Australian murder accused Simon Peter Carman stays behind bars after denying killing 17-year-old “Cake” in Pattaya. CCTV, DNA and an autopsy form the prosecution case as he insists she threatened him with a knife, leading to a struggle.
Australian Simon Peter Carman, 45, is back under tight security in Pattaya Remand Prison after pleading not guilty to murdering 17-year-old Tunchanok “Cake” Donhomla. Her naked body was found stuffed inside a suitcase beside railway tracks. CCTV showed them entering his Jomtien condominium hand-in-hand. Hours later, cameras allegedly caught Carman hauling a large suitcase outside and riding towards the railway. An autopsy found Tunchanok died from suffocation with a brain injury, while police reported DNA evidence. Carman admits restraining her, putting her body in the suitcase and transporting it by motorcycle. However, he claims self-defence, saying she threatened him with a knife. Police later caught Carman at Suvarnabhumi Airport preparing to fly to Perth, helping persuade the court to refuse bail when he appeared barefoot and chained before it on Thursday.
Australian national Simon Peter Carman has pleaded not guilty to murdering a 17-year-old Thai girl in Pattaya. However, the court refused bail after prosecutors warned he could flee Thailand. The 45-year-old Western Australian was returned under tight security to Pattaya Remand Prison. He faces an intentional murder charge and three other serious criminal counts.
Carman is accused of killing Tunchanok Donhomla, 17, from Kalasin province. Her family and friends knew her as “Cake”. Her naked body was later found stuffed inside a large suitcase beside a Pattaya railway line. Yet Carman denies murdering her and insists he acted in self-defence.
The Australian appeared before Pattaya Provincial Court following his formal indictment on September 17. He entered court barefoot, handcuffed and wearing heavy chains around his ankles. Carman appeared with his lawyer and pleaded not guilty to every charge. He also maintained that he had not known Tunchanok was 17.
Carman faces four charges as Pattaya court refuses bail after prosecutors warn of serious flight risk
The Pattaya Provincial Public Prosecutor filed the prosecution under criminal case number T61/2026. Carman faces a charge of intentional murder. He is also charged with concealing, moving or destroying a corpse to conceal a death or its cause. Separately, two charges concern taking a person aged over 15 but under 18 for sexual purposes.
Carman denies knowingly becoming involved with a minor. Indeed, he claims he believed Tunchanok was substantially older. He previously told an Australian broadcaster that he thought she was aged somewhere between 25 and 35. His claimed mistake over her age now forms another part of his defence.
Meanwhile, Carman applied for temporary release while awaiting further proceedings. Prosecutors immediately opposed the application because of the circumstances surrounding his arrest. Police caught him at Suvarnabhumi Airport shortly after Tunchanok’s death. At the time, Carman was preparing to fly to Australia.
Prosecutors therefore argued that he presented a serious flight risk. The Pattaya court accepted that argument and refused bail. Consequently, Carman was returned under guard to Pattaya Remand Prison. He has remained behind bars since his arrest in June.
The court scheduled the next hearing for 9 am on October 12. At that stage, judges are expected to begin examining evidence in the case. Carman’s lawyer, Sorasit Pongin, said the Australian’s mother had retained him. Moreover, he estimated that proceedings could continue for six to eight months.
CCTV shows Carman and Tunchanok entering Pattaya condominium before suitcase appears hours later
The prosecution follows an extensive investigation into Tunchanok’s disappearance and death during June. She came from Kalasin province in northeastern Thailand. However, she was in Pattaya with friends when she encountered Carman during the early hours of June 25.
Investigators subsequently assembled a detailed surveillance-camera timeline covering their movements. The footage also recorded key movements by Carman after Tunchanok entered his condominium. His accommodation was on Jomtien Second Road in Pattaya.
At approximately 3.34 am, CCTV captured Carman and Tunchanok entering the condominium building together. Significantly, the footage showed them walking hand-in-hand. They then entered a lift together and disappeared further inside the building.
Police say cameras never subsequently recorded Tunchanok leaving the condominium alive. Instead, surveillance footage later showed Carman moving around without her. Hours later, another CCTV sequence became a crucial part of the investigation.
At approximately 9.25 pm, cameras allegedly captured Carman dragging a large black suitcase from his accommodation. He then placed or secured the suitcase onto a motorcycle. Afterwards, the Australian rode away from the building alone.
Further cameras followed his motorcycle towards a railway corridor. At one point, Carman disappeared from CCTV coverage for approximately nine minutes. However, cameras later picked him up again as he travelled back towards his accommodation. It was shortly before 10 pm.
Teenager’s body found in suitcase as autopsy finds suffocation, brain injury and police report DNA
In parallel, concern was mounting over Tunchanok’s whereabouts. A friend reported the 17-year-old missing after she failed to return. Police subsequently began searching for her.
