CHONBURI — 27 June 2026, An Australian man has confessed to killing a 17-year-old girl in Pattaya before stuffing her body into a suitcase and dumping it near railway tracks, police said on 27 June 2026.
At 09:00, Pattaya City Police investigators brought Simon Peter Carman, 46, an Australian national, in for further questioning after he was arrested in connection with the death of Thanchanok Donhomlao, 17, from Kalasin province.
The victim was found dead in a suitcase abandoned in a grass area beside railway tracks in the Khao Makok area, about 4.2 kilometres from a condominium on Jomtien Second Road where the incident allegedly took place.
Police said the suspect initially fled the scene and attempted to leave Thailand via Suvarnabhumi Airport, but was intercepted and detained before departure. The Pattaya Provincial Court had earlier issued an arrest warrant on charges related to taking a minor under 18 from parental custody for indecent purposes.
During interrogation, with a lawyer and interpreter present, the suspect initially denied involvement but later confessed after being confronted with CCTV evidence showing him transporting the suitcase.
Police said he gave a partial confession, claiming the killing occurred in self-defence.
He alleged that he met the victim at Jomtien Beach at around 03:00 on 25 June, after which they went to his condominium. He claimed the victim later received a phone call and said she wanted to leave, requesting 500 baht as compensation.
He said an argument broke out when she demanded more money. The suspect claimed the victim suddenly produced a knife and held it to his neck, leading to a struggle during which he grabbed her hand while she held the weapon and allegedly strangled her.
He claimed the victim became unresponsive during the struggle and later died.
The suspect said he then placed the body in a suitcase and kept it inside the bathroom for more than a day before later transporting it on a motorcycle and dumping it near the railway tracks.
He also expressed remorse and apologised to the victim’s family, while insisting the death was not intentional and occurred during self-defence.
At 10:50, police processed the suspect, took fingerprints, and formally charged him with four offences: intentional murder, concealing and moving a body, and offences related to taking a minor aged over 15 but under 18 for indecent purposes.
He was then sent to Pattaya Provincial Court for his first remand hearing.
