Simon Peter Carman, a 45-year-old Australian truck driver, has been charged with the murder of a 17-year-old Thai girl, whose body was discovered stuffed inside a suitcase dumped beside railway tracks in Pattaya. The shocking case has drawn international attention, with police alleging Carman attempted to flee the country before being intercepted at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport.
Arrest and Charges
Carman was arrested while boarding a Jetstar flight to Perth, according to Thai authorities. He now faces multiple charges, including murder, concealing and moving a body, and abducting a minor for indecent purposes. The charges stem from the death of Tunchanok Donhomla, whose body was found on Friday.
Police allege Carman met the teenager in Pattaya's red-light district, where CCTV footage captured them holding hands as they entered an apartment building in the early hours of Thursday. Tunchanok was never seen leaving the building alive.
Background of the Accused
Carman was born in Ballarat and grew up in Jerramungup, about 440km southeast of Perth, before his family moved to Albany. He previously worked as a truck driver between Western Australia and regional Victoria before relocating to Thailand last year. Former neighbours in Perth's southern suburb of Casuarina expressed shock at the allegations, describing him as someone who mostly kept to himself.
One neighbour, who asked to be identified only as Shelley, said Carman occasionally socialised but had not been seen in the neighbourhood for several years. According to The Pattaya News, Carman had lived alone in a rented condominium in Jomtien for the past eight months, paying about $A479 a month in rent.
Acquaintances' Descriptions
Acquaintances in Thailand painted a picture of a solitary man. One neighbour said: "Everything about him was slow. He talked slow, he walked slow, he seemed to think slow." A staff member at a business Carman occasionally visited described him as "a bit abnormal", noting he spoke slowly and would often stare blankly into space for extended periods. They said he appeared to have few, if any, close friends.
Otherwise, acquaintances said Carman lived much like many other expatriates in Pattaya, spending time swimming, ordering food deliveries, eating at local restaurants, and occasionally walking along the beach at night.
Alleged Sequence of Events
According to local media reports, Carman told investigators the pair initially agreed on 1000 baht (about $A43) for sexual services at Jomtien Beach, but he later offered her 500 baht (about $A22) after they arrived at his apartment, triggering an argument. He allegedly claimed the teenager attempted to leave and held a knife to his neck before a struggle ensued. Local media reported Tunchanok was choked to death, which Carman allegedly claimed was an act of self-defence.
Police allege Carman had visible scratch marks on his neck and arms when he was arrested at the airport. He claimed the injuries were caused by "spiders". "I think it's a spider, but they always get in here," he told officers.
Discovery of the Body
CCTV also captured Carman leaving the apartment building hours later while wheeling a large suitcase. Police allege he strapped it to the back of a red Yamaha Aerox motorcycle before dumping it in scrub beside railway tracks. After Tunchanok's friend reported her missing on Friday morning, investigators traced her movements to the apartment building before locating the suitcase. Police later confirmed her body was curled up inside. They said she had suffered facial injuries consistent with a violent assault, including swelling, bruising, and blood around her mouth and nose.
Family's Reaction
Tunchanok's parents, Thongchai Donhomla and Ordee Butrakhamare, both 46, said they wanted Carman to be "executed". Her stepmother Oradee Bussarakum stated: "I am deeply saddened. I told the police I want him executed. As a mother, I don't know what else to say. I just want him executed." If convicted, Carman could face the death penalty or life imprisonment in Thailand.
