Rescue workers recover a suitcase from a grassy area near a railway track, in which police later found the body of a 17-year-old Thai girl, in Pattaya City, Thailand, on June 27, 2026. (Teerasak Suttativong/Reuters)
Australian tourist arrested over teen's killing in Thailand
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- Australian tourist Simon Peter Carman was arrested over the killing of a 17-year-old in Thailand.
- Police say he was detained at Bangkok airport while trying to leave the country.
- He faces murder, concealing a body, and child sexual offense charges.
- The victim's family is calling for the death penalty.
A 46-year-old Australian national has been arrested and charged with murder after the body of a 17-year-old Thai girl was discovered stuffed inside a suitcase in the resort city of Pattaya.
The suspect, identified by Thai authorities as Simon Peter Carman, was apprehended by immigration officials at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport early Saturday morning as he reportedly prepared to board a flight back to Australia.
CCTV footage exposes disposal of body
The investigation escalated rapidly after friends of the victim, identified as Tunchanok Donhomla, reported her missing.
Pattaya City Police reviewed closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from a local condominium complex, which captured Carman and the teenager entering the building together.
Hours later, separate security footage showed Carman leaving the premises completely alone, struggling to drag a large black suitcase.
According to a statement posted to the Thai police department's official Facebook page, Carman loaded the heavy suitcase onto a motorcycle, transported it to a grassy clearing near a local railway line approximately 150 kilometers (93 miles) east of Bangkok, and abandoned it.
Following his arrest at the international airport terminal, investigators discovered the victim's body inside the discarded luggage.
A disturbing video has surfaced showing Peter Carman, the Australian man accused of murdering 17-year-old Thanchanok Donhomla in Pattaya Thailand, being seen on CCTV removing her body from his hotel room.
— Tony Lane (@TonyLaneNV) June 27, 2026
Now a separate video has emerged of him breaking down and apologizing… https://t.co/iooEh3KUPt pic.twitter.com/U4lZZgQx2r
Suspect claims incident was 'out of control'
Carman has been formally charged with multiple offenses, including murder, the concealment of a corpse, moving or destroying a body, and taking a minor between the ages of 15 and 18 for sexual purposes.
While being held in an interrogation room prior to his formal transfer to the Pattaya Provincial Court, Carman addressed the victim's family directly in front of reporters:
“I feel bad for what happened to your daughter. It was out of my control.”
Family demands death penalty
The teenager's family members traveled to the police station, expressing absolute devastation over the loss. Her father, 46-year-old Thongchai Donhomla, spoke through tears about his daughter's independent nature.
"I am deeply saddened. My daughter had no mother, so whenever she wanted anything, she would find a way herself, and she always helped me too," Donhomla said.
The victim's stepmother, Oradee Bussarakum, stated that the family will settle for nothing less than capital punishment, which remains a legal sentence for murder under the Thai criminal code.
“I told the police I want him executed," Bussarakum said. "As a mother, I don’t know what else to say… I just want him to face the full consequences.”
Thai authorities have not yet announced an official date for Carman’s initial court appearance, as forensic teams continue to process the crime scene.
