A Vietnamese man who was once a witness in the case of six compatriots found dead from poisoning at a hotel in Thailand’s Bangkok last month has been arrested by local tourist police for working as an illegal tour guide, according to Thai media.

Phan Ngoc Vu, 35, was detained at a hotel in Soi Rang Nam in Bangkok on Friday while he was leading a tour for Vietnamese tourists in the country.

According to Thailand’s Khaosod newspaper, guide is one of 40 occupations which are completely restricted for foreigners in Thailand.

The arrest came as tourist police observed his activities for over a month, during which they concluded that he was an illegal guide leading Vietnamese tourists to various destinations in Thailand. 

Facing the charges of running a travel business and working as a tour guide without required licenses and a work permit, Vu was sent to the Phaya Thai police station for legal processing, according to Bangkok Post. 

Phan Ngoc Vu came as a witness on July 17 in the case of six Vietnamese tourists who were found dead in a room at Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok on July 16.

Two of the six travelers held U.S. nationality, including Chong Sherine, 56, who was suspected of using a lethal mixture of cyanide and tea to poison five compatriots when they met at the hotel to resolve a debt dispute.

After committing the alleged poison, Sherine killed herself by possibly drinking a toxic substance, according to Khaosod.  

Thai investigators questioned Vu following the shocking discovery of six bodies at the hotel room as he had worked as a guide for this Vietnamese tourist group in Thailand.

Tourist police later decided to closely monitor Vu’s activities since they had observed him on several occasions taking Vietnamese tourists to attractions in Thailand.

The monitoring led to the arrest of Vu as an illegal tour guide on Friday.

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