The heartbroken parents of a 17-year-old girl whose naked body was discovered folded inside a suitcase dumped alongside railway tracks in Thailand have said their worst fears have been realised. Tunchanok Donhomla vanished on June 25 in the city of Pattaya. Police later found her remains and charged British-Australian man Simon Peter Carman, 45, with her murder, concealment of a body, moving or destroying a body, and taking a minor aged between 15 and 18 for sexual purposes.
Parents describe shock and grief
Her stepmother, Oradee Bussarakum, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC): "We never expected this. When they found her, we still hoped she was alive." Her father, Thongchai Donhomla, 46, described his daughter as helpful, kind and resourceful. "My daughter had no mother, so whenever she wanted anything, she would find a way herself, and she always helped me too," he said.
The couple travelled from their home in Kalasin province in northeast Thailand to Pattaya after Tunchanok's friends reported her missing on Friday. They told local media the teen had only been in the city for a few days. "We were scared. We just hoped it wouldn't turn out the way we feared," Ms Oradee said. "Now our eyes are swollen from crying."
Teen's first visit to Pattaya
Tunchanok had arrived in Pattaya on June 16, telling her parents she wanted a holiday with a friend. She asked her grandmother for money and was given some, Ms Oradee explained. "She said she wanted to see the sea." The teen sometimes helped her father and stepmother by selling garlands or fruits at intersections during the Songkran water festival. "We did not force her to work. She was still young, so sometimes we let her go out and gave her 50 baht (£1.13) to 100 baht (£2.27)," Ms Oradee added.
Arrest of Simon Peter Carman
Carman was arrested at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok. Thai police said he picked up the teenager from the Beach Road vice strip in Pattaya in the early hours of Thursday morning. Her friends reported her missing on Friday after not hearing from her. In custody, Carman expressed condolences to her family, saying he felt bad for "what happened to your daughter". "It was out of my control," he said. "Um, I hope you — I know you'll be very sad, upset; same-same me. Um, it shouldn't happen and I hope you're OK. I know you're not, but I hope. Um, and please tell other girls to be not — just to be careful."
Police evidence and charges
Pattaya City Police Superintendent Colonel Anek Sarathongyu said Carman has visible defensive wounds on his neck consistent with a struggle. "We believe he killed her, and he is being questioned on suspicion of murder," Col Anek said. "He has fingernail scratches across his body that are consistent with a struggle, but he denies killing her." In video footage after his arrest, Carman claimed the scratches were caused by spiders. "I think it's a spider; they always get in here," he said.
The Bangkok Post reported that police found signs of a struggle in the hotel room. Carman told police he did not know the 17-year-old before they met and agreed to pay 1,000 baht (£22.68) "for her time". An argument over the price ensued, after which Carman alleged the girl picked up a knife to threaten him and demand more money. "He claimed he then acted in self‑defence, grabbing her neck and causing her death. He insisted he had no intention to kill." If found guilty, Carman could face life imprisonment or the death penalty in Thailand.
