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Aussie Murder Suspect Faces Thai Compensation Talks

Australian truck driver Simon Carman, 45, could receive a substantially reduced prison sentence if he is convicted of murdering Thai teenager Tunchanok Donhomla, 17, in Pattaya and reaches a compensation agreement with her family under Thai law. Carman is being held at Pattaya Remand Prison after being charged with murder following the discovery of the teenager’s body, concealed in a suitcase left in long grass near railway tracks.

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Carman, from Perth’s southern suburbs, was arrested at Bangkok’s main international airport, while police alleged he was preparing to leave Thailand on a flight to Australia. He denies murdering Tunchanok, known as Cake, and claims he acted in self-defence. Police have said their investigation remains ongoing.

According to police sources cited by the Daily Mail, discussions over financial compensation for the victim’s parents, Thongchai Donhomla and Oradee Bussarakum, are expected to form part of the legal process. The sources stressed that compensation does not prevent prosecution, but may be considered by the court alongside a guilty plea and expressions of remorse when deciding any sentence.

One police source said the family could be asked what level of compensation they would accept, with negotiations continuing until an agreement is reached. The source gave one million baht, about AU$43,000, as an example figure, noting it represents around eight years’ wages for someone earning the provincial minimum wage per day.

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The same source claimed that a guilty plea could reduce a sentence by 50 per cent, while a compensation agreement accepted by the victim’s family could carry significant weight during sentencing. They suggested that, in such circumstances, a convicted offender could potentially be released after as little as seven years. Under Thai law, however, compensation alone does not guarantee a reduced sentence, with the final decision resting with the court.

Prison officials told the Daily Mail that Carman has shown no visible emotion since his arrest and has not received visits from family, friends or members of the local expatriate community. He has been transferred to the hospital wing of Pattaya Remand Prison and is being housed separately from the main prison population for safety reasons.

The Daily Mall reported that authorities said Carman can be held at Pattaya Remand Prison for up to 84 days while detectives continue gathering evidence. Police have stated that he is cooperating with the investigation.

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Pictures courtesy of Daily Mail

Related story

Australian-arrested-at-Bangkok-airport-over-Pattaya-murder

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Taboo2 Gold Member

Taboo2

Advanced Member
5 hours ago, Celsius said:

I don't know who's more evil..... the Aussie Brit, or the parents who sent her to "work"

Sending kids to work as slaves is worldwide, not just here in Thailand.

crazykopite Platinum Member

crazykopite

Advanced Member

Blood Money let’s hope the scumbag never sees the light of day

Old Croc Star Member

Old Croc

Advanced Member

Some of us remember this very similar case where a Brit murdered a prostitute, dismembered her and disposed of the body in a suitcase. He fled to Ibiza from where he was later extradited.

He paid compensation to the family and had his sentence reduced to just 8 years. No electric chair nor hanging. He is probably free today.

Incidentally, Thailand uses lethal injection for executions.

BREAKING: Court sentences British man who murdered and chopped up Thai woman | Thaiger

BilllyGOAT Silver Member

BilllyGOAT

Advanced Member
6 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

"potentially" so you have made it up Anyway why not wait and see what happens before you start virtue signalling, If the family are happy with whatever arrangement is arrived at then that's good enough for me , Its not about you at all is it ?

Dude, me, virtues? You must be joking. I also don’t give a fark about "the family" either.

And you’re right, this isn’t about me, and it never was. You’re the one who’s trying to make it about me, which is pretty hopeless.

My only point, from the beginning, has been that this waste of skin should stay in jail so he can’t kill anyone else. That’s it. Everything else you’re bringing up is just noise. You really need to get a grip.

RabidRenu Explorer Member

RabidRenu

Member
1 hour ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

I know many Thai girls in Pattaya working in the bar scene/sex industry.

Their parents don't they are selling their bodies, they've told their parents that they the are working in Big C, Lotus's etc.

