Agree but not in LOS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobbledonk Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 Jesus - and people here bitch about the Nana ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horneytorney Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 A case for "Dr. Death" Dr. Porntip Rojanasuan! http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/8093116.stm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 Interesting that in a fairly long section about "insurgents" in the south the BBC never actually says who they are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nervous God Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 When will there be a movie? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 Chiang mai hotel connected to four deaths gets police all clear Police have ruled out foul play after four people staying at a Chiang Mai hotel died over a 16-day period. Two foreign tourists and a Thai tour guide were all found dead in the Downtown Inn hotel in Chiang Mai's Muang district last month. A third foreigner staying at the hotel later died in hospital. Despite some coincidences and similarities in the deaths, police do not believe any of the victims were murdered. The first death was that of Thai tour guide Waraporn Yingmahasaranont, 47, whose body was found in front of the bathroom inside her fifth-floor room on Feb 3. Police said [color:red]she had suffered from diarrhoea[/color] before her death. On Feb 18, New Zealand tourist Sarah Carter, 23, was killed by an apparent [color:red]bout of food poisoning[/color]. Hotel staff interviewed by police said Carter and two foreign friends, who had also checked in to a room on the fifth floor, [color:red]had brought barbecued pork and chicken back to the hotel that night and later became violently ill.[/color] The staff took them to a local hospital, where Carter died. The two friends recovered and have since left Thailand. Pol Lt Col Sawat Lakas, deputy chief of Muang district police in Chiang Mai, said investigators were still waiting for results of the post-mortem examination on Carter and Waraporn. The next night, an elderly British couple died in their fourth-floor room. A post-mortem examination confirmed both George Everly, 78, and Elean Everly, 74, died as a result of an unusual enlargement of their heart muscles with blocked arteries, Pol Lt Col Sawat said. However despite the coincidence, doctors found no trace of poison in their stomachs, nor did police find any evidence of a struggle in the room. The deputy chief said all three of the guests who died at the hotel had locked their rooms from the inside. Hotel manager Thanthep Boonkaew has been called for questioning by police. [color:red]Mr Thanthep said many bookings at the hotel have been cancelled since news of the deaths had spread.[/color] Monks will perform religious rites at the hotel on Tuesday. Don't eat the food in Chiang Mai! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shygye Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 Don't stay at that hotel! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozpharlap Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 I hope someone has checked the air-conditioners Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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