CHONBURI — 27 June 2026, An Australian man has been arrested after the body of a 17-year-old girl was found stuffed inside a suitcase abandoned near railway tracks in Pattaya, following an investigation into her disappearance.
Police said the victim’s friend filed a missing person report after losing contact with the teenager for more than 24 hours, fearing she had come to harm.
Investigators reviewing CCTV footage found that at 03:34 on 25 June 2026, the girl was seen holding hands with an Australian man as they entered a condominium on Jomtien Second Road. The pair went to a room on the 15th floor, but the girl was never seen leaving the building.
Another CCTV camera later captured the man at 21:34 the same day dragging a black suitcase out of the condominium before loading it onto a red Yamaha Aerox motorcycle. He rode along Sukhumvit Road, turned into Soi Chaiyaphruek 2 and continued against traffic along a road beside the railway tracks.
Police said the man disappeared from CCTV coverage for more than nine minutes before returning to the condominium without the suitcase, raising investigators’ suspicions that it may have contained the girl’s body.
Officers searched the condominium room after the missing person report was filed but found neither the girl nor the Australian man. They said signs of a struggle were discovered inside the room, prompting a search for the suspect.
At about 19:00 on 26 June 2026, police located the suspect, identified as Simon, 46, at Suvarnabhumi Airport while he was attempting to purchase a ticket to return to Australia.
Police said he had scratch marks on his neck and arms consistent with fingernail injuries. Immigration officers detained him for questioning, but he denied any involvement in the girl’s disappearance.
Later that night, at 23:17, investigators traced the route taken by the suspect and found a black 26-inch suitcase abandoned in grass beside railway tracks about 4.2 kilometres from the condominium.
Rescue workers confirmed the suitcase contained a human body before forensic officers carried out a detailed examination. Inside, they found the naked body of a young woman stuffed into the suitcase and covered with a brown cloth.
Police said the victim had severe facial injuries and signs of a violent assault. A forensic doctor estimated she had been dead for at least two days. Investigators said the body’s appearance and tattoos matched those of the missing 17-year-old girl.
The body will be sent to the Police General Hospital’s Institute of Forensic Medicine for formal identification and to determine the exact cause of death.
Following the discovery, the Pattaya Provincial Court approved an arrest warrant for Carman on a charge of removing a minor under the age of 18 from the custody of her parents or legal guardian for indecent purposes.
During questioning at Pattaya City Police Station, Carman continued to deny wrongdoing, claiming the girl left the room while he was asleep and that he did not know what had happened to her.
Police said they remain unconvinced by his account and are continuing to gather evidence, including forensic examination results, to determine whether additional charges will be filed.