Most families in Thailand are poor, they have to send their daughters for work

OK, I've been resisting but here goes. Agree with the above except the 'sending' bit. I think we all know 'family' IS the culture of Thailand and a young person born to subsistence rural farmers with little or no education will find ways to contribute to the household. If they're introduced to the sex industry and see the money and party compared to working in a factory or field, some if inclined will opt for the party. Let's not forget many of the young people see white foreigners as rich and good-looking adding further to the attraction. Money is the central theme here and yes he should be forced to pay everything he has and more.

Bday Prang Star Member

Bday Prang

Advanced Member
11 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

If anybody needs assistance setting up a GoFundMe, it would be the parents of the girl.

However, do they deserve it?

Her father allowed her, at 17 years old, to go off to Pattaya, knowing full well how they earn money down there.

She followed a well trodden path , there are thousands earning money in Pattaya .Very few are there without their parents knowledge. Attitudes to "that kind of work" can vary I doubt he thought that it would come to this

Steve Newbie

Steve

Member

It doesn't matter if the family knew or not.

A lot of girls tell there parents they going to see a friend or look for job opportunities in the big smoke. I have met many girls that tell there parents they working in restaurants etc.

But the real story is a young girl should of not got murdered and that's it.

The guy needs to put on death row as pigs like that shouldn't be alive.

bunnydrops Platinum Member

bunnydrops

Advanced Member
45 minutes ago, NorthernRyland said:

Wasn't she sending money home to them and they all knew about it? Loads of people living in poverty in that same region but not all of them send their daughters into prostitution which is dangerous for a number of reasons.

I am more inclined to believe "her friend" enticed her to come for easy money.

wensiensheng Platinum Member

wensiensheng

Advanced Member
46 minutes ago, BilllyGOAT said:

Brilliant idea. There's a reason that they put murderers in jail and/or give them a life sentence. But let's let this one out so he can go off and kill somebody else.

Well, that is the valid counter argument to the valid pragmatic reasoning that compensation improves the life of those still living. Will the person do it again?

But that is presumably something that the court considers, or at least I hope they do.

I would point out that there is no suggestion that this guy will be “let out” in the sense of immediate release. The article talks of him serving a minimum of 7 years.

wavodavo Gold Member

wavodavo

Advanced Member
16 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

If anybody needs assistance setting up a GoFundMe, it would be the parents of the girl.

However, do they deserve it?

Her father allowed her, at 17 years old, to go off to Pattaya, knowing full well how they earn money down there.

This girl was 17 and already had at least 3 very substantial tatoos that are visible when clothed so I doubt very much if she was the innocent little girl from Issan that had left home for the first time on her own to Pattaya to see the sea.

Bday Prang Star Member

Bday Prang

Advanced Member
5 minutes ago, BilllyGOAT said:

Dude, me, virtues? You must be joking. I also don’t give a fark about "the family" either.

And you’re right, this isn’t about me, and it never was. You’re the one who’s trying to make it about me, which is pretty hopeless.

My only point, from the beginning, has been that this waste of skin should stay in jail so he can’t kill anyone else. That’s it. Everything else you’re bringing up is just noise. You really need to get a grip.

All i am saying is that the family should not be criticised by anyone here whatever decision they arrive at regarding a payout ,, If you think that is just "noise" then that's up to you . He won't be killing anybody else don't worry about that

banyanman Explorer Member

banyanman

Member
4 hours ago, Jim Blue said:

Where would he get the funds to compensate ?

Win the Thai lottery ?

4 hours ago, Jim Blue said:

Where would he get the funds to compensate ?

Win the Thai lottery ?

Maybe his parents who live in Australia would provide the funds. An Australian news report said they live in a $1.5 million dollar house. If true (and I've not been able to verify that) they shouldn't have too much difficulty raising $43,000. That's if they want to help their son of course.

Bday Prang Star Member

Bday Prang

Advanced Member
6 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

Well, that is the valid counter argument to the valid pragmatic reasoning that compensation improves the life of those still living. Will the person do it again?

But that is presumably something that the court considers, or at least I hope they do.

I would point out that there is no suggestion that this guy will be “let out” in the sense of immediate release. The article talks of him serving a minimum of 7 years.

he won't be getting away with seven years regardless of what any "article" says lets be realistic about this for gods sake,

JerryM Gold Member

JerryM

Advanced Member
5 minutes ago, wavodavo said:

This girl was 17 and already had at least 3 very substantial tatoos that are visible when clothed so I doubt very much if she was the innocent little girl from Issan that had left home for the first time on her own to Pattaya to see the sea.

