An Australian man accused of killing a 17-year-old Thai girl and placing her body inside a suitcase has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Simon Peter Carman, 45, was arrested at an airport in Bangkok on June 26 as he was preparing to return to Australia, after the victim’s friend reported her missing.
The girl’s body was found inside luggage near railway tracks in Pattaya, south of Bangkok, the following day.
Police said the victim was believed to have died from suffocation.
Carman appeared at the Pattaya Provincial Court on Friday and pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, concealing a body and taking a minor for an indecent purpose.
His next court hearing has been set for Oct 12.
Police previously said CCTV footage showed Carman entering a condominium in Pattaya with the victim in the early hours of June 25.
He was later seen leaving the condominium that afternoon carrying a large black suitcase.
The case has renewed attention on Pattaya, a popular destination among foreign tourists known for its beaches and nightlife, but which has also long faced a reputation as a sex tourism destination.
