The family of a 17-year-old Thai girl whose body was found inside a suitcase in Pattaya has spoken of their heartbreak, as an Australian man faces multiple charges over her death.
Thai police arrested Simon Peter Carman, an Australian man in his 40s, at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport early on Saturday as he was allegedly preparing to board a flight back to Australia. He has been charged with murder, concealing a body, moving or destroying a body, and taking a minor for sexual purposes.
Investigators said CCTV footage showed Carman entering a condominium with the teenage girl before leaving alone several hours later carrying a suitcase. Police believe he later transported the suitcase on a motorcycle and abandoned it in a grassy area near a railway line, where the girl’s body was eventually discovered.
Following the investigation, authorities obtained an arrest warrant before apprehending the suspect at the airport. Before being transferred to the Pattaya Provincial Court, Carman issued a brief apology to the victim’s family.
“I feel bad for what happened to your daughter. It was out of my control,” he said.
The victim’s father, 46-year-old Thongchai Donhomla, said he was devastated by the loss of his daughter, describing her as a caring child who often helped him despite growing up without her biological mother.
“I am deeply saddened. My daughter had no mother, so whenever she wanted something, she would find a way herself, and she always helped me too,” he said.
The teenager’s stepmother, Oradee Bussarakum, called for the harshest punishment if the suspect is convicted.
“I told the police I want him executed. As her stepmother, I don’t know what else to say. I just want him to face the full consequences,” she said.
Thai police have yet to announce when Carman will make his first court appearance. Investigations into the teenager’s death remain ongoing as authorities continue gathering evidence in one of Thailand’s most high-profile murder cases in recent months.