There are several tattoo parlors in Kalasin.

Bday Prang Star Member

Bday Prang

Advanced Member
3 minutes ago, banyanman said:

Maybe his parents who live in Australia would provide the funds. An Australian news report said they live in a $1.5 million dollar house. If true (and I've not been able to verify that) they shouldn't have too much difficulty raising $43,000. That's if they want to help their son of course.

So its confirmed ? it's 43000 dollar ? another one making things up

Bday Prang Star Member

Bday Prang

Advanced Member
34 minutes ago, BilllyGOAT said:

Are you serious? Did you even read the article?A

It literally says.......

I read it , but I did not allow it to trigger me , it's just an "article" relax, chill out

JJ-Thailand Silver Member

JJ-Thailand

Advanced Member

A 17-year-old girl can't take a proper decision about going to Pattaya and whoever approved for her to go is also not to blame. The grown-up killer is alone responsible for what happened, nobody else.

kingstonkid Ruby Member

kingstonkid

Advanced Member
4 hours ago, it is what it is said:

yea, she may well have said she wanted to see the sea, but how many parents really know what their teenage children are getting up to? mine certainly didn't.

Most of the bar girls work as waitresses. or at least that is what they tell their families who really do not know or care.

The money is good, and if given a choice between getting paid and maybe finding prince charming or getting possibly pregnant from some loser in their village, they take this route.

As to the Aussie, sorry, he still should get the max in the Hilton with Thai prisoners.

JT25 Senior Member

JT25

Member
2 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

Disgusting post , how about empathy and trying to understand so he can be rehabilitated

Why even try to rehabilitate this mongrel dog. You are not far behind this animal with your pathetic posts.

LittleBear57 Advanced Member

LittleBear57

Member

She had only been in pattaya a short time. Maybe she was looking around for a job, perhaps not selling her body. Met this man who talked her into coming to his place and he expected sex and just maybe she wasn't that type of girl and that's the cause of the anger which sadly led to her murder.

We really are just speculating, only he knows what really happened.

I hope he doesn't get out of jail for a long long time regardless of any compensation.

ronster Gold Member

ronster

Advanced Member

10-20 million bht and 35 years with no parole should be the minimum the parents accept . Otherwise life with no chance of getting out or transferring to another country to see out sentence.

Or death by firing squad to save time !

Farage Apprentice Member

Farage

Member
2 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

Disgusting post , how about empathy and trying to understand so he can be rehabilitated

Do the crime do the time... life sentence in the Bangkok Hilton is too good.... rehabilitate an animal like this....not a chance..

Andyfez Silver Member

Andyfez

Advanced Member
4 hours ago, it is what it is said:

yea, she may well have said she wanted to see the sea, but how many parents really know what their teenage children are getting up to? mine certainly didn't.

Most Isaan parents know quite well why girls go to Pattaya.

And are ready to receive money from their daughter the moment they return.

This is why many girls say it is too expensive to go back home.

JerryM Gold Member

JerryM

Advanced Member
8 minutes ago, ronster said:

10-20 million bht and 35 years with no parole should be the minimum the parents accept

04 JULY 2026 -- Accused murderer Simon Peter Carman spent much of the past decade isolating himself from many of his friends and family in Australia, according to those who knew him.

The ABC understands Mr Carman had little contact with his parents and siblings, and preferred to spend his time in Thailand, where he's been living since late last year.

His family did not want to talk, but the ABC understands it was around this time that Mr Carman isolated himself from his family, and from many of his friends in WA.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-07-04/who-is-simon-carman-thai-teenager-murder-case/106857974

Bday Prang Star Member

Bday Prang

Advanced Member
29 minutes ago, bunnydrops said:

I am more inclined to believe "her friend" enticed her to come for easy money.

Thats what normally happens, and the friend normally receives a few bob for doing her a favour

Bday Prang Star Member

Bday Prang

Advanced Member
17 minutes ago, JT25 said:

Why even try to rehabilitate this mongrel dog. You are not far behind this animal with your pathetic posts.