Eventually, officers found a large suitcase abandoned in long grass beside railway tracks. The location was in Khao Makok, Nong Prue, in Bang Lamung district. Notably, the site was approximately 4.2 kilometres from Carman’s condominium.
Inside the suitcase, police found Tunchanok’s naked body. The discovery transformed the missing-person inquiry into a murder investigation. Detectives then focused on her final movements and Carman’s activities after she entered his room.
An autopsy subsequently provided important evidence about how Tunchanok died. Pattaya City Police Superintendent Police Colonel Anek Srathongyoo later disclosed the findings. According to him, the teenager died from suffocation. She had also suffered a brain injury.
Police additionally reported forensic evidence connecting Carman with Tunchanok. Investigators said Carman’s DNA matched material recovered from the teenager’s body. That evidence will now form part of the criminal proceedings against him.
Meanwhile, detectives reconstructed Carman’s movements following Tunchanok’s death. Investigators reportedly saw him leaving his accommodation during the afternoon of June 26. Police gathered further evidence and subsequently sought an arrest warrant.
Carman arrested at airport before Perth flight as police document scratches following Pattaya death
By then, however, Carman was preparing to leave Thailand. Pattaya investigators and immigration officers moved to intercept him at Suvarnabhumi Airport. They located him at approximately 1.15 am on June 27.
Carman was preparing to board a flight to Perth in Western Australia. Police arrested him before he could leave Thailand. Afterwards, officers brought him back to Pattaya for questioning over Tunchanok’s death.
That airport arrest returned to the centre of the case during this week’s bail hearing. Prosecutors cited it as evidence that Carman could flee if released. Ultimately, the Pattaya court accepted their argument and kept him behind bars.
Investigators also documented physical marks on Carman following his arrest. Police reported scratches across his face, arms and hands. In addition, officers noticed marks around his neck.
Initially, Carman offered an unusual explanation for some of those injuries. When questioned on camera, he suggested marks around his neck might have been caused by a spider. Police Colonel Anek later said investigators considered the scratches consistent with a physical struggle.
Since his arrest, Carman has provided a detailed account of what happened inside the condominium. He accepts meeting Tunchanok while she was with two friends. Furthermore, he acknowledges that she subsequently accompanied him back to his room.
Carman claims money dispute turned violent after teenager produced kitchen knife inside condominium
In August, Carman gave an extensive interview from Pattaya Remand Prison. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation questioned him about CCTV apparently showing him holding Tunchanok’s hand. Carman said he could not remember doing so. Nonetheless, he accepted it if that was what the footage showed.
Carman also insisted that he had not known Tunchanok was 17. Instead, he claimed he believed she was substantially older. Specifically, Carman said he thought the teenager was somewhere between 25 and 35 years old.
According to Carman, an argument then developed over money inside the condominium. He told the broadcaster that he gave Tunchanok ฿500. However, he claimed she demanded additional money.
Earlier Thai reports gave a slightly different account of the dispute. Those reports referred to an agreement involving ฿1,000. A disagreement then reportedly followed after Carman offered ฿500.
From that point, Carman says, the encounter turned violent. His central defence is that Tunchanok produced a kitchen knife and threatened him. He claims he repeatedly told her to put the weapon down.
According to Carman, Tunchanok did not comply. He says he then attempted to restrain her. Carman claims he grabbed the arm holding the knife while also restraining her around the neck. Eventually, he said, Tunchanok “went limp”.
Carman claims self-defence as victim’s family rejects account and he admits failing to call ambulance
Carman therefore accepts that a violent physical confrontation immediately preceded the teenager’s death. Even so, he denies intentionally killing her. He maintains that he restrained Tunchanok because he believed she was going to stab him.
Tunchanok’s family has publicly rejected that account. Her aunt, Mirantee Thanachai, disputed Carman’s claim that her niece attacked him. Meanwhile, her father, Thongchai Donhomla, has also spoken publicly about the prosecution.
Mr Thongchai told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that he wanted the severest available punishment following any conviction. However, the charges against Carman have yet to be determined by Pattaya Provincial Court.
What happened after Tunchanok became unresponsive forms another major strand of the prosecution case. Notably, Carman accepts that he did not call an ambulance. He was subsequently asked why he failed to summon emergency assistance.
Carman told the Australian broadcaster that he did not trust the police. Instead, Thai reports say he admitted placing Tunchanok’s body inside the large black suitcase. Furthermore, he reportedly kept her body inside his condominium bathroom while deciding what to do.
CCTV traces suitcase journey towards railway as Carman faces separate charge over concealment of body
Police Colonel Anek has described surveillance footage covering Carman’s activities during this period. According to the senior officer, Carman appeared to continue ordinary activities after Tunchanok died. CCTV reportedly showed him leaving the accommodation and buying items. Another sequence reportedly showed him carrying a shopping basket.
