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Vivian Chan: Tributes to British national killed in Bangkok bomb

One of nine foreign nationals reportedly killed in the attack on the Hindu Erawan shrine

Rose Troup Buchanan
Wednesday 19 August 2015 07:19 BST
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Vivian Chan was studying law in London
Vivian Chan was studying law in London (Vivian Chan, via Facebook)

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Friends of the teenage law student killed in the Bangkok bomb blast in Bangkok have paid tribute to her "cheerful" nature and "smiling face".

Vivian Chan Wing-yan, 19, is believed to have been visiting the Hindu Erawan shrine in Bangkok on Monday evening when a pipe bomb exploded at around 7pm local time killing 20 people - including at least nine foreigners.

Ms Chan was a law student at the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London), before being transferred to BPP University in May 2015.

Vivian Chan
Vivian Chan (Facebook)

She was among nine foreign nationals killed in the attack that has claimed 20 lives in total so far. As many as 123 people are believed to have been injured after a pipe bomb detonated in the busy shrine in central Bangkok.

Tributes have been paid to the student, who lived in Hong Kong, with the Thai society of SOAS expressing their “heartfelt condolences to her family and friend during this difficult moment.”

On Facebook, a tribute page established by Ms Chan’s friends quickly attracted scores of posts about the “cheerful” individual who was an “excellent student.”

“You were such a cheerful person and had one of the greatest smiles that I have seen,” Sophie Hui wrote in tribute to her friend on Tuesday.

“You're cheerful and kind, always there to make us laugh. Thanks for all the good memories and for being a good friend,” Jeff Lok also wrote on the page.

Another friend, at school with her at Harrow International in Hong Kong, wrote: “You never stopped smiling and always had a smiling face. I will cherish the days talking to you and especially in orchestra.”

“She was a really kind and cheerful person in general – she really loved to travel around and just go to a lot of different, good restaurants,” Harrow International school friend Michelle Lou told the South China Morning Post.

A spokesperson for BPP university told The Independent: "Everyone at BPP University is devastated to hear of the loss of one of our students, Vivian Chan Wing Yan, in Bangkok yesterday. Our thoughts are with Vivian's family and we will work to support them in any way we can.”

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