Simon Peter Carman Charged Over Brutal Murder of 17-Year-Old Thai Girl Found Stuffed in Suitcase in Pattaya
Australian man arrested at Bangkok airport as he tried to flee after allegedly strangling victim during argument over payment
In the sun-soaked streets of Pattaya, a city famous for its neon lights, beaches and a reputation as a haven for sex tourism, the discovery of a 17-year-old Thai girl’s naked, beaten body stuffed inside a black suitcase beside railway tracks has sent shockwaves through both Thailand and Australia.
Thai police say the killer is a 45-year-old Australian man, Simon Peter Carman, who was arrested just hours after the grim find at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, where he was minutes from boarding a flight back home to Perth.
Carman, who had lived on and off in Pattaya for years, denies killing the girl — identified in Thai media as Thanchanok Donhomla (also known as “Cake”) from Kalasin province in the country’s north-east. But the evidence against him is overwhelming: CCTV footage, his own words and the brutal details of the crime that allegedly unfolded in his apartment.
The discovery that changed everything
At around 1.30am on Saturday, June 27, local time, Pattaya police stumbled upon the suitcase in a grassy area near railway tracks in the Khao Makok neighbourhood, roughly 4.2 kilometres from Carman’s condo in the Jomtien area.
Inside: the completely naked body of Thanchanok Donhomla. Her face was swollen and bruised from severe assault, blood still flowing from her mouth and nose. Her clothes and possessions — a vape, her phone and a couple of receipts — had been jammed between her limbs.
The victim’s friend had reported her missing the night before after she vanished with a foreign man from Jomtien Beach.
CCTV evidence that painted a chilling picture
Police pieced together a timeline that reads like a true-crime thriller.
At 3.34am on Thursday, June 25, CCTV captured Carman and the 17-year-old walking hand-in-hand through the lobby of his apartment block on Jomtien Second Road. They entered the lift together.
Hours later, the girl’s body was still in his room. He allegedly went about his day normally: shopping, eating out and doing his laundry while the teenager lay dead inside the suitcase.
Then, at some point that day or evening, he loaded the 29-inch black suitcase onto a motorbike and rode about four kilometres to dump it near the railway tracks.
Just minutes before Thanchanok’s body was found, Carman was arrested at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. He had been attempting to board a Jetstar flight back to Australia.
Carman’s background: a troubled expat with a quiet life in Thailand
Born in Ballarat, Victoria, Carman grew up in the small agricultural town of Jerramungup before moving with his family to Albany and later Rockingham, where he worked as a mechanic and truck driver.
He suffered significant injuries — including back and neck problems, with metal rods reportedly in his spine from an old motor vehicle accident. He lived on a disability pension and workers’ compensation.
In Thailand, he was a regular at the Rimhad Jomtien condo complex, paying around 1000 baht (about $330) a month in rent. Neighbours described him as “slow,” “weird” and sometimes aggressive. One former acquaintance said he was known for bragging about owning guns and sleeping all day.
He had spent time in both Australia and Thailand over the past decade, often working as a handyman. Photos he posted on Telegram showed a dramatic weight loss — more than 30kg — before returning to Pattaya.
The alleged crime: argument over $20 turns deadly
According to Thai police reports, Carman met Thanchanok on Jomtien Beach around 3am on Thursday. They agreed to 1000 baht for sexual services.
Back in his apartment, he allegedly offered only 500 baht. A dispute erupted. Thanchanok pulled a knife on him, he claimed. In self-defence, he said, he grabbed her by the neck and strangled her.
He told police he did not intend to kill her. She died. He panicked, hid the body in the suitcase, went about his routine, and then disposed of her.
During a police interview, Carman repeatedly denied killing her. When shown footage of him carrying the suitcase, he finally gave a partial confession. He admitted to the strangling but maintained it was accidental and in self-defence.
Family devastated, calls for death penalty
Thanchanok’s father and stepmother were left heartbroken when they saw the suitcase. Her father, speaking to Thai media, said the killer should be executed.
In Thailand, murder convictions can carry life imprisonment or the death penalty.
“Tell other girls to be careful,” her father reportedly told reporters. Her stepmother described Thanchanok as a good girl who worked hard to support her family.
The loneliness of an Australian in Thailand
Carman’s life in Pattaya was described by neighbours as quiet but eerie. One woman who lived nearby said he was “wanting his own way” and could be rude when drunk. He would walk the beach at night when he couldn’t sleep.
He was often seen alone. No one expected the man who paid his rent on time and seemed unremarkable to be a killer.
Charges and the fight for justice
Thai police formally charged Carman with four offences: intentional murder, concealment and moving or destroying a body, and taking a minor (15-18 years old) for indecent acts.
He was remanded in Pattaya Prison, where he is still awaiting further court proceedings. His lawyer has entered a not-guilty plea on all counts, insisting on self-defence.
Australian authorities confirmed they are providing consular assistance, but the case is being handled entirely by Thai courts.
A warning for women in sex tourism hotspots
This case has raised uncomfortable questions about safety in Pattaya, a city where thousands of women — many from poorer regions in Thailand or neighbouring countries — work in the sex industry, often with foreign clients.
Authorities have not commented on whether Carman targeted Thanchanok specifically because of her profession, but the timing and location make it clear the risks are real.
Her friend told reporters she last saw Thanchanok leaving with “a big guy, foreign-looking.” Now she wishes she had warned her.
The hunt for truth continues
Autopsy results are still pending at the Police General Hospital. Forensic experts are examining scratch marks on Carman’s neck, which he claimed were spider bites — a claim dismissed by investigators.
Investigators say the case is strong thanks to a network of CCTV cameras across Pattaya and the airport.
For now, the black suitcase remains evidence in a case that has shocked the world.
Simon Peter Carman, a man who seemed to blend into the background of Pattaya’s expat community, is accused of turning a moment of passion into one of the most disturbing murders in recent Thai history.
The family of Thanchanok Donhomla is left to grieve a daughter who never came home. Australia is watching as its citizen faces justice across the border.
And Pattaya — that glittering, dangerous jewel of the Andaman coast — is once again reminding the world that even in paradise, shadows lurk.