Bangkok: An Australian man has been apprehended at Suvarnabhumi International Airport on charges of murdering a 17-year-old Thai girl, stripping her naked, and concealing her body in a suitcase, which was later discovered beside railway tracks. The arrest took place as the suspect, identified as Simon Peter Carman, was allegedly attempting to flee to Australia.
According to Thai News Agency, the body of the victim, identified as Thanyachanok, was discovered in a suitcase, showing signs of having been deceased for at least two days. The discovery followed a missing person report filed by her friends with the Pattaya City Police Station after she went missing on June 26. The description of the body and unique tattoos led to the confirmation of her identity.
Police investigations, aided by CCTV footage from a condominium on Jomtien 2nd Road, revealed that Ms. Thanyachanok was last seen entering the building with a foreign man at 3:34 AM on June 25. She was never seen leaving the premises. Further footage from the same day showed a man, later identified as Simon Peter Carman, leaving the building with a large suitcase, which was subsequently loaded onto a motorcycle and driven away.
The investigation, led by Pol. Col. Anek Sarathongyoo, Superintendent of Pattaya City Police Station, traced Simon's route and located the discarded suitcase approximately 4.2 kilometers from the condominium. Upon inspection, the suitcase was found to contain the body of Ms. Thanyachanok, which was then sent to the Forensic Science Institute at the Police Hospital for an autopsy and further identification processes.
Law enforcement officials, coordinating with immigration authorities, detained Simon at the airport at 7:00 PM, just as he was attempting to return to Australia. He was escorted back to Pattaya City Police Station for further questioning. An arrest warrant was issued by Pattaya Provincial Court on charges of abducting a minor under 18 for indecent acts.
Despite the evidence, Simon denies the allegations, claiming, "the deceased left the room while I was asleep and unaware." However, police remain skeptical of his statement and are pursuing a detailed interrogation to proceed with legal action against him.