He's a troll and he thinks he's funny, he has a history of inflammatory posts just like that one

Bday Prang Star Member

Bday Prang

Advanced Member
20 minutes ago, JJ-Thailand said:

A 17-year-old girl can't take a proper decision about going to Pattaya and whoever approved for her to go is also not to blame. The grown-up killer is alone responsible for what happened, nobody else.

17 year olds make the decision every day , don't underestimate them

Correct , he and he alone is responsible for her death

Kerryd Diamond Member

Kerryd

Advanced Member

Does NOT matter if she was 17 or if she'd only been in Pattaya for a couple days.

That does NOT excuse her being brutally murdered and having her body dumped in a ditch like a bag of garbage.

Her parent's story is suspect as it is very unlikely the girl came to Pattaya, immediately got (3+) tattoos and met some random guy and agreed to go back to his condo for money in the first couple of days after arriving.

Anyone who's been in Pattaya for more than a day would/should know that she's been "in the game" for awhile now, whether her parents admit it or not.

I've met a number of girls over the years who admitted that their mom "knew" what they were doing - but dad wasn't in on it. (Or wasn't willing to admit that he knew as well.)

And as sad as it may be, in Thailand it is COMMON practise for a guilty person to offer the victim's family money in exchange for having charges dropped completely.

Not likely to happen in this case due to the publicity and the details of the murder.

But IF he pleads guilty and shows remorse and IF the family accepts the "compensation" offered, he might get half the normal sentence - which is STANDARD practise in Thailand.

A couple Royal Pardons (if he's eligible) and suddenly he's only facing 7-8 years in Thai prison.

And ! With a Prisoner Transfer Agreement between Australia and Thailand - once he's completed 25% of his sentence, he'd be eligible to be transferred to an Australian prison assuming Thailand, Australia and the prisoner agree to the transfer.
Theoretically he'd have to serve the remainder of his sentence in Australia - but with different laws, lawyers and rules about probation - he could end up being released after just a couple years.

Consider the case of the Canadian Michael Karas who murdered a young woman in 1996, mutilated her face (to hinder recognition), dismembered her body, stuffed it into suitcases and dumped them in a nearby (Pattaya) swamp.
Got on a plane and flew back to Canada where he was arrested for violating his probation (he was a life-long criminal in Canada before he went to Thailand).

Thailand tried to have him extradited so he confessed to a couple "cold case" crimes to get a few more years added to his sentence, hoping to run out the clock or something.
He did get extradited eventually, tried in Thailand and sent to prison for 20+ years.

But FIVE years to the day after he was sentenced, his lawyer and some pathetic moron reporter for a Toronto newspaper wrote a sob story article about how the poor guy had been rail-roaded by the Thai justice system and had been in prison for "half a decade" already !

Deliberately saying "half a decade" because they KNEW that saying "5 years" wouldn't sound like much considering what he'd done. The lawyer argued that Karas should be returned to Canada and released immediately !

Then they applied for a Prisoner Transfer, which the Public Safety Minister (a scumbag Liberal) approved despite having been personally informed of Karas's criminal history AND what he'd done in Thailand.
Corrections Canada ASSURED me that Karas would be properly supervised (etc etc).

He was returned to Canada - in secret - shortly after and within WEEKS was already released and totally FREE ! NO probation - NOTHING.

And we only found out that because less than a year later he was arrested (again) for a string of bank robberies he commited literally immediately after his release !!

So he only ended up serving 5 years for murdering a young woman, mutilating her face, dismembering her body and throwing it into a swamp !!!

And the LIBERALS (in Canada) think THAT was "justice".

Not sure how the gov't in Australia would view a similar situation. Depends who's in charge at the time I suppose.

Bday Prang Star Member

Bday Prang

Advanced Member
29 minutes ago, JerryM said:

There are several tattoo parlors in Kalasin.

There are several here in surin too, what's your point?

Ralf001 Star Member

Ralf001

Advanced Member
2 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

Disgusting post , how about empathy and trying to understand so he can be rehabilitated

Were you born that pathetic or did it take years of training ?

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