An Australian man has been charged with the murder of a 17-year-old girl after her body was discovered stuffed in a suitcase in Pattaya, Thailand. Simon Peter Carman, 46, was arrested at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport as he allegedly attempted to flee the country.
Discovery of the Body
Police in Pattaya found the body of Tuchanok Donholma, nicknamed Cake, in a suitcase left near a railway track in the early hours of Saturday, June 27. The teenager had been reported missing at 5pm local time on Friday, June 26.
CCTV footage reviewed by police showed Carman entering a condominium with Donholma at 3.34am on Friday. He later emerged alone carrying a large suitcase, which he loaded onto a motorbike and traveled toward the railway line, according to a police statement reported by the BBC.
Arrest and Charges
Police officers questioned and arrested Carman at the airport at 1.15am on Saturday. Fifteen minutes later, Donholma’s naked body was found in the suitcase. Carman denies murder and charges related to moving or concealing a body and taking a minor for sexual purposes. He claims he acted in self-defence.
Colonel Anek Srathongyoo, Superintendent of the Pattaya City Police Station, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that Carman “has fingernail scratches across his body that are consistent with a struggle, but he denies killing her.” When questioned about the scratches, Carman said they were possibly from a spider.
Suspect’s Account
Carman told officers he agreed to pay Donholma 1,000 baht (£23) for sexual services, but they had a disagreement when they reached his apartment, and he offered only half the amount. He also claimed the teenager “disappeared from the room” while he was asleep.
In a video recorded while in custody, Carman addressed Donholma’s family, saying: “I feel bad for what happened to your daughter. It was out of my control. I know you'll be very sad, upset… same [as] me. Please tell other girls… just to be careful.”
Family’s Reaction
Donholma’s family said she was an only child who lived with her father and step-mother in Kalasin province, about 480km northeast of Pattaya. She had told her parents she wanted to go on holiday with a friend and traveled to Pattaya on June 16.
Her father, Thongchai Donhomla, said he was “deeply saddened” by her death. “My daughter had no mother, so whenever she wanted anything, she would find a way herself, and she always helped me too,” he told a local reporter.
Her step-mother, Oradee Bussarakum, said: “We were scared. We just hoped it wouldn't turn out the way we feared. Now our eyes are swollen from crying. I just want him executed … I even asked the police if I could hit him, if I could beat him.”
Legal Consequences
If convicted of murder, Carman could face the death penalty in Thailand. The case has drawn widespread attention due to the brutal nature of the crime and the suspect’s attempt to flee.