Later that evening, cameras allegedly captured Carman dragging the large suitcase from his accommodation. He then placed or secured it onto his motorcycle. Afterwards, surveillance cameras followed him towards the railway corridor.
During that journey, Carman disappeared from CCTV coverage for about nine minutes. Subsequently, cameras recorded him travelling back towards his condominium. Police later recovered Tunchanok’s body beside railway tracks in the same general area.
Accordingly, prosecutors brought a separate criminal charge concerning the treatment of Tunchanok’s body. The offence covers secretly burying, concealing, moving or destroying a corpse. It applies where those actions are intended to conceal a death or its cause.
Carman has meanwhile spoken extensively about the case from Pattaya Remand Prison. In August, he gave a lengthy interview to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
“I have not done anything wrong,” Carman told the broadcaster.
Carman maintains self-defence in court as consular officials meet him before return to Pattaya prison
He also said he wished Tunchanok had not died. Nevertheless, he maintained that the confrontation had been unavoidable. Carman insisted he had been trying to prevent her from stabbing him.
That remained his position when he appeared before Pattaya Provincial Court this week. Once again, he relied on self-defence while pleading not guilty. Likewise, he maintained that he had been unaware of Tunchanok’s true age.
Two Australian consular representatives attended the proceedings. Judges allowed them to speak with Carman inside the courtroom. During the meeting, an Australian Broadcasting Corporation reporter observed Carman crying.
As he left court, Carman spoke briefly with reporters. He claimed he had lost approximately 30 kilograms since entering prison. Another Australian report said Carman claimed he had been assaulted twice while incarcerated. He also claimed he had barely slept for months.
Those claims concern Carman’s prison conditions rather than the evidence surrounding Tunchanok’s death. For now, he remains under tight security at Pattaya Remand Prison. His unsuccessful bail application ensures he will remain there as proceedings continue.
Prosecution enters court with CCTV, autopsy and DNA evidence as Carman maintains self-defence claim
The prosecution enters the court stage with a detailed surveillance trail. It begins at approximately 3.34 am on June 25. Cameras show Carman and Tunchanok entering the Jomtien condominium together and walking hand-in-hand.
Importantly, police say surveillance cameras never show Tunchanok leaving the building alive. Hours later, CCTV allegedly captured Carman dragging a large black suitcase from his accommodation. He then loaded it onto his motorcycle and rode towards the railway corridor.
Along the route, cameras lost sight of Carman for approximately nine minutes. They subsequently recorded him travelling back towards the condominium. Police later found Tunchanok’s naked body inside a suitcase beside nearby railway tracks.
Beyond the CCTV trail, investigators have the autopsy findings. The examination concluded that Tunchanok died from suffocation. She had also suffered a brain injury. Additionally, police report DNA evidence connecting Carman with the teenager.
Officers also documented scratches across Carman’s face, arms and hands following his arrest. Carman himself accepts that a violent physical confrontation occurred before Tunchanok became unresponsive. However, he says the encounter resulted from her threatening him with a knife.
Carman admits moving body but denies murder as prosecution and defence prepare to test accounts
Carman also accepts several events that followed her death. He acknowledges that he did not call an ambulance. Furthermore, he accepts placing Tunchanok’s body inside the suitcase and transporting it from the condominium.
Soon afterwards, police caught Carman preparing to leave Thailand from Suvarnabhumi Airport. Yet he continues to deny criminal responsibility for Tunchanok’s death. He maintains that he restrained her solely because he feared she would stab him.
Carman additionally denies knowingly becoming involved with a 17-year-old. Rather, he insists he believed Tunchanok was aged between 25 and 35. Both parts of his defence will now be tested against the prosecution evidence in court.
Published reports have differed over the precise description of the principal murder accusation. The Pattaya prosecution account describes the charge as intentional murder. However, other reports have referred to premeditated murder.
Intentional murder charge goes before court as reports also refer to premeditated murder and death penalty
A conviction for premeditated murder can carry the death penalty under Thai law. Nevertheless, the Pattaya report of the formal indictment specifically identifies intentional murder. The exact charges and evidence will now be examined through the court process.
For now, Carman remains behind bars after losing his attempt to secure temporary release. His arrest at Suvarnabhumi Airport was central to the prosecution’s opposition to bail. Prosecutors argued that it demonstrated a serious risk of flight.
Aussie Simon Peter Carman charged with murder of teenager in Pattaya after being nabbed at the airport
Aussie arrested for murdering a teenage girl in Pattaya faces the death penalty if convicted by a Thai court
Pattaya Provincial Court agreed and ordered Carman to remain in custody. Consequently, he was escorted under tight security back to Pattaya Remand Prison. His next scheduled court appearance is at 9 am on October 12.
The court will then begin the next stage of proceedings over the death of Tunchanok Donhomla.
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Further reading:
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