Australian expat Simon Peter Carman has told Thai police how he spent the 17 hours after the death of 17-year-old Tunchanok Donhomla before disposing of her body and attempting to board a flight to Australia. Investigators allege the 45-year-old left the teenager’s body inside a suitcase in the bathroom of his Pattaya apartment, carried on with his daily routine, and later dumped the suitcase in long grass near railway tracks before travelling to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, where he was arrested.
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Police reported that the case began after Ms Donhomla, 17, met Carman in Pattaya. According to investigators, the fatal encounter centred on a dispute over 500 baht. Daily Mail reporting says Carman told police he spent the remainder of the night sleeping in the apartment, only metres from the suitcase containing the teenager’s body, which he said he had “put away”.
According to his account, Carman woke several hours later, stripped his bedding, gathered his laundry and left the apartment with washing for a nearby launderette. He then spoke with neighbours and his landlady before crossing the road for lunch. A laundrette owner told the Daily Mail that nothing about Carman’s behaviour appeared unusual, adding that he mentioned meeting a friend for lunch.
Carman later told investigators the friend cancelled their meeting after being delayed outside Pattaya. He said the change of plans prompted him to return to Australia, as the friend had belongings stored in his apartment that would no longer be collected immediately. Police say Carman spent the afternoon running errands before returning to the apartment, where Ms Donhomla’s body remained in the bathroom.
Investigators allege Carman then booked a flight to Australia before deciding how to dispose of the body. CCTV footage allegedly shows him dragging the suitcase from his apartment at about 9.25pm, securing it to the back of his red scooter and riding towards nearby railway tracks, where police reported he abandoned it in long grass before returning home.
As Carman prepared to leave Thailand, Ms Donhomla’s disappearance had already prompted concern among her friends. A group visited his apartment, questioned him about her whereabouts and photographed him before leaving. At about 5pm they reported her missing to local police.
Police arrested Carman at Suvarnabhumi Airport shortly before he was due to board a Jetstar flight to Perth. According to a source close to the investigation, Carman told officers he had only intended to return to Australia to replace a lost debit card and planned to come back to Thailand within a few days to hand himself in and “take accountability”. Police continue their investigation into the alleged murder.
Pictures courtesy of Daily Mail
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Adapted by ASEAN Now Dailymail 5 July 2026