An Australian man, Simon Peter Carman, 45, has been arrested in Thailand and charged with murder following the discovery of a teenage girl's body stuffed into a suitcase. The body of 17-year-old Tunchanok Donhomla was found near railway tracks outside Pattaya on Friday night.
Police allege Carman, a British-born tradesperson, placed the teen's naked body into a suitcase before abandoning it. He was apprehended at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport as he reportedly attempted to board a flight to Perth.
Carman denies the allegations, claiming he acted in self-defense. He faces multiple charges in Thailand, including murder, which can carry a death sentence or life imprisonment.
As the investigation continues, online interactions attributed to Carman have emerged, including messages on the social media platform Threads. In one exchange, he responded to a woman who asked if she was his type by saying, "Too fat." In another, when a woman asked if he liked Asians, he replied, "Yes."
Investigators are examining Carman's movements in the hours leading up to and following the alleged murder. CCTV footage reportedly shows Carman riding a rented scooter through Pattaya with a suitcase strapped to the back, later disposing of it through a rear exit of his hotel.
Colonel Anek Srathongyoo of Pattaya City Police stated that Carman appeared to engage in normal daily activities, such as buying food and doing laundry, before disposing of the body. "He went downstairs to buy food, bought some groceries, did his laundry – everything seemed completely normal," Srathongyoo told Nine Newspapers. "Then we came to the part of the footage where he's with the suitcase. But instead of leaving through the front entrance, he exited through the back door."
Further footage, provided to police by a friend of the victim, shows Carman picking up Ms. Donhomla on the night of her death. According to police, Ms. Donhomla messaged friends after arriving at Carman's apartment, stating, "I've arrived at [his] apartment. The room is so messy." This message was sent so her friends would know she had arrived safely.
Ms. Donhomla's father, Thongchai Donhomla, and stepmother, Ordee Butrakhamare, have expressed deep grief and called for Carman's execution. "I am deeply saddened," Mr. Donhomla told Thailand's TMN Cable TV Pattaya. "My daughter had no mother so whenever she wanted anything, she would find a way herself and she always helped me too. She was a good kid."
His wife added, "I told the police I want him executed. As a stepmother I don't know what else to say. I just want him executed."
Carman has expressed remorse to the victim's family, stating, "I feel bad for what happened to your daughter. It was out of my control... It shouldn't happen, and I hope you're OK. I know you're not, but I hope, and please tell other girls … to be careful."
Thailand retains the death penalty for serious offenses, including premeditated murder, though executions are carried out infrequently. Convicted murderers can face either the death penalty or life imprisonment depending on the case's circumstances.