Major news in Thailand on June 20: Canadian sisters to be autopsied in Bangkok

Top news in <The Nation>: Canadian sisters to be autopsied in Bangkok 

THE NATION June 20, 2012 1:00 am

Audrey and Noemi Belanger were found dead at the Palm Residence Hotel last Friday. Both were in their 20s.

The autopsies will be conducted at Ramathibodi Hospital as per a request by the Canadian Embassy.

Institute of Forensic Medicine commander Maj-General Somboon Tantrakul said yesterday the bodies were initially sent to his institute by the Muang Krabi Police Station but would be forwarded to the hospital.

“The embassy has been in contact with Ramathibodi Hospital before. So, we will provide ambulances and send the bodies to the hospital,” Somboon said.

Meanwhile, the Epidemiology Bureau dispatched a team to check shops and communities on Phi Phi Island to gather environmental evidence.

“At this point, we cannot determine the cause of their deaths yet. We have to further examine the samples of environmental data,” Dr Jakrat Phittayawong-anon said. He reckoned it was possible the young women may have inadvertently eaten food tainted with pesticide.

So far, he said it was not clear which shops or restaurants they went to during their stay on the island.

He said the Canadians had visited Chiang Mai and Phuket before arriving on Phi Phi Island on June 12.

news@theasian.asia