PATTAYA, Thailand — Police have arrested a 46-year-old Australian man at Suvarnabhumi Airport as he attempted to flee the country, in connection with the gruesome murder of a 17-year-old Thai girl in Pattaya whose body was found stuffed inside a black suitcase and abandoned beside railway tracks. The suspect has denied all involvement and claims to be innocent despite strong CCTV evidence.
The suspect, identified publicly by Thai police as Mr. Simon Peter Carman, was detained around 7:00 PM on June 26th, 2026, while trying to purchase a ticket to return to Australia at Suvarnabhumi Airport. He faces charges including abducting a minor under 18 for indecent purposes.
The victim, Miss T, 17, from Kalasin province, went missing after entering a condominium on Jomtien Second Road with Carman at approximately 3:34 AM on June 25th.
CCTV footage captured the pair holding hands as they entered the building and proceeded to Room 20 on the 15th floor. The girl was never seen leaving the condominium alive.
Later that evening, at around 9:34 PM on June 25th, another CCTV camera recorded Carman dragging a large black suitcase out of the building. He loaded it onto a red Yamaha Aerox motorcycle (license plate 1 กน 9177, Prachuap Khiri Khan province) and rode off along Sukhumvit Road, turning into Soi Chaiyapruk 2. He then proceeded along a road parallel to the railway tracks.
After disappearing from view for more than nine minutes, he returned to the condominium on the same motorcycle, this time without the suitcase. Investigators suspect he used the time to dispose of the victim’s body.
Friends of the missing teenager reported her disappearance to Pattaya City Police after 24 hours with no contact. A team led by Pol. Col. Anek Sarathongyu, Chief of Pattaya City Police Station, searched the condominium. They found signs of a struggle in the room but no one inside. Carman had already left.
While reviewing CCTV and tracing the motorcycle route, officers located the black 26-inch suitcase approximately 4.2 kilometers from the condominium, hidden in grassy undergrowth beside the railway tracks around 11:17 PM on June 26th.
Rescue workers opened the suitcase and discovered the body of a young woman curled inside, covered partially by a thin brown cloth. She had visible injuries to her face consistent with a violent assault, including swelling, bruising, and blood from her mouth and nose. The body showed signs of having been dead for over a day. Distinctive tattoos and physical features confirmed the identity as Miss T.
Forensic officers from the Chonburi Police Forensic Division (Region 2) secured the scene and transported the body to the Institute of Forensic Medicine at the Police General Hospital for autopsy.
Carman was intercepted at the airport with visible scratch marks on his neck and arms, believed to be defensive wounds from a struggle. He initially denied any involvement, claiming the girl had left the room while he was asleep and according to him somehow passed away later. He also reportedly declined to answer questions around if he knew her age. Police have dismissed his statement as inconsistent with the evidence and are continuing intensive questioning.
Pol. Col. Anek stated that investigators are gathering additional forensic evidence and witness statements to build a strong case. The suspect has been remanded by Pattaya Provincial Court and returned to the police station for further interrogation.
The shocking case has sent ripples of fear through the local community and among foreign residents in the Pattaya area.
For the original version of this article, please visit The Pattaya News.
