The body of a 17-year-old girl was discovered inside a suitcase abandoned near a railway track in Pattaya, Thailand, in a case that has shocked the country and triggered a large-scale murder investigation.
Police have arrested an Australian man in connection with the case after preliminary investigations linked him to the victim, who had been reported missing by a friend after she could not be contacted for more than 24 hours.
Authorities said CCTV footage showed the victim entering a condominium in Jomtien Second Road with the 46-year-old suspect at around 3.34am local time on June 25, 2026.
The pair were seen going up to a 15th-floor unit, but the girl was never seen leaving the building.
Further CCTV recordings later showed the man leaving the condominium at around 9.34pm the same day carrying a black suitcase, before riding a motorcycle around Sukhumvit Road and areas near a railway track.
Police said the suspect disappeared from CCTV coverage for about nine minutes before returning to the condominium without the suitcase, raising suspicion that it contained the victim’s body.
Following a missing person report, officers searched the condominium but initially found neither the victim nor the suspect, although signs of a struggle were discovered inside the room.
At around 7pm on June 26, the suspect was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport while attempting to purchase a ticket back to Australia.
Police also noted scratch marks on his neck and arms believed to be caused by human fingernails, although he denied any involvement in the victim’s disappearance.
Hours later, at around 11.17pm, investigators traced the suspect’s movements and found a black 26-inch suitcase abandoned in bushes near a railway line about 4.2km from the condominium.
Rescue teams later confirmed a body was inside the suitcase before forensic examinations were carried out.
The victim was found undressed with severe facial injuries, while tattoos on her body matched those of the missing teenager.
The remains were sent for identification and post-mortem analysis at the Police General Hospital Forensic Institute.
Following the discovery, a Pattaya court issued an arrest warrant against the suspect for allegedly taking a minor out of a guardian’s custody for indecent purposes.
During questioning, the man denied involvement and claimed the victim left the room while he was asleep.
However, police said they were not convinced by his explanation and further forensic investigations are ongoing to determine whether additional charges will be filed.
