Published June 29th, 2026 - 09:49 GMT
ALBAWABA - Simon Peter Carman, 46, denies the charges against him, describing what happened as “out of my control” - local Thai authorities say that a disagreement about money led to the murder.The teenage girl is 17-year-old Tunchanok Donhomla, whose body was found naked in a suitcase dumped by a nearby train tracks in Pattaya on Thailand’s eastern Gulf coast. Carman was arrested at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport on Friday and questioned the following day where he revealed the location of the body.Carman now faces three criminal charges against him; murder, concealing a body to hide the cause of death, and abduction of a minor for indecent purposes - Carman denied all charges.In videos taken of Carman while in custody he addresses the victim’s family: " feel bad for what happened to your daughter. It was out of my control.""I hope you – I know you’ll be very sad, upset. Same, same me. It shouldn’t happen. I hope you’re OK – I know you’re not – but I hope and tell other girls just to be … careful …".In the footage, scratch marks can be seen on Carman’s arms and neck, which he attributes to spider bites: "I think it's a spider; they always get in here."CCTV footage shows Carman with Donholma at 3:30 p.m. in the hotel lobby, then around six hours later, Carman can be seen dragging a suitcase out of the elevator and leaving between 9:25 p.m. and 9:48 p.m., returning later without the suitcase at 10:06 p.m. Donholma was never seen leaving the hotel.The victim’s father, Thongchai, said he was struggling to come to terms with the loss, according to Reuters. “I am deeply saddened. My daughter had no mother, so whenever she wanted anything, she would find a way herself, and she always helped me too,” he said.Murder in Thailand can mean anywhere between 15 and 20 years in prison - Carman remains in custody waiting for a court date to be tried and judged.
