Body-in-suitcase in Thailand: Police widen probe beyond Pattaya murder

THAILAND: An Australian national, Simon Peter Carman, 45, has been charged with murder and concealment after a body was discovered inside a black suitcase in Pattaya, Thailand.

The naked body of the victim, 17-year-old Thai girl Thunchanok "Cake" Donhomla, was found stuffed inside the discarded suitcase, dumped near a railway track on Saturday, June 27, 2026. She had suffered severe facial injuries.

Carman was intercepted at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport attempting to buy a flight ticket to flee to Australia.

Before his arrest, Pattaya police released CCTV footage tracking the 45-year-old Australian.

The video shows Carman holding hands with Thunchanok Donhomla in a condo lobby at 3:30 a.m. on Thursday, before capturing him dragging (video of Carman with Donhomla) the suitcase out of the building later that night between 9:25 p.m. and 9:48 p.m.

Carman was out for 20 minutes on a motorcycle with the suitcase. After returning to his condo, the suitcase was no longer with him, police said.

Police also said they acted swiftly because they had seen incidents before of girls going home with tourists and not returning.

But when they went to search Carman’s condo, they didn’t find any evidence suggesting a murder had taken place. 

Nevertheless, the police have charged Carman with murder, concealing a corpse in an attempt to hide the cause of death, and abduction of a minor over 15 but not yet 18 years of age for indecent purposes, and taking a person over 15 but not yet 18 for indecent purposes, even if the person consents.

Carman has denied the murder charges, telling the victim’s family, "I feel bad for what happened to your daughter. It was out of my control."

Separately, he claimed to the police that he acted in self-defence during a financial dispute.

He stated that a dispute broke out over payment, alleging that the 17-year-old girl pulled a knife on him and that he unintentionally strangled her while trying to disarm her.

According to Thai media, he said he had not known Tunchanok before they met in Pattaya.

He said they went to his condo and that they initially agreed on a payment of 1,000 baht ($43), but then argued after he offered her 500 baht instead.

Thai police are also investigating whether he could be linked to two unsolved cases in the region.

Police officials, speaking with The Guardian, said there are similarities with the other cases but no evidence linking Carman to the cases in neighbouring regions.